Hey Baby, No Shoes, No Service

Yes, it’s true. In early August, 2009, a St. Louis-area Burger King ordered the mother of a six-month-old baby to leave the restaurant because the baby wasn’t wearing any shoes! I have read several versions of this. One can be found at http://www.cafemom.com/dailybuzz/baby/6560/Mom_Gets_Kicked_Out_of_Burger_King_Because_Her_Baby_Isnt_Wearing_Shoes. The mother even offered to put socks on the baby, but the sign says, “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service.” Burger King issued an apology to the mother the following day. They admitted that the manager was overzealous in enforcing the policy. You think?

I understand why the “NS, NS, NS” policy is in place. Actually, I get why most policies are in place. But have we gone overboard? Have we created a long list of rules and regulations because of a rare few people who just don’t understand how to dress, act, walk and talk in public?

One that always strikes me is when I am in a restaurant and see a sign that reminds employees that they must wash their hands before returning to work. Um…so I was chatting with a friend of mine who is a manager at a restaurant, commenting at the “silliness” of this. His reply was a little surprising: The signs have to be posted because if the signs are not there, he can’t reprimand an employee for failing to comply.

Have we gone overboard? Or are we simply reacting to a small percentage who don’t “get it”? Or, more concerning, are we reacting to growing percentage of people who don’t “get it”?