So yesterday evening my GF and I went to Applebees to take advantage of a burger promo. It was about 6:00 PM. We were seated in a booth next to an Asian family (Man, wife, 2 kids ages 5-7), who also had some other dude with them.
Well, the entire meal, the kids are screaming, running around the restaurant, climbing on things (tables, the little island with the register near the bar, etc). At one point they were literally hanging upside down off of railing set up along a ramp leading down into the bar, as well as LAYING ACROSS THE STEPS that lead down into the bar area (Like 2 steps down). One of them also kept coming to our table, crawling underneath it, and a few times just smacked my girlfriend in the arm.
We asked our server if she could ask the family to please keep their kids under control. Bare minimum keep them from fucking hitting us and disturbing out meal. She said she wasn't comfortable doing so and would bring us the manager. She also asked if WE made any effort to speak with the parents, making it seem like we're just complaining to complain. I flat out told her that if I have to go over and say something, I'd probably get kicked out of the restaurant, as I was pretty irritated. She just gives me a look and walked away.
Manager comes by several minutes later. We explain what's going on (which we shouldn't have to have done...as they were still fucking running around). She refused to speak to them, basically saying "Kids will be kids", and pretty much made us look like we are just a young couple who hate kids. The only thing she did was just offer to give us a discount off our bill (basically gave us our beverages for free). She made it seem like she was afraid of repercussions if she did anything about it.
At this point, I just made a point to loudly commentate on what the kids were doing. I also said loud enough for the parents to hear that if one of the little brats came up to our table again and touched us, I would yell at the kid. The mother kept locking eyes with me and giving me dirty looks. Lady, IDGAF. I am trying to enjoy my now cold burger. There was legit a point where the mother was actually sitting there FILMING THE KIDS WITH HER PHONE while they climbed on railing and was smiling and laughing.
We totally don't mind kids. I get it, going to a place like that at dinner time, there are going to be kids. There were kids all over the restaurant but NONE of them were acting like that. Why the fuck were these parents allowing this to happen? I don't get it. This is why I hate people.