Mr. Cussing Creeper

September 2, 2011

in Diner Stories

About 2 years ago, my family and I went out for dinner at a nice chain restaurant on a Wednesday evening. After being led to our booth, given our menus and had our drink orders taken, I glanced around the area we were seated in. It seemed that we were in a sort of “family with young children” section. Our children were 10 and 13 and had been taught how to behave in restaurants, but no biggie. The restaurant seemed to be having a slow period; there was a low hum of conversation, a few other families with younger children, but no unruly children running around. That lasted for about 10 minutes.

Within 5 minutes of ordering our appetizer, the restaurant had a “rush.” It was not a holiday or school break, but all the tables in our section were filled with other families. The noise level increased but it still was not too bad. There was one young boy that decided to run around tables and in the aisle, but his mother was able to squash that behavior fairly quickly. Then the “hell” part of dinner began.

Hellish part # 1: A couple with an infant was seated behind me. They had just given their drink order when the infant started to make noises. The noises progressed to full-on, top of its lungs, ear-splitting screaming. Nothing the parents could do would stop the screaming. The mother even took the infant outside and walked it around to no avail. This baby was unhappy and was making sure everyone knew it. At this point, I would have paid for my drinks and left (as they had been unable to order due to the infant’s screaming). But NO! This couple wanted to sit down and have a meal in, even if the entire restaurant had to hear their child scream. They had to shout their order to the server.

After this screaming had been going on for about 25 minutes, the manager came out (I’m sure due to customer AND employee complaints), told them it was obvious that the infant was distressed and offered to comp their meal and have it boxed for them to take home, but they adamantly refused. By George, they were going to sit in the restaurant and eat, no matter what! They “talked” to each other by shouting OVER the infant’s screaming. The rest of the parents in this section are all looking at each other thinking “What is wrong with these people?” It was obvious to everyone but them that there was something seriously wrong with that child. Why couldn’t they just take their child home or to the ER and have a nice, sit-down dinner another time? It was very weird the way they insisted on staying there to eat, ignoring the fact that the kid was turning purple from screaming.

The people on the other side of our booth had been very vocal, with the husband using profanity-laced statements to make their displeasure of the situation known. Yes, it was annoying and aggravating and a few people even slapped down their money on the table without waiting for the bill to come and walked out, but the profanity was as annoying and aggravating to me as was the screaming. I even went over to their booth and asked the man to please stop using profanity. I said yes, it was very aggravating that the child is screaming and disrupting everyone’s meals, but your cussing about it is not making it any better. You have a young child sitting here beside you, I have two children at the next booth over, this entire area is filled children, and the language you are using is not the type of language ANYONE needs to be hearing. He glared at me with his beady little eyes, did a full head-to-toe type of leer, and then turned his attention to something outside the window. Can anyone say C-R-E-E-P-Y?

The poor baby’s screams became hoarse, then softer and softer until it eventually stopped. I guess the tyke either tired itself out or completely lost its voice. As soon as the screaming stopped, Hellish part #2 started.

Hellish part #2: The couple on the other side of our booth, the ones using profanity, started to grumble again. They were making statements such as “I’m glad that f**king baby shut the hell up.” “Can’t even enjoy a d*mn meal without listening to some f**king baby squall.” “D*mn parents ought to pay for everybody’s f**ing meal for making us listen to that d*mn brat they brought in here. Dumba**es.” There were several more comments along that line. He kept shooting his creepy little stares at me over the booth wall. With supreme effort I managed not to get back up and rip his larynx out.

Eventually he quit cussing and turned his attention to the young girl, presumably his daughter, that was in the booth with him and his wife. He started rubbing her shoulders, smiling real big and said, and I quote, “I get to give you your bath tonight! I’m going to run you a big tub full of bubbles and sprinkle in some of Mommy’s special bath beads. I’m going to wash your hair with that coconut shampoo. Then I’ll comb and blow-dry it for you.”

