Kid catches a temporary buzz, and mom wants $75K!

[The ClayTaurus]

Embarassed by what? It was the restaurant that served a FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD a long island ice tea. Are you suggesting that a mother should know more about alcoholic beverages than a damn waitress? Where is that in the parenting books "Chapter 5 - How to make sure restaurants don't serve your children alcohol drinks"

You're missing the point. I'd try and explain it to you further, but you're apparently one of those people who doesn't believe parenting actually involves anything other than showing up.

I think that a family walking into a familiy restaurant has a reasonable expectation that their pre-school aged children will not be served alcoholic beverages. You apparently do not think it is reasonable to expect that. I'll make sure never to take my kids to any restaurant you might happen operate.

I think it's reasonable to expect that. I also think it's reasonable to expect that a mom keeps a closer eye on what her 5 year old child ingests. Like, say, any eye, whatsoever. Obviously she didn't even look to see what her kid was drinking. Long Islands look nothing like apple juice. They're cloudy, sometimes multiple colors. You seem to be willing to give the mom a free pass, even though she didn't even look to see what her own kid was drinking. Keep your "it's not my fault I'm not watching them" kids away from me. I don't want to be responsible when they drown themselves in my toilet because you were too busy signing affidavits to accompany them to the bathroom.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

You people are ridiculous.


Blame the victim. The Republican way.


How many parents here have done a taste test of every drink their child has ever received in a restaurant? Only taste can tell for sure, you know. A coca cola might have a shot of Jim Beam in hit, you'd have to taste to be sure. And you're a bad parent if you don't. You need to be on the lookout - because the restaurant has no responsibility whatsoever to ensure they don't break state alcohol laws by serving your preschooler alcohol.

No, you retard. LONG ISLANDS LOOK NOTHING LIKE APPLE JUICE. Learn how to read.

 

[SpidermanTuba]

I also think it's reasonable to expect that a mom keeps a closer eye on what her 5 year old child ingests. Like, say, any eye, whatsoever. Obviously she didn't even look to see what her kid was drinking. Long Islands look nothing like apple juice.

Long island ice tea looks nothing like apple juice. You know, except that its about the same damn color. Apparently it looks enough like apple juice that it confused the person who was serving the drinks.

Obviously, if your kid asks for a beverage, and a beverage comes out that is the same color as the beverage you requested, its a completely unreasonable expectation to assume the drink is non-alocholic, and you are a bad parent for doing so.

 

[SpidermanTuba]

No, you retard. LONG ISLANDS LOOK NOTHING LIKE APPLE JUICE. Learn how to read.

I believe you are making a personal attack, as prohibited by board rules. Perhaps you should turn yourself in.

I can't see how she could not notice the subtle difference in color. You're right, these drinks look absolutely nothing alike, save for the fact that they are the exact same color!

 

[Said1]

Having worked with children for a number of years, I assure you, traditional apple juice looks, smells and tastes nothing like a Long Island Ice tea.

The juice I buy and serve looks like this and tends to come in a smaller glass, sans ice when sold in restaurants:

Long Island Tea tends to come with ice and is often served in a bigger adult sized glass and usually looks like this - although can be lighter or darker depending on the quality:

As you can see, apple juice tends to be golden in colour, unless it's all natural. I wouldn't say restaurants never serve all natural apple juice, although probably highly unlikely since it's so much more expensive. If a waiter or waitress brought a long island to my table instead of apple juice, I would be concerned about it's color (and probably smell it) wondering why the glass is full of ice. Children can choke on ice cubes ya know.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I believe you are making a personal attack, as prohibited by board rules. Perhaps you should turn yourself in.

No they're not. Personal attacks are completely ok. Especially when they're warranted. Go read up on the rules, cry baby. (Yes, yes, another personal attack. I'm hoping you'll whine some more about it)

I can't see how she could not notice the subtle difference in color. You're right, these drinks look absolutely nothing alike, save for the fact that they are the exact same color!

