Mum Amy Ellis claims two-year-old son Leo was discriminated against during a family meal on Friday at The Cherry Tree, Rochford after a row broke out over the screaming child.
Miss Ellis said: “My two-year-old son is autistic, as well as partially deaf and epileptic.
“He is quite vocal and uses his voice to settle himself.”
That must be nice for the other diners...
When a supervisor came over to tell her complaints had been received about the noise she explained his condition and the supervisor came back with colouring books and crayons.
Not earplugs for the other customers?
It is alleged during a subsequent heated conversation a supervisor told the family “why didn’t you let us know when you booked that you were bringing an autistic child so we could warn the other customers”.
Amy said: “I could not believe what I was hearing, we had never had to do that before and the medical needs of my child are no one’s business.”
When they are impinging on
their rights to enjoy a quiet family meal, they are!
Owner Gary Downham told how he was threatened and had to call in the police.
He said: “It was noticed that one of the young children would not stop screaming or shouting and whilst our restaurant is child-friendly, the level of the screaming was such that it was difficult to hold a conversation.”
He said he and staff stepped in to help, but were abused and threatened.
There's no comment from the police. I wonder if they too retreated before the mother's inalienable right to use the Disability Card to disrupt everyone else's life?
8 comments:
As a parent, I know that I'm responsible for my child's personal sins, including screaming the bloody house down. I believe that it was thoughtless in the least for the parent of this child with an alleged disability that manifested itself in disturbing screaming, to not at least warn the eaterie that her child had such issues. If she'd done that then maybe the parent assisted by the staff could have taken steps to calm the child before screaming began or at the very least seated the family away from other paying customers. A little consideration on this parent's part towards the eaterie could have created a much better outcome for everyone. Unfortunately what we have got instead is the waving of the victim card when things didn't go her way and are that way partly through her own inactions.
There are far too many selfish people around these days. They have no thought regarding other people. It's me, me, me! The manager should have told the parents to shut the screaming child up or get out. His disability is irrelevant. If he is such a damn nuisance they should have informed the restaurant beforehand or should simply stay at home.
I see the comments are closed. Was that always so, or did they just go the way you would expect?
Dr Evil. Since spawning I've become shocked at just what shops and bars etc have to put up with from kids and their less than adult acting parents and staff are encouraged to see this as normal. It is indeed selfish behaviour from parents. It's because of dodgy parents like t his that people take against kids with autistic spectrum disorders
She’ll have her hands full looking after him, so I hope she’s .sterilised. Also I hope her name is passed around the hospitality trade so her reserved table is far away from the other diners, possibly outside.
" A little consideration on this parent's part towards the eaterie could have created a much better outcome for everyone. "
I find the louder a parent screams that others should have 'understanding and tolerance', the less they have themselves.
"If he is such a damn nuisance they should have informed the restaurant beforehand or should simply stay at home."
These parents always know their rights. Yet, strangely, seem to have missed any notification of their responsibilities.
"I see the comments are closed. Was that always so, or did they just go the way you would expect?"
They were open at first! But them ordinary people started to have their say.
And that will never do!
"It's because of dodgy parents like t his that people take against kids with autistic spectrum disorders"
I wonder who diagnosed this child? A medical professional, or their acquaintances on Mumsnet?
"Also I hope her name is passed around the hospitality trade so her reserved table is far away from the other diners, possibly outside."
Sadly, that would almost certainly be investigated as 'a hate crime'.
Julia - you know as well as I do that these days anyone under the age of forty has 'rights' coming out of their ears, but have absolutely no responsibilities. The word has been expunged from their (limited) vocabulary.
On that last point, I only ever seen certain Latin communities and Indian communities dye children hair that young.
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