Look, we get it. Not everyone wants to be around children. Even as parents, it’s nice once in a while to get a babysitter and go somewhere that’s child-free, right? But, if you go out to eat at an establishment that gives you the choice between sitting in a formal dining room without children, and a casual one with families, should you then be able to complain about being seated near a child if you choose the latter?

The obvious answer to that is no, you shouldn’t! But that didn’t stop one woman from attempting to cause a stir at her local country club. Unfortunately for her though, one man who witnessed the carry on turned the tables on her.

One of my best friends bought the local country club about 10 years ago. My wife and I got a membership to support his business. I’ve since taken up playing golf and we dine there every Tuesday, usually with friends. We are high wage earners but aren’t rich and neither of us come from money.

About a month ago we were sitting at our regular table where we sit every Tuesday in the casual dining room, where they have a children’s menu and children are allowed.

There is also a formal dining room where children are not allowed.

When an older couple came in, was seated near us and almost immediately requested to speak to the manager. The woman (Brumhilda) was complaining about being seated near gasp a child.

My wife’s friend and her 4 year old were with us. So Brumhilda acknowledged that the child wasn’t doing anything besides eating, but she preferred not to be seated near children, even seemingly well-behaved children, in the future because you never know when they might do something, like spill a drink or knock their plate to the floor. They are children after all and it would ruin her dinner. She declined to be moved and was politely reminded of the formal dining room where children aren’t allowed.

Apparently she didn’t really want a solution to her problem – the perfectly well-behaved child! She just wanted a reason to complain!

However…it’s about to bite her on the bum!

So last night, my wife and I and another couple were having dinner sans kids when Brumhilda and her husband were once again seated near us. At some point Brumhilda spilled her wine into her mostly eaten plate of food. They were moved to another table and she ordered another dinner (to go). When the check came, she was insisting that they not charge her for the second plate (which she had packed to go). The waitress said she couldn’t comp either meal and Brumhilda summoned the manager. Brumhilda was livid that the waitress didn’t tell her that her second meal wasn’t going to be a free replacement for the first one.

I called over our waitress and requested to speak to the owner. She said that he wasn’t there but I could speak to the manager. I explained that I was certain that he was in his office (I had just texted him) and requested that she let him know that I wanted to speak to him if he wasn’t too busy.

He came out and I looked right at Brumhilda and explained that I preferred not to be seated near old ladies who had nothing better to do than summon the manager and complain. And that even if they were just sitting quietly eating you never knew when they might cause a disturbance over some unreasonable complaint or do something like spill a drink. They are complaining old ladies after all. Her face was burning red from embarrassment.

My friend offered me a complimentary drink, but I declined. I explained, also while looking at Brumhilda, that I would never try to get free food or drinks out of a small business. That I was here to support local businesses and not try to steal from them. She was even redder by this point, paid her bill and left.

My friend assured me that they would make every effort to accommodate my seating preferences in the future and went back to his office. He texted me soon after saying how funny he found the whole thing.

The woman half of the other couple dining with us (who is from a rich family) thinks I was an AH for further embarrassing Brumhilda.

What do you think? Did he unnecessarily humiliate her, or give her a taste of her own medicine?