The Upchuck Factor at McDonald's

[MamaMootz]

On Thursday, I decided to take DD to McDonald's playplace for a bit, since we were out in the car all day and she needed some fun time. I let her play for a couple of hours to blow off some steam - it's gotta be tough to want to play all the time and be cooped up in the car or with Mommy who needs to pack.

While we were there, this mom came in with her two little boys - I'm going to estimate they were maybe 3 and 6. They took off their shoes and started climbing the play place. I was giving DD a drink of water when I heard the sound of water dripping - like a faucet turned on. So I look up and there, coming from the top of the play place where there is a round ball thing that the kids climb in and out of because there is a steering wheel inside of it -- the water is flowing out of the bottom of it and splashing onto the bottom part of the playplace.

You know what the "water" was, right? Yup, one of the charming kids pulled down his pants and took a leak in the playplace.

I grabbed DD's socks and shoes, and said "OK we're outta here".... the kid's mom was so embarrassed but the worst part? The mom came back to clean it up with napkins. And nobody came in to clean the playplace either. And they didn't close it after they were told about the pee.



Did I mention McDonald's play places are off limits now? Yup. They sure are.

[blas]

That's disgusting. I remember as a child, we'd go to Hardees every Saturday and I could play in the ballroom. I even taught my baby brother how to jump into the balls when I was about 5 and he was 2.

Then all of a sudden, when we went to Hardees, my parents said that the playroom was off limits, and that we'd have to eat in the dining area. My little mind is thinking

What happened? You'll never guess what was found in the ballroom.......a needle.......never found out if it was from an insulin shot or maybe even heroin? I'm not even sure. But it was a needle.

What if that person had HIV/AIDS? Why would someone put that in there? Bodily fluids like BLOOD should not be shared! How can people do things like that, and contaminate playplaces and make it so children can't play in a safe area? It was hard for me to take when I was told "no more". I can only imagine what every other kid felt like when their parents found out and put an end to going in the ballroom.

[MamaMootz]

I can't imagine anyone leaving a needle in there unless it was on purpose. I don't think kids of 3, 4, or 5 are shooting up these days. Maybe some teens got in there at night, or there was someone out there with a really twisted mind. I'm sorry that happened - that sucks.

I was thinking about those kids - the one brother was laughing that his other brother did that. I'll bet it was a dare between the two of them or something. I know if DD pulled a stunt like that kid did, she would be very sorry - she'd either lose all her toys or not be able to sit down for a week. I mean, I know kids sometimes have accidents, but this kid actually pulled down his pants on purpose and was peeing away when we looked up.

[Tria]

The mom came back to clean it up with napkins. And nobody came in to clean the playplace either. And they didn't close it after they were told about the pee.

Well, kudos to the mom for actually attending to her kid's mess....

[Broomjockey]

Yeah, most of the time, we're simply told, there's a mess over near/at wherever. Never told what it is, sometimes its nachos, sometimes its previously chewed nachos. *shudder*

[Trishlovesdolphins]

but the rain will wash away the pee

[Acolyte]

...
Ok, for the record, that place should have been cleaned up. Our playplaces are cleaned every night and, if a kid took a leak in there, someone would be in there NOW to clean it up, because that's disgusting.

[MamaMootz]

Oh, I was all for the mom cleaning it up - actually had it been my daughter, she'd be cleaning it up with my supervision. If it had been an accident that my daughte had, then I'd be cleaning it up, but this was deliberate and if she did that deliberately, she'd be cleaning it.

Trish, it's an indoor playplace - no rain.

Acolyte, I agree with you - it was gross. I thought they would at least post a sign to close it - because the store was short on staff that day - so close it until you can get to it, you know? But they didn't do that, so I'm thinking some other kids came in there and got to play in the other kid's pee.

That's the second time that I've had a pee experience in a McD's playplace, and that's enough for me.

[Trishlovesdolphins]

i was kidding about the rain....

but i dunno about those play parks, something tells me they NEVER get cleaned, not just cleaned when someone pees.

[chainedbarista]

maybe a call to the local health department is in order; that's just nasty...and inexcusable.

[Barefootgirl]

My daughter peed on a bouncy castle at the horse trials last year...that was pretty embarrassing. Admittedly, she was quite young and was only just potty-trained, so it was definitely an accident, but still embarrassing. I got her off the bouncy castle and spoke to the man running it, and offered to clean it up, if he had some disinfectant and cloths.

He was really nice about it, said that it does happen with little children, from time to time, and refused to let me clean it up. He also mentioned that he was really pleased that I'd offered, since he said that an awful lot of parents don't even do that.