Prudie editorializes today on dealing with children in venues which are not age-appropriate. Here's the relevant bit:
Dear Pru,
When is it inappropriate for people to bring kids to an event, and what can you do about it? Recently I went to a very non-kid-friendly movie—the plot was pretty much sex, sex, sex, which was obvious from every review and preview—and there were two different entire families there. Each group of people contained at least four kids, ranging in ages down from about 8 to babies. The kids were running up and down the aisles and talking and yelling and crying and climbing over and under the seats and spilling soda on people all through the movie. No one, including management, said anything about it because the families were of a specific minority group, and I think people were afraid of seeming racist at the arty liberal movie theater. This is the only "art-house" movie theater in town, they serve wine and beer, and they don't show child-appropriate movies. What's the deal? Is it a crime to hire a baby sitter anymore?
—Annoyed
Dear Ann,
It's not a crime, but for some families it's impossible or unaffordable. Like you, Prudie is of the old school, believing if an occasion is for grown-ups, people should stay home if no sitter is available. Lots of people disagree with Prudie, however ... hence little kids in wildly inappropriate settings. As to what you can do about it at the movies—at least because of content suitability—nothing. You CAN, however, complain to the theater management about kids who are running, yelling, talking, crying, climbing, and spilling soda. You could even report adults for the same behavior. Ignore the minority business, by the way; you are not making a complaint because of the person's ethnicity. There is an outside chance that, according to statute where you live, minors may not be where alcohol is served. If so, you could alert the liquor license people. And regarding movies where children do not belong, there's an outside chance that the parents read no reviews but simply went because of the title alone. Years ago Prudie's dear girlfriend was deeply embarrassed when she took her pre-adolescent son to what she believed to be a movie about farmers. It was Day of the Locust.
I'll comment on this later. . .
posted by Silver @
1:26 AM
|
Monday, January 20, 2003  |
There's an interesting article in the Times today on the sidewalk as a public space. I do need to check out one organization it mentions: the Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit based in Manhattan.
Also key is this opening quote from Jane Jacobs' "The Death and Life of Great American Cities":
"Lowly, unpurposeful and random as they appear, sidewalk contacts are the small change from which a city's wealth of public life may grow."
On a personal note, I briefly lived in the outer suburbs of Delaware and was appalled at the lack of sidewalks. I can't recall if there were sidewalks in the subdivision itself, but there were no sidewalks on the major street linking the subdivision to the other subdivisions, and to the rest of the world. In some places--such as next to the nearest supermarket--there simply was no safe or legal way to cross the street. The roads were too wide with too many lanes with cars going too fast. And, of course, there was no crosswalk for pedestrians, let alone a designated time for pedestrians to cross.
I have now lived in Center City Philadephia for the last five years, and one of its merits is that it has sidewalks which people use and are an integral part of the city. Here I really sense the sidewalk as a public space, since I continually encounter other people--both friends and strangers.
Given that it is a public space, there is a public etiquette that guides the use of sidewalks. Consider, for example, people who walk two, three and four abreast on a narrow public sidewalk. It makes it impossible for people behind them to pass, and this is an unacceptable usurpation of the public space for their own convenience. A decent respect for others demands that one make way for others. If people walk several abreast they must either make sure to leave a passing lane, or to be constantly aware of people who might be coming up behind them.
Sidewalks and smoking. . .
Sidewalks and strollers. . .
Sidewalks and segways, bicycles. . .(consider when it is unsafe to ride on streets. . .)
posted by Silver @
12:01 PM
|
Sunday, January 05, 2003 |
|