I had to pick my jaw up off the table. I will never forget those words for as long as I live. His voice has that creepy tone that makes you shiver. I felt like he was basically describing how he was going to clean her up before he did something disgusting to her. I looked at my husband and he also had a look of disgust on his face. That was it for me. I waved our server over, asked for and paid the bill. As we were leaving, I made sure to pause by that booth long enough to say “Can’t even enjoy a d*mn meal without listening to some f**king child molester describe how he is going to abuse his child.” I know, immature, retaliatory and impolite, but I just wanted him to know that I knew what he was planning to do.

I went outside and called the police to report a suspected case of child abuse. They sent some officers over; I told them what I heard and they said they could not do anything because he didn’t actually verbalize any intent to commit a crime against the child and I hadn’t witnessed him commit a crime. Oh, and that being creepy wasn’t a crime. I said “Well, if you had been in there, heard the way he said it and the way the child tried to shrink away when he started rubbing her shoulders, you would know he intended to commit a crime against her.” They said they would “have a talk” with him and send a report of suspected child abuse to Child Protective Services, but that’s all the law allowed them to do.

It was the loudest, creepiest dinner I have ever had. I have avoided returning to that restaurant because I’m not sure I could control myself if I ran into Mr. Cussing Creeper again.

– Michelle

Editor’s Update: Read a follow-up post to this story: Update to “Mr. Cussing Creeper” Story

{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }

Shamu September 4, 2011 at 7:31 pm

Sick bastard you should have poured his drink over his head.

Reply

Michelle September 30, 2011 at 5:12 pm

Apparently some people think I called the police as retaliation and I can assure that is not the case.
Most fathers use bathtime as a wonderful bonding experience and that is not what this man was suggesting.

Reply

Kirsten September 18, 2011 at 3:08 pm

Is this serious? You're condemning a man as a child abuser because you overheard part of a conversation? You're way out of line.

Reply

Hugh September 20, 2011 at 5:30 am

I've had to politely ask people to watch the language when I'm out with my kids. I've occassionally had them start to argue back, usually when they see me, they stop arguing (i'm a pretty big guy), so I can toatlly feel for you there. It;s ok if you're at a bar with buddies, and its all adults, but in a restaraunt with kids, be mindful of the language.

Reply

Hugh September 20, 2011 at 5:30 am

I don't know that I agree with you on involving the police when you heard only part of the conversation. Without knowing the gae of the daughter, it's hard to tell whether this was justified. I have a son and daughter, and have given them both MANY baths when they were younger. I assure everyone, there was nothing evil, sick or twisted about it. They were little kids, they needed to be cleaned. Simply because I'm a man, doesn't mean I can't bathe my daughter and more than my wife can't bathe my son. We switched off turns to share the workload, or picked it up completely when one was out of town. If this girl was 12, then yes this was probably creepy, if she was 4, then no, I think it was probably nothing. While I agree with always protecting children, people getting involved without knowing the situation, and then saddling people with the stigma of accused abuser is wrong as well. I hope for your sake and theirs that this was justified, and not simply a petty way of getting back at them for using profanity.

Reply

Mike September 27, 2011 at 10:28 am

Wow, jump to conclusions much? I guess I should be in jail for bathing all 3 of my daughters.

Reply

Allen September 28, 2011 at 4:55 pm

You should have left in the beginning and none of that would have happened. And calling the police without good cause is messed up. You could screw up somebody's life for no good reason. How can you judge the relationship someone has with their kids without knowing the facts. Yes there are a lot of sick people out there but just being an asshole doesn't make someone a child molester.

Reply

Michelle September 30, 2011 at 5:09 pm

I'm the OP and to clear up the questions and concerns that I'm labeling the man in question a child molester for giving his daughter a bath as retaliation:
1. The girl in question was probably around 10. He wasn't speaking to her in a fatherly voice. It was a very suggestive, inappropriately intimate voice. A few other diners heard him speaking to her and the look on their faces seemed to also draw the conclusion that his words and manner of speaking were questionable and inappropriate.
2. The man was rubbing her shoulders and sliding his arms up and down her arms while he was saying this. She was trying to shrink away from him. It was apparent that she was not going to enjoy this "bath".
If I had thought for a second that I had simply misunderstood his intentions, I would never have called the police. So for anyone who thinks I did it as retaliation, you are wrong. I still suspect that he was abusing her and I am glad that I involved law enforcement and CPS. Too many people look the other way and think it's not their business, it's not their child so why bother getting involved?