When was the last time you got applejuice with ice in it? Or an orange wedge in the glass?

Look, the restaurant screwed up. The should have comped her bill, and that would have been the end of it. You can't honestly justify her suing them for anything else.

At the end of the day, you're the ONLY ONE maintaining that it's perfectly acceptable for a parent to be so oblivious as to what their child is doing that they can drink a long island, which comes in a big glass, with ice, and an orange wedge vs. an apple juice, which comes in a smaller glass for children.

I guess if the child poors salt in his eye, that's the restaurant's fault too, right? After all, they left the salt there for the kid to put in his eye. OOPS! shouldn't have given him a fork. Now it's up his nose. Sue the restaurant! Mommy was too busy deciding if she couldn't sober up enough to drive home if she got the margarita. If mommy had an ounce of common sense, that long island would never have gotten anywhere near her kid. I've had THOUSANDS of long islands, and I've never seen one that looks like apple juice or comes in a glass that apple juice would come in.

Man, I hope I never run into you when you have kids. You're going to be the one who lets their kids run all over the place breaking shit and then just play dumb when someone complains about it. You're inability to see that two people, not just the restaurant, are at fault in this situation is troubling. I'd strongly consider NOT breeding until you understand.

 

[Said1]

The Long Island was probably supposed to be for her.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I went to the Applebee's website. This is fantastic.

MMM yummy applejuice with ice and orange wedge!

Best of all:

Drinks are served in a special Applebee's Kid's Cup with lid.

http://www.applebees.com/Menu_Kids.aspx

Now, unless the long island came in a special applebee's kid's cup with a lid, Spidey is officially retarded. (That's 3 personal attacks, since you're keeping track)

 

[Said1]

One time, when I was about 14, I mixed up the alcoholic and non-alcoholic trays, holding cups full of punch I was passing out. It was at my great-grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary, so as you might imagine the big "concern" was about alcohol mixing with meds, not children drinking vodka. No one died or wound up in the hospital, so it was all good in the end.

 

[SpidermanTuba]

I went to the Applebee's website. This is fantastic.

MMM yummy applejuice with ice and orange wedge!

Best of all:http://www.applebees.com/Menu_Kids.aspx

Now, unless the long island came in a special applebee's kid's cup with a lid, Spidey is officially retarded. (That's 3 personal attacks, since you're keeping track)

So parents should assume that all cups which are not special and do not have a lide are alcoholic beverages, and as well they should be completely familiar with every aspect of a restaurant's menu before ordering, so that they know exacly what kind of cup the beverage will come in. Or else they are bad parents.

And if your kid orders water and it comes with a lemon, you should assume that all drinks served with lemon are alcoholic.


Furthemore, if a restaurant serves your kid alcohol, it is 0% their fault. It is 100% your responsibility to make sure the restaurant employees are doing their job. The restaurant has absolutely no duty whatsoever to comply with alcohol laws. You are simply a bad parent.

 

[Shattered]

She's not the one serving the drinks. Don't people have a right to expect that the restaurant they are in will respect the alcohol laws and not serve their children booze? What if the mother doesn't drink at all? Does she need to familiarize herself with all the drinks in the book because it is her responsibility to determine whether or not her child's drink is alcoholic and not the responsibility of the person making the drink?


Are you seriously suggesting, that everytime a familiy goes to a restaurant, it is the parents job to taste or smell all their children's drinks to check for alcohol?

Don't be an idiot. You can smell both apple juice, AND a long island (my favorite drink, thanks) from across the room. The mother *could* have told the difference within 12 seconds if she'd been paying attention to anything at her table. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if she purposely let the kid drink it just TO get money.

$75k is a completely ridiculous amount of "punitive" damages.

 

[Said1]

So parents should assume that all cups which are not special and do not have a lide are alcoholic beverages, and as well they should be completely familiar with every aspect of a restaurant's menu before ordering, so that they know exacly what kind of cup the beverage will come in. Or else they are bad parents.

