French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre wrote in his play No Exit that “hell is other people.” One restaurant patron found himself experiencing the bad behavior of others. He and his girlfriend were out to eat when the parents at a nearby table changed their baby. They then left the dirty diaper on the table for all to see and smell.
The boyfriend asked the parents to throw the diaper away as it was impacting their dining experience. The parents did not take this well. Their reaction got the boyfriend wondering if he was wrong for speaking up. He took to Reddit’s popular AITA forum to gain some perspective.
It wasn't a fancy place.
The boyfriend sets the scene before asking for the forum’s input. “I 24(m) went out to dinner with my gf(23 f),” he began. “The restaurant was above an applebees, but not a fancy restaurant. We were sitting across the aisle from a mid 30s couple with a baby (guessing 8 or 9 months based on my nephew). The aisle is not very big probably enough for two people to squeeze by each other.”
What's that smell?
The couple were enjoying their night out and being together until the family next to them decided to change their baby at the table. The boyfriend explained they “left the diaper sitting at the end of their table closest to us.” He was not happy about this. “It sat there for probably about 15 mins up until our food was served,” he went on to say. “I personally found this a bit disgusting and it may have been in my head, but I felt like I could smell the diaper. That is why when our food came I asked them if they could please throw it away.”
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The parents did not react well.
The boyfriend’s request did not go over well with the parents. “The guy at the other table said why,” he continued. “I responded with I find it gross to be eating in close proximity to human waste when there is a changing station and trash can in the bathroom (I checked, there are both). He told me to mind my own f—ing business.”
There goes the evening.
This bad interaction ruined the vibe. “After that we quickly ate and left while they gave us dirty looks,” the boyfriend recalled. His girlfriend didn’t think he was wrong but thinks he could have maybe let it go. He wanted the internet’s opinion.
The boyfriend's actions were not wrong.
Reddit was overwhelming on this guy’s side. Many people thought the restaurant should have stepped up. “They changed a diaper at a table where people eat. This is not only disgusting but also a health code violation. The restaurant employees should have stopped them or told them to go to the restroom to use the changing table,” one user wrote.
Parents should not do this.
This incident caused one user to speculate if parents thought this behavior was OK.
“I don't know if it's widely accepted among parents to change diapers at restaurant tables, but as someone without kids, I think it's gross,” the person commented. “Even more so to leave it sitting there on the table.”
Many parents chimed in and said this was absolutely not OK.
In conclusion...
One user’s comment sums it up best: “Ew, that's repulsive. The diaper should've been changed in the bathroom! It's reasonable to want your dining area free of human waste.”
The boyfriend can rest assured he was not in the wrong here.
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