Reply

Child, Please! October 9, 2011 at 11:57 am

@Michelle (OP):

You & your family were supposed to immediately leave the restaurant @ the arrival of the inconsiderate parents w/ the screaming child.

I would never chastise someone for foul language. People are crazy. I shoot dirty looks to let them know I don’t appreciate their foul language, but that’s about it. People know when they’re being inconsiderate or shocking, so it’s just always best to remove yourself from the situation, when possible.

P.S.: I’m glad you observed & reported the little girl’s disturbing response @ this “bath.” *shudder*

Reply

laurendpetty November 11, 2011 at 1:58 pm

No one likes screaming children in a restaurant or anywhere else for that matter. It still baffles me to this day why people bring newborns to movie theatres as if their children were actually going to watch the movie. Pay for a babysitter people! I know it is expensive but children in their nature are expensive and you knew that before conception so, no excuses.

Reply

KatieG January 7, 2012 at 9:13 pm

By the age of 10, I was taking baths on my own. That's way too old for a father to be bathing a child unless, for medical reasons, the child needs help with bathroom functions. Very creepy! I support your calling the police and even if nothing happens, that father is on notice. It's hard to make a judgement about someone unless you've seen them. On paper, it might seem like nothing, but when you are there living the situation, it can be very real.

The manager had the right to ask those people to leave and to call the police if they didn't.

Reply

Kara March 20, 2012 at 6:05 am

The people who are being rude to the OP should be a little ashamed of themselves. Just because some people are good parents doesn't mean they all are. Stop defending people you don't really know personally just because they also have children, especially when you weren't there. Heck, it may not even have been her real dad. For all you guys know this could've been a stepfather or some other relative or somebody else entirely who insisted the girl refer to him as "Daddy" or something. Apparently somebody mental because even a good father shouldn't talk about giving their daughters baths like that. It's not a public-friendly sort of subject, you know? *laughs* But seriously, that's just downright weird and creepy no matter what. Even if he had put it differently, it's not something one should hear in normal / mixed company ( out in a public especially in a restaurant) or conversation.

Man, that is twisted. That poor girl.

As for the screaming baby thing, the family should've been made to leave not other people.
If anybody should be kicked out it should be cussing creeper and stupid parents with screaming baby. Some people should not be allowed to procreate. Sigh.

"people getting involved without knowing the situation, and then saddling people with the stigma of accused abuser is wrong as well" I agree with this but in this case it's all too obvious from the OP that "creepy cusser" here was very in the wrong and OP had every right to sic the police on him.

Reply

Gregg November 2, 2012 at 4:30 pm

Read a follow-up blog about this story here: Update to "Mr. Cussing Creeper" Story".

Reply

Gregg November 8, 2012 at 10:45 pm

Story's author (Michelle) posted updates today about the prosecution of Creeper in this post's comments section: Update to "Mr. Cussing Creeper" Story.

Reply

Amber May 10, 2016 at 11:13 am

My only argument for the couple with the screaming baby, it may not have been an option to simply go home and eat there. They could have been from out of town and the only option to eat is at restaurants. Sounds like they were actively trying to calm the baby so they obviously weren't just ignoring it, sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

We recently took our toddler out for dinner, she cried at one point for a minute because she didn't want to be in her booster seat, we took her out of the booster seat and all was well, the crying instantly ended. In that 1 minute of crying we got dirty looks from all the tables around us. People instantly get pissed off if children misbehave even for a short period, that's unacceptable of people to get that judgemental so quickly. Had my toddler continued crying we would have gotten our meals boxed up, but she settled very quickly by simply getting to sit directly on the booth seat beside her father.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *




Previous post:

Next post: