Every time a waitress tells me my plate is lava hot, I wait the one sec it takes her to turn her back and I grab the damn plate with my bare hands and adjust things like I want them. As has been posted, the the fajita cast iron plates are a different story.
And again, a Public Service Announcement: Don’t sit hot shit in front of babies.
No. Being a decent member of society would be if the parent wasn’t expecting a captive worker to take extra time and effort because you won’t. You simply do not expect that someone you have just met and may not even know the name of should share responsibility for the safety of your child. Do you send your children out to play in the street and expect that each and every driver will all be paying enough attention to not flatten one of those kids went it darts out in front of the car?
Oh lord, you are really going off the deep end, lumping those all together. Do you really think that a server who puts a hot plate within reach of a toddler is trying to harm it?
Uh, which of us is being vehement and spraying bullshit? :dubious:
I don’t think I have ever had a plate brought to a table at a restaurant that was so hot that it could have sent me to the hospital.
When you say $30/plate, do you mean the whole meal per person or $30 without drinks, appetizers and/or dessert?
Oh. So if the restaurant doesn’t have a highchair, what do you do?
If you are eating out frequently with a toddler, you most likely have had much more practice doing it. 
Especially since …
… you appear to be willing to accept responsibility for keeping your kid safe!
A hot plate involves very hot food by definition, and hot food spills are one of the more common causes of child burns. If gravy or the like is involved, and a spill results on the face for instance, it could be pretty nasty.
“The majority of scald burns to children, especially among those ages 6 months to 2 years, are from hot
foods and liquids spilled in the kitchen or other places where food is prepared and served”
I agree some level of perspective is important, but do think there are some risks involved over and above an ‘ouchie’.
Otara
Otara makes a good point.
Not that I don’t appreciate you attempting to school me with your awesome pdf of things I already know, but if you read back you’ll note that I was responding to the person who said that plates are “literally burning hot” (you know, the one the waitress set down with her bare hand) and suggests that just touching one can send you to the hospital. Why you feel the need to expand it to gravy on a child’s face I can’t imagine, but as much as I appreciate you trying to show me (while inserting perspective?) I was addressing Frlylock’s claim specifically.
This entire clusterfuck is nutty. The worst thing about this thread, to me, is that it’s all easily solved by USING YOUR WORDS. So many doper issues come down to an inability to cope with simple human interaction. We’ve got threads where people fear making phone calls, have conniption fits if the cashier comments on their purchases and any other normal human interaction that seems to send so many people here scrambling for cover.
If the waiter says “Careful, this plate is hot” it’s pretty easy to use that big hole in the middle of your face where food is stuffed to say “Ok, let’s not put it in front of the baby then. Let’s set it here.” and indicate where you want it to be put. CRISIS AVERTED and maybe the next time they are delivering food they’ll remember to avoid the area around the baby. Your baby isn’t burned and POSSIBLY you’ve helped the wait staff avoid burning another baby with a RED HOT PLATE OF FIRE in the future. People here love to drag out that old lulzy “Fighting ignorance” so why not gently fight a little by letting the wait staff know?
Nah, it’s easier to sit and fume and then go on the straight dope and talk about how stupid OTHER PEOPLE are.*
It really does come down to using your words. I try to find the easiest way to do things so I don’t have to fume about them later so forgive me for oversimplifying but just say “It’s hot? Then please don’t sit it in front of my child.”
*Before everybody jumps in, I realize that many people in this thread are just saying “Gosh I wish the waitstaff would do this not that.” and commiserating with other parents. My comment is directed at people who are worried about RED HOT BURNING PLATES OF FIRE that are apparently just too much for the average parent to handle worrying about. There has been nuttery on both sides of this issue.
Sleeps makes a good point. Sorry. I’m easily swayed in this thread.
Girl, that’s why we love you.
Pouring scalding gravy directly onto a toddler’s face is never ok.
Pour it into the diaper, instead.
I waited tables for years at a gourmet Mexican restaurant back east. Majority of customers on busy nights were families with young kids on way to movie or off the the shore, etc.
The most popular dish was fajitas. And we all know what this involves-- hot iron skillet still cooking the vittles. I squeeze the limes over them, they sizzle more, and thankfully, everyone paid attention to the process which ALWAYS ended with me saying exactly this: “If ANYONE at this table touches this plate, you will be hurt no matter how old you are.” While still sizzling, I rearranged the table’s current items to MY safety preference and placed the fajitas away from the kids.
With hot plates like enchiladas, it wasn’t as easy. Enchilada dinners don’t typically sizzle, unless you’re at an Applebee’s or something. 
I would tell the table’s grown ups and kids, with a slightly raised voice, “NO ONE touch this plate. It is VERY, VERY hot.” My eyes agape and staring at each one of them until I see a gazed, up-and-down nod of the head.
The best parents at a table were always the ones who liked to intercept. Upon greeting, I would place three salsas (cool, not hot) on the table as I greet them. Before any toddler moved, the GOOD parents leaped at the cool, large ramekins which all had tablespoons in them (NO! He/she will reach for that spoon!!! Aaaaaaugh!!) and the parents immediately lunge at the ramekins, pushing them out of the way of child appendage. Good parenting? Hell, yes. These are the only types of caregivers that should be allowed to bring a toddler to a restaurant in the first place. Since all restaurants have forks, it’s always dangerous for unaware small people.
Worst parents with toddlers? There was one table who gave me and the owners so much bullshit. I served the fajita safely. The family ate dinner. But a stupid mom/dad/brother/sister decided to leave a fork on a fajita skillet. Kid touches fork and the screams and accusations begin. Hello? Metal fork? Sizzling piece of fucking cast iron? Apparently, fajitas aren’t brain food.
You look fairly silly for ascribing to me a view that the plates are “RED HOT” and for telling me to “calm down.”
It’s my understanding that anything hot enough to trigger an immediate withdrawal reflex is hot enough to burn you if you touch it for more than a split second. Maybe that’s not true?
For little kids it probably is though–a light bulb which my mother-in-law left on in the floor of my kid’s room, and which I was able to grasp with my hand and hold on to indefinitely even a it was switched on, without even feeling much pain, nevertheless sent my own kid to the hospital for surgery.
I am, of course, talking about plates which waitstaff do not handle with their bare hands, idiot.
“Not that I don’t appreciate you attempting to school me with your awesome pdf of things I already know, but if you read back you’ll note that I was responding to the person who said that plates are “literally burning hot” (you know, the one the waitress set down with her bare hand) and suggests that just touching one can send you to the hospital.”
I guess, but it seems like people have got to the point where they’re being so literal about ‘hot plate’ that the fact there’s also going to be extremely hot food on said plate to be grabbed or spilled after being startled by heat seems to be almost forgotten. In my view its the overall hazard thats important, not arguing over which part of the hazard caused the burn, and my cite tried to preemptively stop any arguments that food burns arent a big issue. You might know it, but Im not only talking to you.
Using words can prevent hazards but the problem is they arent infallible either for various reasons, and as other people have pointed out, Ive often seen the warning being done as the plate is being placed, which is way too late in my view.
Otara
So to sum up, it’s ok to pour burning gravy on my porcupine as long as I am using a potholder?
I just want to make sure I’ve got this right before the next time I go to Applebee’s.
Ok. So here I am with my toddler and this boat of scalding gravy. Now, what is it that ntucker taught me about hot gravy and toddlers?
Oh yeah! Always pour scalding gravy directly onto a toddler’s face!
What if you put the hot plate down on a treadmill on the table?
Where do we stand on burning hot fondue? Yes/no/maybe for pouring on toddlers’ faces?
Who are you, and what have you done with mister nyx?
Without. Stuff that qualifies as middle-to-high range for Central PA, up to and including middle-grade non-chain steakhouses and such.
Find another restaurant. It’s going to be as much an annoyance for me to have a toddler in a restaurant not prepared to handle one as it is for them and the other patrons.