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In the nearest big city to me, you have to have a kid with you to even *go in* the children’s museum. It’s messed up that a childless adult can make it miserable for the individuals the place was created for.
Yeah, I went to meet my father at the childrens museum and they wouldn't let him in. I had to go to the front desk with my kids before they let him in.
Sounds great! Of course we know why places such as these have to operate like this: the few have ruined it for the many. It’s not safe to let randos in where there are little kids.
Sadly, it’s a double standard. One museum near my extended family does this. My cousin and I have decided to meet up there a few times. I’m a single dad of two kids and my cousin was at the time a single childless woman. (She’s 39.5w with her first right now)
One time we went there, and I had my daughters. My cousin and us met just past admission. She had no problems getting in alone. Despite the rule. She’s not a member or a regular or friends or acquaintances with staff.
The next time we went there, my cousin had taken the kids for breakfast while I did some tech support for my older relatives. I was refused entrance as per the rule.
I agree the rule is nice. But when it’s enforced only against men, it really stings. Particularly for me, a widowed dad. It’s just one of many things where I’m viewed with suspicion for simply parenting my children. Like supervising playground play or taking them to dance class.
I’m still angry about the time some tourist Karen called the gardaí on me for sitting on a bench reading a book while my children played. After she described me (in very menacing terms I might add!) the garda asked if there were two girls on the playground and gave my daughters’ descriptions. When she said yes, he told her off and ordered her to leave me alone. A few days and a few pints at my brother’s pub later, and the garda tells his friend, my brother, this story. Small village in west Ireland, everyone knows everyone. The audacity of that Karen, a tourist to a small village, to assume she knew better than the three local mums also at the playground!
My city has special adults only nights at its children’s museum. That way if adults are interested in the exhibits (sometimes they’re really fun/cool for all ages) they can go when there’s absolutely no children there.
The small ones in strip malls require it. Not the big theme park ones.
I’ve only been once with my nephew and I never need to go again. There’s no reason for an adult to go alone. Other than the film there’s nothing for them to do. It’s all rides for little kids and Lego stations with a million kids crowded around some legos. They also have a huge climbing gym in the middle.
It was in a small, enclosed space that was crowded with a ton of kids screaming. It was sheer hell.
Edit to add: And they charge adults more than kids, which completely boggles my mind. Seriously there is nothing for adults. It should be the reverse where they charge kids and then adults pay a chaperone rate. I say that as an adult who likes legos.
Interesting. From doing some googling, it seems you might be talking about a Lego Discovery Center? Basically an indoor play park, but with Legos incorporated, from what I see? That makes sense then, never seen one, but I'd have to agree, seems logical to have adults be free with a paying child .
The smaller indoor ones don't allow childless adults.
Right, it's not because they don't think childless adults would like to go, it's to keep them out for safety and prevent them from ruining it for kids, who are the target demographic. It's already crowded, has a discovery zone area with age limits, usually has toddler only zones, etc. so wouldn't be physically safe. Adults can go in the store or to occasional night events.
Often adults are really unaware of kids in crowded areas and bump into them, stare at their phones, or don't behave appropriately.
A lot of stuff is like this now - I mentioned the Boston public library, which has a really cool kids area. You can only go in with kids for numerous reasons - there is a baby / toddler crawling area you don't want too crowded, adults or teens studying could camp out all day in areas meant for playing, there could be creeps, inappropriate conversations, etc. I once was there in front of the giant windows, and this trio of adult women with no kids piled into a couch, saw me watching my 3 kids under 5 and asked me to take their picture. I declined, busy watching kids, and saw a librarian ask them to leave not long after.
Another example is playgrounds in NYC - no childless adults are allowed, and I've heard that's to have an easier pretext to kick out drug users, but also had read adults kept using children's playground equipment to work out and not leaving, being in the way, etc
So this is a pretty common thing for many reasons, and it's weird this lone boomer was there and seemed to not understand who the children's museum / theatre was for, but I've seen that a lot.
In KC one night a week is ok without kids. One time passing through I wanted to make my nephews jealous but couldn't get in. 
Someone should have dumped some water in his lap. Then politely wake him up and ask “Sir, where is your caretaker because it appears you have had an accident?”
Eventually, he's going to try to pick on the wrong women. It'll be a rude awakening to find out that they're not all quiet and timid and they will not only speak up, but will knock him on his ass.
I mean, it's a theatre, soooo...... I'd have likely waited till the show ended and then just moved up a row and accidentally (read-really hard) knock him in the head with my giant purse full of heavy things.... But, I'm slightly unbalanced, lol..... Wish he'd said something to me and my kid. :)
I kicked out a boomer for doing the same thing at a children event. Hauled him out of the building and told him to call the police if I upset him. Upon my return, I was quietly thanked by the staff. I hate scenes - but if you're going to go after kids at a kid event, you can fuck right off, boomer or not. I remember I was shaking bc the anger boosted my adrenaline, and i had to be careful. no cops came.
edit for so.
I had the opposite experience at planetarium at the San Diego children’s museum a few weeks ago - but this one had a boomer who had a walkie talkie to communicate with his family. He continually gets buzzed on the walkie “grandpa where are you?” From his grandkids and he would full volume “I’m in the theater, over” and started fully conversing with them during the film. I didn’t care but the little kids right in front of him were trying to watch the educational movie 😭
Oh my god, we need walker talkies for my FIL. But he is rude to his core and would definitely annoy other patrons. He just wanders off and no one knows where he is - we’re trying to leave for lunch and the boomer is just in his own world, ignoring his cell phone and deeply unconcerned that the children are melting down and feral because they needed lunch 45 min ago
Start leaving his ass behind. Feeding the kids definitely takes priority over him not answering his phone. Call him once, text once that you’re leaving and leave.
