I probably don’t have to say what loud children and smoking have in common for most to figure out that they’re both annoying and tend to impinge on the experience of those who have or do neither when they’re out in public. While this has something to do with where I’m going, however, it isn’t quite all of the story!
 

So, around the country, smoking in restaurants, among other places, is being legislated out of existence. In my opinion, this is quite the good thing. My sinuses hate cigarette smoke and tend to punish me for spending much time at all in its presence. Now we’ve got restaurants that were, in many cases, designed with areas set aside specifically for smoking clientele …

 

Perhaps these areas should be conveniently used for parents with loud, annoying children. That’s not to say that all parents should be forced to sit in the loud-children area, or even to say that I hate your kids. There are plenty of people who take very cute kids to all kinds of restaurants, rarely having any problems. Likewise, there are parents who have kids that constantly embarrass them in public (you know who you are) who would probably gladly opt to sit in the appropriate section to avoid getting dirty looks. If someone stubbornly sits in the “non” section and their kids are creating a scene, they would be asked to move (just like any smoker who started smoking in a “non” section. Brilliant, no?
 

So, uhh. Put it on a comment card next time you’re in your favorite restaurant? ;)