There was something about this announcement posted at the Redwood City CalTrans station that pushed me to the snarky reaction in the title.
Regular readers know that I'm basically in agreement with the underlying sentiment; that I usually look for explanations of bad behavior, explanations that recognize that a lot of unpleasant human behavior can be explained (not excused) if you understand the larger context. Basically, I'm all for this message, for giving someone the benefit of the doubt. I guess it's the total lack of any recognition that some kids', maybe many kids', rude behavior should be called out.
If the kids are under five, even six or seven, give them a pass with perhaps a smiling, gentle encouragement.
Older than that, it's harder to distinguish between a real disability and a squirrelly diagnosis designed to excuse bad parenting.
Calling kids out with deadpan sarcasm tends to get the message across. If they really have a legit problem, they probably won't get it anyway. If they're just being jerks, they probably won't get it until they're half-way to the next house. Something like:
"Great costume. You're really into it. You're supposed to be a kid with politeness deficit disorder, right?"
Wow! There must be a lot of rude kids or disabled kids in your area.
ReplyDeletemakes me wonder who made up the sign, who posted it, how many others were posted elsewhere... I'm suspecting fewer disabled children in this neighborhood than brats.
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