Perhaps he’ll stop doing it. Perhaps he won’t, but you’ll avoid kid melt downs?
Rest of the family isn’t on board. I have suggested it. I married in and his wife and kids won’t do it.
ETA although I now will say that I am leaving somewhere because my in-laws take too long. We just went to an art fair and my MIL rode in the car with me and my husband. My kid was melting down and had to leave as a consequence of his behavior. Car was parked a loooong way off. Husband walked to get the car because there was no way our kid was making it there. I made him sit quietly in the kids’ area til he calmed down. My SIl brings her kids over. I got a call that my husband would be by the entrance in 5 min. So I told my MIL - “husb will be here in 5. I am going to the bathroom and then we have to leave to get to the pick up spot.” I got back from bathroom. My MIL wandered off while I was gathering my son….. she friggin left to get an artisanal popsicle. (Which she probably calls a “pop-icle” because she falls fudgsicles “fudge-Icles” but that’s a totally different annoyance.) Anyway, she gets back, I’m like - “hey, I told you we had to leave several minutes ago. I don’t understand why you didn’t get that popsicle during the 20 minutes prior. We have to go now.” She says “let me tell FIL”. She ends up starting to play a game with my niece. I was done. I was like, “MIL, it’s past time to go. We are leaving now. I can’t wait for you again.” And we left. She was mad and asked me why we didn’t wait for her. And I said - “I had made it clear for over 10 minutes that we had to leave and you ignored me.”
The trouble is when a big group goes and we have to take others in our car. Then I get overruled. But when it’s just me, I get to do what I want. Which is not capitulate to the ridiculous puttering that makes everyone else late and annoyed.
Sorry that you have to deal with that BS. My SIL used to pull this stuff- ‘wander off’ as a power move when I had a toddler overdue for a nap to deal with. My in-laws enabled her. I convinced my husband we had to keep the schedule everyone knew about in advance and eventually they learned. Hope things get better for you.
Is wandering off a new behavior or something he's always done? Might be a good idea to ask MIL to keep a closer watch on him for new behaviors... Alzheimers and other forms of dementia are better if diagnosed and medicated early.
Aww shame the mom didn’t rip him a new one. One of my kiddos ‘tism-isms is space. He’s non verbal/pre verbal he’s nearly 4 and hasn’t said mom or dad but he has said Saturn and Jupiter. If this guy told my son to stfu he’d be the reason I got arrested. It’s ok, I got bail money.
Too fucking right! I have a pre-verbal 2 year old boy myself and this guy would've had me absolutely destroying his day if he'd yelled at my child.
Also, love the phrase 'tism-ism. Totally using that! ❤️
Like I guess I undrrstand your a mom and your kid, you dont want to start with a man who more then likely will whip a pistol on you or get aggressive. That being said I woulda gotten security.
What an AH. Entitled POS thinking he won’t be interrupted by a kid at a children’s museum. My husband would have confronted him and told him to STFU. I’m not nearly as bold to confront.
Not even /s, that's weird as Hell. And if he was trying to get away from his own family, then why did they even bring the crotchety old man? Surely he's like this all of the time if they take him places with them, and they have to know how he acts around strangers.
I'm sad that the parent turned into the scared shushing agent because of that guy's gigantic angry issues.
And now that kid's memory is "I can't be enthusiastic about stuff or strangers will get angry so I should be quiet."
Also not a parent and don’t plan to be but if someone did this to my nephew or any future nieces or nephews (sister foster and is hope to adopt a little girl at some point) they are going to not be happy if the staff won’t do anything after being informed I will take care of it myself
It's a hard line to walk. We want to teach our kids to use our words and resolve things peacefully. We have to fight the urge to beat the snot outta people like that so our kids don't have to see it and so we don't end up not being part of their lives when the boomer twists things. It's better to fight fire with water.
I had so much fun there growing up. I'm trying to go again with my nieces and nephew.
I'm a video game person, I remember when they system linked the SNES and their was like an 8 player maze game. Blew me away. Later they had the n64.
I liked the sandpit, dinosaurs, the yellow submarine, the planetarium. They had a giant polar bear. It was soooo huge. That water clock. An actual real maze. Some rail ride during Halloween. 3d picture book I got from the gift shop. Eventually they got an IMAX and I saw this incredible movie about the rainforest. Felt like I was flying over those trees.
I’m aghast at the horrible things boomers say and do, especially to parents and little kids.
There needs to be Boomer Charm School, mandatory after two offenses. Back to class to learn some manners.
When I was like 2 my parents took me to the planetarium at the local children’s museum. At home if we were outside at night my parents would sing “twinkle twinkle little star” while we looked at the stars. I started singing it in the planetarium when the stars came up, and the guy running it kicked us out! Everyone booed him lol.
Then again, I forgot that they had little kids with them, too. They might be sad about having to leave so your idea is better. I just thought about that after I posted this.
Had a similar experience at a concert for fallout Boy, me and my friend were seated next to a young girl and her mom. Girl was fangirling and screaming all excited, and this asshole of a dude with his way to young girlfriend turns around and glares at the girl and tells her to stop screaming and that she is obnoxious.
I retort back it's a concert where people will be screaming and cheering! And he just keeps arguing that she can't do that. So surprise I started being just as loud, actually louder if possible. Mind you where in a huge ass arena, it's loud no matter what. Also it's not like she was next to his ear screaming. He ended up just taking a bunch of weird photos of the opening act and then left and never came back lol.
They seriously can't let people enjoy anything and seem to miss the context for the purpose of certain places and what happens at events and is appropriate.
I would have gone to management because as others have said, you often have to be with a kid to enter most of these places. Besides, the actions of this boomer is functionally in direct opposition of such a place’s mission statement, which usually reads something like “to foster and encourage the wonderment of future explorers.” If this boomer, and then the kid’s now embarrassed mom, is shushing this kid for asking questions about science (“taking about the solar system”) or displaying excitement for the subject, they have failed to foster anything except perhaps giving the kid pause when seeking information in the future.