And if your kid orders water and it comes with a lemon, you should assume that all drinks served with lemon are alcoholic.


Furthemore, if a restaurant serves your kid alcohol, it is 0% their fault. It is 100% your responsibility to make sure the restaurant employees are doing their job. The restaurant has absolutely no duty whatsoever to comply with alcohol laws. You are simply a bad parent.

Most chains do have special cups and whatnot for kids, it's helpful to cater to families by doing nice things. Ever seen a 5 yr old try to drink out of a big glass that HAS to have a straw....9 times out of 10 it spills.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

So parents should assume that all cups which are not special and do not have a lide are alcoholic beverages, and as well they should be completely familiar with every aspect of a restaurant's menu before ordering, so that they know exacly what kind of cup the beverage will come in. Or else they are bad parents.

If you didn't read the kid's menu, then yes, you screwed up.

And if your kid orders water and it comes with a lemon, you should assume that all drinks served with lemon are alcoholic.

Applejuice doesn't come with a lemon. That's the point. Quit splitting hairs, you look desperate.

Furthemore, if a restaurant serves your kid alcohol, it is 0% their fault. It is 100% your responsibility to make sure the restaurant employees are doing their job. The restaurant has absolutely no duty whatsoever to comply with alcohol laws. You are simply a bad parent.

READ my posts, instead of just responding to them. I never claimed the restaurant had zero liability. Did you ever learn how to read? Or did your parents insist everyone else read for you, because it's not your responsibility? If so, I'm sorry. Give me your phone number and I'll read the posts to you.

 

[SpidermanTuba]

You can smell both apple juice, AND a long island (my favorite drink, thanks) from across the room.

Maybe you can. I can't. Basing your argument on the assumed olfactory sense of the plaintiff is not very convincing.

 

[SpidermanTuba]

Most chains do have special cups and whatnot for kids, it's helpful to cater to families by doing nice things. Ever seen a 5 yr old try to drink out of a big glass that HAS to have a straw....9 times out of 10 it spills.

So did your mom do a taste test on every drink you had at a restaurant that didn't come in a special cup?

 

[SpidermanTuba]

Applejuice doesn't come with a lemon.

How do you know it had a lemon in it? The article doesn't specify. Stands to reason a restaurant that would forget to not serve alcohol to children might also forget to put a lemon in a drink.

 

[manu1959]

I believe you are making a personal attack, as prohibited by board rules. Perhaps you should turn yourself in.

I can't see how she could not notice the subtle difference in color. You're right, these drinks look absolutely nothing alike, save for the fact that they are the exact same color!

if a mother of a child can not see and smell the difference between these two drinks.....one being stipulated as appa jus and the other as rum....she should be prosecuted for child neglect.....

 

[Said1]

So did your mom do a taste test on every drink you had at a restaurant that didn't come in a special cup?

If it looked funny, yes she did. I would to the same for my own child.

Look, Spicolli, I know you find it hard to fathom, but there is a remarkable difference between the appearence and presentation of both apple juice and Long Island Ice Tea. We're not shittin' ya, it's true.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Do you see how hard you have to squirm to try and prove your point, Spidey, how many hypotheticals you have to bring up? That means you're being unreasonable.

Do you think the mom has any culpability in this incident at all?

 

[Shattered]

The apple juice used in restaurants is a crystal clear amber liquid.

Long Islands aren't anything even remotely close to clear, much less "crystal" clear.

Even if the restaurant "happened" to be out of kid cups, AND lemons (how likely is that?), AND everyone in the immediate vicinity had a cold, so couldn't smell, merely looking at the drink should have been a red flag. Every single adult at that table, as well as the waitress is responsible.

However, the mother is the worst - what she's doing is a complete load of shit. While she's at it, she's teaching her child it's perfectly acceptable to milk the system at every given opportunity.

Personally? I'd have taken the drink up to the bar, asked to see the manager, and told them that the waitress made a pretty grave mistake, and that perhaps further training is needed. Then I'd have asked for apple juice, and gone back to my table.