I am listening to an episode from radio program Q, discussing a Pennsylvania restaurant bans children under 6 years old from entering. Since it’s not outlawed so far, of course the rule is a moral debate. Obviously it has crossed the red line for some people, especially parents with infants and toddlers.
It’s a freedom of choice in the market, some argue. If the owner doesn’t care to lose family diners, he is free to do so. By the same token, parents can choose to boycott “family-unfriendly” restaurants.
Some people, on the other hand, are angry that kids are pinpointed. Have you experienced annoying adolescents, young adults, the middle-aged, or senior citizens yelling non-stop in restaurants? If yes, why targets children?
I actually don’t know why this debate is suddenly (re)ignited, unless there has never been a single restaurant in the US banning kids before. “Kids Unwelcome” rule has happened in several occasions before in my experiences, although in Taiwan, the rule is mostly based on heights. On the Taipei International Travel Fair website, for example, kids under 120cm are not allowed in for “safety” reason. I took this photo last time in front of a cafe in Tokyo. The rule is even stricter than US version.
If this “No Kids” rule is justified and, in the end, welcomed in the market, I can imagine airlines banning kids in some long-haul flights in the future. After all, people are already complaining a lot when crying babies are around for , at most 3-hour, dinners. Hey, we are talking about 12-hour flights. 😛