The owner of a diner in Portland, Maine has made national news after screaming at a toddler for crying in her restaurant during a busy service last weekend.
The story has understandably captured the attention of thousands with, incredibly many coming out in support of the restauranteur’s behaviour. Restaurant owner, Darla Neugebauer and parents, Tara and John Carson who were on holidays in the area both have differing reports of the encounter. According to Neugebauer, the Carsons ordered three huge pancakes for their child but then refused to help her to eat them. “They were out of her reach and she started screaming for them,” she told WCSH6news.
Reaching the end of her patience, Neugebauer took unexpected action and slammed her hands on the counter, leaned over and screamed at the child, “That needs to stop.”
“Life’s full of choices and you’ve got to live with all of them. I chose to yell at a kid, it made her shut-up, which made me happy, it made my staff happy, it made the 75 other people dining here happy, and they left, they may never come back, other people may not come in. Their loss really,” she told WCSH6news.
The owner went on to post a meandering rant against the family on the diner’s Facebook page during which she referred to the little girl as “the rotten child”, a “beast” and “it”. Admittedly it all seems rather tongue in cheek (she does refer to herself as “The Demon”), however the Carson’s were deeply disturbed by the incident.
After Tara posted to the diner’s Facebook detailing the “worst experience” she’s had, Neugebauer responded on the establishment’s account with another outlandish retort, “you are lucky I didn’t get really *blank* nuts because being physical is not something I cower from.”
The Carson’s maintain their daughter was not screaming for forty minutes as Neugebauer claimed and even said that their waitress was embarrassed by the behaviour of her boss.
Possibly the most unbelievable part of the whole incident is the outpouring of support Neugebauer has received on social media.
Have you ever had the urge to intervene and admonish another person’s child? Or been on the receiving end of an outrageous intervention?