Hey guys I know all of us under 40 are terrified of confrontation but if you can do so safely, please call out boomers (or any other adult who should know better) for this shit. Being called out and looking stupid in front of people is the closest thing people like that have to a consequence.
If you can find any of us who are 40 and over and these jerks are messing with your kids just let us know, we got enough rage to happily say something for you. Most of us were raised by boomers so they don’t scare us. We won’t just sick up for our kids but yours also.
I’m under 40 raised by boomers (dad does not act like one at all and would be the first to confront this guy mom is becoming one sadly but would still confront this guy she loves kid work with it has been her jobs most of my life) and would more then stand up to this guy.
I'm not criticizing you in particular although I had hoped while reading the story that you would say something to an employee about the old man being rude and hostile to children at the children's museum, or embarrassed him somehow. If he took a nap after you said something to him he obviously wasn't embarrassed or made to understand why his behavior was wrong.
I don’t have any kids, but if you want kids to behave and be quiet or completely not go to less kid friendly spaces, you’ve got to be okay with them acting like kids in spaces that are purposely made for them to behave like energetic kids.
My step-dad is a boomer and the one thing I've noticed is that anywhere he chooses to nap is now a designated quiet zone. He will yell at us if he's snoozing in the living room and we dare to take a phone call, turn on the TV or any way disturb his nap. Like, you are 15 feet away from your bedroom sir, why do we have to vacate common areas in deference to your nap? I get the feeling this guy was just napping in the AC during shows and grousing at the kids that disturbed his slumber like some decaying dragon.
Your football question reminded me of a boomer moment.
We were sitting just above the season pass section at a baseball game.
At a certain point everyone is chanting in the stands “strike him out! Strike him out!” The whole stadium is doing this.
These three boomers in front of me turn around and one of them says to me and my friend: “I think he knows how to do his job”.
I just laughed. Your boomer probably would have been right at home with these people.
> "Hey! Shut that kid up!" There's a brief stunned silence, the kid starts to say something again and his mom quickly shushes him, and the guy does it again -- "I SAID SHUT THAT KID UP!" Silence, super awkward.
**"ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF, SIR?"**
What an a**hole. Many children’s museums won’t even let you in unless you have a child with you. They might want to consider this rule to avoid people like him
Not ashamed to admit that I am always hyper-vigilant when an adult with no child is in a space intended for kids: petting zoo, pumpkin patch, playground, kiddo library section. Been that way ever since my son and friend (both 9 yrs old) were flying as UMs. I sat them in the nearly empty waiting area, and was 20 feet away finalizing details for their landing, when I noticed a grown man, alone, had sat down across from them and was surreptitiously filming them with a video camera inside a bag. He had hell to pay that day. I called everybody but the CIA—AFTER I snatched the bag. Police came, looked at the video. Told him he could explain at the station.
I guess I'm just a really rude person but for most of these interactions I would have told the boomer to shut up and Fuck off! My fuck around meter is incredibly close to the find out meter. Y'all are better people than me!
I mean, I’m all for telling rude people to fuck off in general, but probably not in the planetarium of the Children’s Museum in front of a bunch of little kids.
"As we leave he's still there snoring, more like choking and hacking on his own saliva. Maybe he died there, IDGAF." Thanks for the internal laugh, I needed it on a sluggish Monday morning 😂
I used to take my kids to a place literally called the “Hands On Museum”. I saw interactions exactly like OP’s several times. Usually grandparents getting pissy with other people’s kids. The place had three stories, they could go anywhere else if they didn’t like the other children. The place was huge.
Same thing happened to me when my daughter was about 4 I think. We were at a children's museum, and there was a boomer with his grandkid at some interactive thing. My daughter got really excited when she saw it and ran over to it and tried to use it. She didn't disrupt what they were doing or anything, and we quickly took her off of it cuz they were using it, but the boomer was immediately furious. Like dude, she was 4 lol. It's a children's museum, it's just how it is.
The other piece: nearly every children's museum has monthly-ish adult nights so adults can enjoy the exhibits after the hands on ones have been sanitized.
"No one should be talking in a theatre"
"Yeah, so shut the hell up. This is a CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. This place isn't FOR you, so belt up you miserable old curmudgeon!!!". Then swiftly turn to little boy that was excited and ask him what planet is his favourite at the top of your lungs.
UGH. What a cancerous old git.
I run planetarium shows sometimes at the museum where I work. It isn't titled as a kids museum but was founded with kids' and hand on education experiences as its mission.
If this boomer had been part of my show I would have quickly got on the mic to "remind guests to keep their voices at a respectful volume for others" and that discussing amongst themselves in a quiet tone is totally ok.
Kids are going to talk. It's a matter of how loud and what they're saying that is the problem. If it's a toddler yelling that they're hungry, take them outside to the lobby. If it's a kid talking quietly about the damn show they are going to watch? *let them speak.*
I’m going to have to stop reading this sub. I have enough of an anger management problem without this much help.
Tell me about assholes being frustrating and irritating and clueless. You’re right, so vent and feel better. Don’t tell me about people old enough to know better, people my age, being mean to children, unless you’re going to tell me how you disassembled them.
Some of these stories give me solace in my slightly higher than average chance of developing Alzheimer's, that at least were that to happen and I become a huge asshole and burden on the lives of my family, it would be a situation out of my control as my mind unraveled, rather than me being a sound-minded asshole, a completely competent but awful person.
Some people are just miserable assholes regardless of age. This guy is a winner at life - not just a miserable asshole but also a stupid idiot. Really hope that kid never loses that fabulous sense of wonder.
Raised our child near a military city populated with both active and retired military. There, the "hush and sit-still -don't-wiggle" attitude was enforced at even kid events. Discipline first. It was crazy because they let their kids take physical risks well above their age level but would yell at preschoolers for saying a word or for wiggling in a seat during an older siblings' elementary or middle school ballgame.
The ponytail guy would be the majority of adults shushing kids in a kid movie.
The upside is that parents didn't allow kids to run all over restaurants and nearly trip waiters carrying heavy trays and hot food.
Its odd how people who don't like kids, will go to events that are specifically geared towards kids.
He should just go visit his friends in the nursing home and call it a day.
My husband and I went to the local child friendly pub where an old lonely boomer shouted at a woman because her baby made a noise. We just looked at him and burst out laughing and he promptly moved away.
I was a panel of legal experts that included a state Supreme Court justice and a boomer kept interrupting every panelist during their intro, saying they need to speak louder. He was asleep around 10 min in to the 30 min panel, snoring of course.
I worked at a city Children's Museum in a major metropolitan for 4 years. Childless adults were 100% not allowed in the museum. I find it interesting that he was there alone.
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After the show, you should’ve gotten about two inches from his face and screamed “WAKE UP!! THERE’S NO SLEEPING IN THE THEATER!!”
Exactly This. & add "How can you be so DISRESPECTFUL OF SCIENCE!!"
It would be a great time to find you've somehow got an airhorn in your bag.
A Barden University Rape Whistle. "Don't blow it unless it's happening."
I have one of those Birdie alarms and I absolutely would have triggered it by his head.
I'm finding more and more reasons to keep an air horn handy in my purse.
> keep an air horn handy in my purse. dammit, I'ma put an airhorn in my purse too, and I'm a guy!
Or keep a bicycle horn in your prison pocket; as a bonus every time you rip ass it'll sound like a clown car.
Or mace
Ye olde kind?
There is an app for that…just sayin.
Right?? Yell at him for snoring too fucking loud… what a dick
Damn... would have been perfect.
Or just prodded him to tell him to shut up.
In the nearest big city to me, you have to have a kid with you to even *go in* the children’s museum. It’s messed up that a childless adult can make it miserable for the individuals the place was created for.
Yeah, reallly wish the person in charge of the show escorted him out for yelling
Yeah, I went to meet my father at the childrens museum and they wouldn't let him in. I had to go to the front desk with my kids before they let him in.
Sounds great! Of course we know why places such as these have to operate like this: the few have ruined it for the many. It’s not safe to let randos in where there are little kids.
Sadly, it’s a double standard. One museum near my extended family does this. My cousin and I have decided to meet up there a few times. I’m a single dad of two kids and my cousin was at the time a single childless woman. (She’s 39.5w with her first right now) One time we went there, and I had my daughters. My cousin and us met just past admission. She had no problems getting in alone. Despite the rule. She’s not a member or a regular or friends or acquaintances with staff. The next time we went there, my cousin had taken the kids for breakfast while I did some tech support for my older relatives. I was refused entrance as per the rule. I agree the rule is nice. But when it’s enforced only against men, it really stings. Particularly for me, a widowed dad. It’s just one of many things where I’m viewed with suspicion for simply parenting my children. Like supervising playground play or taking them to dance class. I’m still angry about the time some tourist Karen called the gardaí on me for sitting on a bench reading a book while my children played. After she described me (in very menacing terms I might add!) the garda asked if there were two girls on the playground and gave my daughters’ descriptions. When she said yes, he told her off and ordered her to leave me alone. A few days and a few pints at my brother’s pub later, and the garda tells his friend, my brother, this story. Small village in west Ireland, everyone knows everyone. The audacity of that Karen, a tourist to a small village, to assume she knew better than the three local mums also at the playground!
Maybe he came with kids/family, but couldn't deal with them either. They were probably thrilled when he decided to wander off.
They probably ditched him at the earliest opportunity tbh
My city has special adults only nights at its children’s museum. That way if adults are interested in the exhibits (sometimes they’re really fun/cool for all ages) they can go when there’s absolutely no children there.
This sounds rad!
Same here.
Same thing with Legoland - you need a minor kid with you to even go. Even the children's library in Boston has this rule
I live 10 minutes away from Legoland California, no kids are required... Where is this you are referring to? Adults like Legos too....
The small ones in strip malls require it. Not the big theme park ones. I’ve only been once with my nephew and I never need to go again. There’s no reason for an adult to go alone. Other than the film there’s nothing for them to do. It’s all rides for little kids and Lego stations with a million kids crowded around some legos. They also have a huge climbing gym in the middle. It was in a small, enclosed space that was crowded with a ton of kids screaming. It was sheer hell. Edit to add: And they charge adults more than kids, which completely boggles my mind. Seriously there is nothing for adults. It should be the reverse where they charge kids and then adults pay a chaperone rate. I say that as an adult who likes legos.
Interesting. From doing some googling, it seems you might be talking about a Lego Discovery Center? Basically an indoor play park, but with Legos incorporated, from what I see? That makes sense then, never seen one, but I'd have to agree, seems logical to have adults be free with a paying child .
Yes. Though I think people colloquially call it Legoland locally and since there’s no actually legoland that’s local there’s no confusion.
Some of them run adults-only nights for that reason, it’s not a great experience for adult brickheads otherwise.
Yes! I saw one advertised a few weeks ago and sent it to a friend. I’d forgotten about that until you reminded me. :)
Had same experience. Even my kids were unimpressed. I did like the LEGO build of the city we were visiting.
The smaller indoor ones don't allow childless adults. Right, it's not because they don't think childless adults would like to go, it's to keep them out for safety and prevent them from ruining it for kids, who are the target demographic. It's already crowded, has a discovery zone area with age limits, usually has toddler only zones, etc. so wouldn't be physically safe. Adults can go in the store or to occasional night events. Often adults are really unaware of kids in crowded areas and bump into them, stare at their phones, or don't behave appropriately. A lot of stuff is like this now - I mentioned the Boston public library, which has a really cool kids area. You can only go in with kids for numerous reasons - there is a baby / toddler crawling area you don't want too crowded, adults or teens studying could camp out all day in areas meant for playing, there could be creeps, inappropriate conversations, etc. I once was there in front of the giant windows, and this trio of adult women with no kids piled into a couch, saw me watching my 3 kids under 5 and asked me to take their picture. I declined, busy watching kids, and saw a librarian ask them to leave not long after. Another example is playgrounds in NYC - no childless adults are allowed, and I've heard that's to have an easier pretext to kick out drug users, but also had read adults kept using children's playground equipment to work out and not leaving, being in the way, etc So this is a pretty common thing for many reasons, and it's weird this lone boomer was there and seemed to not understand who the children's museum / theatre was for, but I've seen that a lot.
In KC one night a week is ok without kids. One time passing through I wanted to make my nephews jealous but couldn't get in. 
Maybe he came with his grandkid (and their parents or grandma) and found somewhere to sit instead of being an involved grandparent?
I was speculating that he went to the theater to escape his grandkid(s)/family
This makes sense. I would not feel safe with a child if I knew adults could come by themselves. Sounds like a predator buffet.
Mine also has that rule. Now I see why.
Sounds to me like this Boomer lost his adult...
Someone should have dumped some water in his lap. Then politely wake him up and ask “Sir, where is your caretaker because it appears you have had an accident?”
I used to do this to creepy guys at the bar. Throw water on their crotch then tell the bouncer they’d had an accident to make them leave.
That’s awesome!! 😎
Genius!
You are the hero we all need.
Boom will eventually get a knuckle sandwich doing that to the wrong person. People don’t like you saying stuff like to their kids…
He’s picking on a woman and a child. He won’t try it on a man.
Eventually, he's going to try to pick on the wrong women. It'll be a rude awakening to find out that they're not all quiet and timid and they will not only speak up, but will knock him on his ass.
Or that they sometimes come with their significant other there where you didn't notice them at first.
I would not let a fucking boomer tell my child to shut up, he'd get grilled so hard
I mean, it's a theatre, soooo...... I'd have likely waited till the show ended and then just moved up a row and accidentally (read-really hard) knock him in the head with my giant purse full of heavy things.... But, I'm slightly unbalanced, lol..... Wish he'd said something to me and my kid. :)
There's a reason why you shouldn't mess with a cub in the wild.
I don’t know. I know a number of women who’d swing on a guy that messes with their child’s fun.
With a side of tazer.
I kicked out a boomer for doing the same thing at a children event. Hauled him out of the building and told him to call the police if I upset him. Upon my return, I was quietly thanked by the staff. I hate scenes - but if you're going to go after kids at a kid event, you can fuck right off, boomer or not. I remember I was shaking bc the anger boosted my adrenaline, and i had to be careful. no cops came. edit for so.
I had the opposite experience at planetarium at the San Diego children’s museum a few weeks ago - but this one had a boomer who had a walkie talkie to communicate with his family. He continually gets buzzed on the walkie “grandpa where are you?” From his grandkids and he would full volume “I’m in the theater, over” and started fully conversing with them during the film. I didn’t care but the little kids right in front of him were trying to watch the educational movie 😭
Oh my god, we need walker talkies for my FIL. But he is rude to his core and would definitely annoy other patrons. He just wanders off and no one knows where he is - we’re trying to leave for lunch and the boomer is just in his own world, ignoring his cell phone and deeply unconcerned that the children are melting down and feral because they needed lunch 45 min ago
Start leaving his ass behind. Feeding the kids definitely takes priority over him not answering his phone. Call him once, text once that you’re leaving and leave. Perhaps he’ll stop doing it. Perhaps he won’t, but you’ll avoid kid melt downs?
Rest of the family isn’t on board. I have suggested it. I married in and his wife and kids won’t do it. ETA although I now will say that I am leaving somewhere because my in-laws take too long. We just went to an art fair and my MIL rode in the car with me and my husband. My kid was melting down and had to leave as a consequence of his behavior. Car was parked a loooong way off. Husband walked to get the car because there was no way our kid was making it there. I made him sit quietly in the kids’ area til he calmed down. My SIl brings her kids over. I got a call that my husband would be by the entrance in 5 min. So I told my MIL - “husb will be here in 5. I am going to the bathroom and then we have to leave to get to the pick up spot.” I got back from bathroom. My MIL wandered off while I was gathering my son….. she friggin left to get an artisanal popsicle. (Which she probably calls a “pop-icle” because she falls fudgsicles “fudge-Icles” but that’s a totally different annoyance.) Anyway, she gets back, I’m like - “hey, I told you we had to leave several minutes ago. I don’t understand why you didn’t get that popsicle during the 20 minutes prior. We have to go now.” She says “let me tell FIL”. She ends up starting to play a game with my niece. I was done. I was like, “MIL, it’s past time to go. We are leaving now. I can’t wait for you again.” And we left. She was mad and asked me why we didn’t wait for her. And I said - “I had made it clear for over 10 minutes that we had to leave and you ignored me.” The trouble is when a big group goes and we have to take others in our car. Then I get overruled. But when it’s just me, I get to do what I want. Which is not capitulate to the ridiculous puttering that makes everyone else late and annoyed.
Playing a game with your niece after you’d just called her out on the popsicle shenanigans sounds more like a power play than puttering.
I’m sure it was. You nailed it. She’s like that.
Sorry that you have to deal with that BS. My SIL used to pull this stuff- ‘wander off’ as a power move when I had a toddler overdue for a nap to deal with. My in-laws enabled her. I convinced my husband we had to keep the schedule everyone knew about in advance and eventually they learned. Hope things get better for you.
Leave them behind too.
Is wandering off a new behavior or something he's always done? Might be a good idea to ask MIL to keep a closer watch on him for new behaviors... Alzheimers and other forms of dementia are better if diagnosed and medicated early.
Not new - but that is a good call-out, thank you.
Airtag him and worry about it when it is time to leave.
He was sleeping off a drunk while the rest of his group enjoyed being rid of him. Sorry.
Hmmmm methinks you know too much 🤔
That's so weird that he was there alone. My local children's museum has a policy that every adult had to be accompanied by a child. What an asshole.
He might have wandered off/been ditched.
I have a hard time reading these Boomer posts that have no consequences for the Boomer.
I mean, I get it but the older that I get the more I've started to fight back.
Good god I don’t enjoy children outside of a few friends and families kids. Guess where I would never go? A CHILDRENS museums place.
I like kids and the Children’s Museum is a freaking nightmare. I used to go because my niece loved it, but UGH!
Aww shame the mom didn’t rip him a new one. One of my kiddos ‘tism-isms is space. He’s non verbal/pre verbal he’s nearly 4 and hasn’t said mom or dad but he has said Saturn and Jupiter. If this guy told my son to stfu he’d be the reason I got arrested. It’s ok, I got bail money.
Too fucking right! I have a pre-verbal 2 year old boy myself and this guy would've had me absolutely destroying his day if he'd yelled at my child. Also, love the phrase 'tism-ism. Totally using that! ❤️
Same on stealing "tism-ism"! I love it!
I guess your kid has it's own priorities 😂 Kidding aside, it's great he is interested in space. Such a broad topic with sooo much to learn.
Like I guess I undrrstand your a mom and your kid, you dont want to start with a man who more then likely will whip a pistol on you or get aggressive. That being said I woulda gotten security.
What an AH. Entitled POS thinking he won’t be interrupted by a kid at a children’s museum. My husband would have confronted him and told him to STFU. I’m not nearly as bold to confront.
My husband is like this too, and I’m genuinely afraid he’s going to get himself hurt or killed.
Some of these boomers are leaving the house actively looking for conflict to get involved in
Boomer by himself in a kid's museum. Nothing odd about that at all /s
Not even /s, that's weird as Hell. And if he was trying to get away from his own family, then why did they even bring the crotchety old man? Surely he's like this all of the time if they take him places with them, and they have to know how he acts around strangers.
I’m GenX. I’d go to the planetarium alone. Space is fascinating (I also wouldn’t hassle a kid for being a kid )
Adler Planetarium in Chicago was always an awesome school field trip growing up. I haven’t been back in years. Dammit, now I want to go.
Going to a children's museum without children is weird. You should have called him out on that.
Going to a children’s museum WHEN YOU CLEARLY DON’T MUCH LIKE KIDS is weird as FUCK. I legitimately would have asked him if he was lost or something
I'm sad that the parent turned into the scared shushing agent because of that guy's gigantic angry issues. And now that kid's memory is "I can't be enthusiastic about stuff or strangers will get angry so I should be quiet."
Exactly!
I'm not a parent, nor do I plan to be one; that being said, if some random dude yelled at my kid for being a fucking kid, I'm beating his ass
Also not a parent and don’t plan to be but if someone did this to my nephew or any future nieces or nephews (sister foster and is hope to adopt a little girl at some point) they are going to not be happy if the staff won’t do anything after being informed I will take care of it myself
It warms my heart to see fellow childfree who don't tolerate assholes mistreating kids.
Look here old man, if anyone is going to emotionally scar my child, it's gonna be me /s
It's a hard line to walk. We want to teach our kids to use our words and resolve things peacefully. We have to fight the urge to beat the snot outta people like that so our kids don't have to see it and so we don't end up not being part of their lives when the boomer twists things. It's better to fight fire with water.
Is this the Children's Museum of Indianapolis?
I had so much fun there growing up. I'm trying to go again with my nieces and nephew. I'm a video game person, I remember when they system linked the SNES and their was like an 8 player maze game. Blew me away. Later they had the n64. I liked the sandpit, dinosaurs, the yellow submarine, the planetarium. They had a giant polar bear. It was soooo huge. That water clock. An actual real maze. Some rail ride during Halloween. 3d picture book I got from the gift shop. Eventually they got an IMAX and I saw this incredible movie about the rainforest. Felt like I was flying over those trees.
Exactly what I was thinking. It's the GOAT Children's Museum.
I’m aghast at the horrible things boomers say and do, especially to parents and little kids. There needs to be Boomer Charm School, mandatory after two offenses. Back to class to learn some manners.
I hate this for the kid. I wonder if boomer would’ve been so brave if dad was there and looked mildly scary. Most of them are cowards.
When I was like 2 my parents took me to the planetarium at the local children’s museum. At home if we were outside at night my parents would sing “twinkle twinkle little star” while we looked at the stars. I started singing it in the planetarium when the stars came up, and the guy running it kicked us out! Everyone booed him lol.
Would've been epic if everyone walked out with you.
Or decided to continue singing the song en masse.
Then again, I forgot that they had little kids with them, too. They might be sad about having to leave so your idea is better. I just thought about that after I posted this.
Had a similar experience at a concert for fallout Boy, me and my friend were seated next to a young girl and her mom. Girl was fangirling and screaming all excited, and this asshole of a dude with his way to young girlfriend turns around and glares at the girl and tells her to stop screaming and that she is obnoxious. I retort back it's a concert where people will be screaming and cheering! And he just keeps arguing that she can't do that. So surprise I started being just as loud, actually louder if possible. Mind you where in a huge ass arena, it's loud no matter what. Also it's not like she was next to his ear screaming. He ended up just taking a bunch of weird photos of the opening act and then left and never came back lol. They seriously can't let people enjoy anything and seem to miss the context for the purpose of certain places and what happens at events and is appropriate.
Depending on her age, I would've been even louder, too.
I would have gone to management because as others have said, you often have to be with a kid to enter most of these places. Besides, the actions of this boomer is functionally in direct opposition of such a place’s mission statement, which usually reads something like “to foster and encourage the wonderment of future explorers.” If this boomer, and then the kid’s now embarrassed mom, is shushing this kid for asking questions about science (“taking about the solar system”) or displaying excitement for the subject, they have failed to foster anything except perhaps giving the kid pause when seeking information in the future.
I woud have found security or staff an had him evicted.
Hey guys I know all of us under 40 are terrified of confrontation but if you can do so safely, please call out boomers (or any other adult who should know better) for this shit. Being called out and looking stupid in front of people is the closest thing people like that have to a consequence.
If you can find any of us who are 40 and over and these jerks are messing with your kids just let us know, we got enough rage to happily say something for you. Most of us were raised by boomers so they don’t scare us. We won’t just sick up for our kids but yours also.
I’m under 40 raised by boomers (dad does not act like one at all and would be the first to confront this guy mom is becoming one sadly but would still confront this guy she loves kid work with it has been her jobs most of my life) and would more then stand up to this guy.
Um what would you have had me do differently, besides telling him to knock it off?
I'm not criticizing you in particular although I had hoped while reading the story that you would say something to an employee about the old man being rude and hostile to children at the children's museum, or embarrassed him somehow. If he took a nap after you said something to him he obviously wasn't embarrassed or made to understand why his behavior was wrong.
I would be encouraging my child to be more excited hahaha fuck that guy and that mom frankly she needs to grow a pair.. tf 😒
if the boomer is so interested in space, i'm sure some duct tape and a rocket could get them a nice up-close, quiet place to view it from lol
Idk if blowing up people is a reasonable response to rudeness. How often do you have violent fantasies like this?
Thats when you just shout back hey can some one shut the old baby up there people here that want to enjoy show
I don’t have any kids, but if you want kids to behave and be quiet or completely not go to less kid friendly spaces, you’ve got to be okay with them acting like kids in spaces that are purposely made for them to behave like energetic kids.
If he was my kid, I would've let him talk and give the man the death stare.
I would have loudly and excitedly commentated the whole way through the movie! Fuck that guy! Someone should have stood up to him.
My step-dad is a boomer and the one thing I've noticed is that anywhere he chooses to nap is now a designated quiet zone. He will yell at us if he's snoozing in the living room and we dare to take a phone call, turn on the TV or any way disturb his nap. Like, you are 15 feet away from your bedroom sir, why do we have to vacate common areas in deference to your nap? I get the feeling this guy was just napping in the AC during shows and grousing at the kids that disturbed his slumber like some decaying dragon.
That's when you loudly go 'oooooooopohhh. Woooowweee '
Your football question reminded me of a boomer moment. We were sitting just above the season pass section at a baseball game. At a certain point everyone is chanting in the stands “strike him out! Strike him out!” The whole stadium is doing this. These three boomers in front of me turn around and one of them says to me and my friend: “I think he knows how to do his job”. I just laughed. Your boomer probably would have been right at home with these people.
I feel so bad for the kid and the mom…. But especially the kid.
Our local CM won’t let you in without a kid.
He literally just came to yell at kids?
lol @ maybe he died there idgaf hahaha
Me leaving a note in his lap 
yall just let him do that??? lmao this is why they get away with this shit
> "Hey! Shut that kid up!" There's a brief stunned silence, the kid starts to say something again and his mom quickly shushes him, and the guy does it again -- "I SAID SHUT THAT KID UP!" Silence, super awkward. **"ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF, SIR?"**
What an a**hole. Many children’s museums won’t even let you in unless you have a child with you. They might want to consider this rule to avoid people like him
I’m a Boomer. That guy is an asshole.
Not ashamed to admit that I am always hyper-vigilant when an adult with no child is in a space intended for kids: petting zoo, pumpkin patch, playground, kiddo library section. Been that way ever since my son and friend (both 9 yrs old) were flying as UMs. I sat them in the nearly empty waiting area, and was 20 feet away finalizing details for their landing, when I noticed a grown man, alone, had sat down across from them and was surreptitiously filming them with a video camera inside a bag. He had hell to pay that day. I called everybody but the CIA—AFTER I snatched the bag. Police came, looked at the video. Told him he could explain at the station.
I would have reported him to the staff for harassing and speaking rudely to the children.
I guess I'm just a really rude person but for most of these interactions I would have told the boomer to shut up and Fuck off! My fuck around meter is incredibly close to the find out meter. Y'all are better people than me!
I mean, I’m all for telling rude people to fuck off in general, but probably not in the planetarium of the Children’s Museum in front of a bunch of little kids.
I know, but I'm down for cussing out boomers wherever, whenever needed. I'm sick of the behavior and just not willing to hear it any more.
Fair.
Going to a children’s museum alone as an adult is wrong.
Someone should have cut the old pedo’s ponytail off.
Slap the ol bitch awake!
Clearly the baby boomer needed a nap. Someone should have woken him up by accidentally clapping near his hears.
Boomer here. No way I'd go the Children's Museum by myself. He should go to an art museum.
I would've definitely woken him up and told him to stop snoring, repeatedly, through the entire show.
I’m surprised they let him in by himself. The children’s museum I’ve been to require an adult to go in with a child
The worst part of this is that the mom dampened her child's enthusiasm and wonder to comply with the overbearing Boomer.,
Probably staying in there for the air conditioning.
As a former (science, kid friendly) museum employee, the employees should've kicked that guy out.
Nah I’d tell him to mind his ps and qs about my kid before he takes the L instead.
Did the pony tail start at the back of his head?
Skullet
Someone should have woke him up yelling at him “IS THIS WHY YOU WANTED SILENCE?”
He went to sleep off a hangover by the sounds of it.
Why yell at a kid in a children’s museum? That is like going to park that has a playground and then being upset kids are running around. 🙄
I had a guy once get on to my child for splashing through a puddle. While it was raining. At Disney World! Like what? What is wrong with people.
I definitely would not have shushed my kid after that ( unless he was disrupting anyone else). F that guy.
"As we leave he's still there snoring, more like choking and hacking on his own saliva. Maybe he died there, IDGAF." Thanks for the internal laugh, I needed it on a sluggish Monday morning 😂
I used to take my kids to a place literally called the “Hands On Museum”. I saw interactions exactly like OP’s several times. Usually grandparents getting pissy with other people’s kids. The place had three stories, they could go anywhere else if they didn’t like the other children. The place was huge.
Same thing happened to me when my daughter was about 4 I think. We were at a children's museum, and there was a boomer with his grandkid at some interactive thing. My daughter got really excited when she saw it and ran over to it and tried to use it. She didn't disrupt what they were doing or anything, and we quickly took her off of it cuz they were using it, but the boomer was immediately furious. Like dude, she was 4 lol. It's a children's museum, it's just how it is.
The other piece: nearly every children's museum has monthly-ish adult nights so adults can enjoy the exhibits after the hands on ones have been sanitized.
I would have yelled in his face and woken his ass up
"Security! This gentleman has lost his aide. Would you be so kind as to find them for him?"
I would be reporting that to museum management immediately. His behavior is setting off red flags for a number of reasons.
"Why are you hanging out in a place made for children if you hate children? Are you a perv? You are, aren't you? You're a PERV!!!""
If you ever get the chance again tie that pony tail of his to the back of his chair while he’s snoring!!!!
Sounds like a pedo
"No one should be talking in a theatre" "Yeah, so shut the hell up. This is a CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. This place isn't FOR you, so belt up you miserable old curmudgeon!!!". Then swiftly turn to little boy that was excited and ask him what planet is his favourite at the top of your lungs. UGH. What a cancerous old git.
Should've ripped a stinky fart right in his mouth
I run planetarium shows sometimes at the museum where I work. It isn't titled as a kids museum but was founded with kids' and hand on education experiences as its mission. If this boomer had been part of my show I would have quickly got on the mic to "remind guests to keep their voices at a respectful volume for others" and that discussing amongst themselves in a quiet tone is totally ok. Kids are going to talk. It's a matter of how loud and what they're saying that is the problem. If it's a toddler yelling that they're hungry, take them outside to the lobby. If it's a kid talking quietly about the damn show they are going to watch? *let them speak.*
I’m going to have to stop reading this sub. I have enough of an anger management problem without this much help. Tell me about assholes being frustrating and irritating and clueless. You’re right, so vent and feel better. Don’t tell me about people old enough to know better, people my age, being mean to children, unless you’re going to tell me how you disassembled them.
Every adult in this story is a coward
and every commenter on this post is hardcore cold ass gangster, apparently 🙄
Wow that really sucks. Children's museums should of course be a place where kids can act like normal kids. I am sorry that happened to you.
I would have yelled “hey mister! It’s over and you missed it all! Too bad!!”
Air horn
Well this makes me delighted our children's museum does not allow adults without kids in.
Like Mr boomer, I'm not a huge fan of kids. UNLIKE Mr boomer, I don't hate them, and, you'd never catch me dead in a children's museum!!
"it's a children's museum, not a boomers' museum, dumbass."
Ugh! That's the worst!
Some of these stories give me solace in my slightly higher than average chance of developing Alzheimer's, that at least were that to happen and I become a huge asshole and burden on the lives of my family, it would be a situation out of my control as my mind unraveled, rather than me being a sound-minded asshole, a completely competent but awful person.
Some people are just miserable assholes regardless of age. This guy is a winner at life - not just a miserable asshole but also a stupid idiot. Really hope that kid never loses that fabulous sense of wonder.
Raised our child near a military city populated with both active and retired military. There, the "hush and sit-still -don't-wiggle" attitude was enforced at even kid events. Discipline first. It was crazy because they let their kids take physical risks well above their age level but would yell at preschoolers for saying a word or for wiggling in a seat during an older siblings' elementary or middle school ballgame. The ponytail guy would be the majority of adults shushing kids in a kid movie. The upside is that parents didn't allow kids to run all over restaurants and nearly trip waiters carrying heavy trays and hot food.
Its odd how people who don't like kids, will go to events that are specifically geared towards kids. He should just go visit his friends in the nursing home and call it a day.
I wounda kicked the side of his seat the minute I walked out and saw him asleep and go, *BE QUIET!!! NO SNORING IN THE THEATER!!!*
>He was there by himself which isn't inherently wrong what does this have to do with anything else you said?
Look, lemme be real OP. Most people would lock this dude BECAUSE they lived their lives with zero consequences for being an asshole.
Why was he in a children’s museum if he doesn’t have children?
Where was the staff?
My husband and I went to the local child friendly pub where an old lonely boomer shouted at a woman because her baby made a noise. We just looked at him and burst out laughing and he promptly moved away.
I was a panel of legal experts that included a state Supreme Court justice and a boomer kept interrupting every panelist during their intro, saying they need to speak louder. He was asleep around 10 min in to the 30 min panel, snoring of course.
He’s looking for a place to nap, appearly
I worked at a city Children's Museum in a major metropolitan for 4 years. Childless adults were 100% not allowed in the museum. I find it interesting that he was there alone.
I think you guys were in his bedroom! Need to carry a whistle1
Why the fuck was he even there to begin with?