# The Teenagers and the Hotel **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 21, 2002, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238 "2002-10-21T15:04:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/21 "2002-10-22T14:51:53Z")
/slight hijack for the purpose of self-gratification/ I’ve often been told that my son was SO good and well-behaved in public or the presence of others. He just turned TWO at the beginning of October 2002. I’m such a proud Dad! /here endeth the slight hijack for the purpose of self-gratification/ ---
**Author:** ![Payne\_N.Diaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Payne\_N.Diaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payne_N.Diaz)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/22 "2002-10-22T22:30:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Heh. What do ya all say we have a national straightdope fest in “a certain West TX town” sometime soon. Dude, please do! I couldn’t go to the Vegas deal, but I’d be there for this one! Especially since I don’t actually work in that West TX town! ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/23 "2002-10-23T00:55:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by magic8ball \* > \*\*I would say that at the age of maybe 10, they should respect the poeple around them. \*\* But before that they should be able to do whatever the fuck they please??!!?? /Mr. Hand/ What are you, on **DOPE!!** /Mr. Hand/ Going by logic I would guess that they shouldn’t be taught proper behavior and manners until after their 10th birthday. Nice. I can **clearly** recall being 6 years old and out at a restaurant with my family and my dad’s parents. I was not behaving and my mom took me outside for a _little discussion._ We did not talk. The problem with parents today is that they see everything with their kids as _a learning experience_ ---
**Author:** ![glarGH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/76d3ee/32.png) [@glarGH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glarGH)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/24 "2002-10-23T01:42:26Z")
> [@](#): > > - originally posted by **WSLer** : > But before that they should be able to do whatever the fuck they please??!!?? **WSLer** , sugar, I don’t think that’s what **magic8ball** meant. I think the spirit of it was “The parental units and chilluns should start early, and be ready to be well-behaved in public by around age 10. Before that, its kinda understandable, because kids are kids. After that point, its not acceptable, because they should be mature and had enough ‘little discussions’ to know better.” I, for one, wished they started learning to behave \*\* real \*\* early, and kept that good behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/25 "2002-10-23T01:46:36Z")
**WSLer** By the reasoning of some of the dumber rocks on this board no one has any reason to be upset if a child is acting up in a restaurant. After all, you are there for FOOD! Kids have a right to be kids, don’t you know. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/26 "2002-10-23T03:34:34Z")
Tranquilizing darts, now there’s an idea. ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/27 "2002-10-23T03:41:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glarGH \* > \*\* > **WSLer** , sugar, I don’t think that’s what **magic8ball** meant. I think the spirit of it was “The parental units and chilluns should start early, and be ready to be well-behaved in public by around age 10. Before that, its kinda understandable, because kids are kids. After that point, its not acceptable, because they should be mature and had enough ‘little discussions’ to know better.” > > I, for one, wished they started learning to behave \*\* real \*\* early, and kept that good behavior. \*\* Do you know how long it’s been since someone called me "sugar? (Swoons) Anyway, yeah I agree with you, but I think **magic8ball** should have fleshed things out a bit more. “Sugar?” (WSLer walks off, with a confused/bemused expression on his face.) ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/28 "2002-10-23T04:28:05Z")
I worked as a front desk clerk for a smallish chain called . . . oh, let’s call it Pays Inn. I know y’all think I’m just sweetness and light based on my posts here, but, believe it or not, I can be a battle ax if I need to. (Granted, at [then] 30, a youngish battle ax, but still.) The hotel used to make me work those nights when the tiresome, obnoxious, idiotic, giggly, rude, loud, shrieking, door-slamming teenagers came through. I would ask them twice to nicely to keep it down and then on my third trip up . . . "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK THIS IS, ROMPER ROOM? YOU THINK YOUR COLLECTIVE ASS IS THE ONLY ONE IN THIS HOTEL? YOU THINK OUR GUESTS PAY 60 BUCKS A NIGHT TO HEAR YOU SCREAM AT EACH OTHER AND POUND UP AND DOWN THE HALLS ATTACKING EACH OTHER WITH WET TOWELS AND SILLY STRING? NEWS FLASH: THEY DON’T. BUT WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE THE ONLY ONES HERE, YOU’RE THE ONLY ONES HERE WHO HAVE **PARENTS** I CAN CALL, AND **TEACHERS** AND **PRINCIPALS** I CAN WRITE LONG NASTY LETTERS TO, AND DO MY BEST TO SEE IF YOU DON’T RETURN FROM THIS LITTLE OUT-OF-TOWN FUN-FEST TO FIND YOUR ASSES GROUNDED, IF NOT SUSPENDED. IT’S NOT MY FAULT YOUR PARENTS DIDN’T RAISE YOU RIGHT, AND I’LL BE DAMNED IF I’LL DO IT FOR THEM. NOW GET IN YOUR ROOMS AND SHUT THE HELL UP, UNLESS WHAT YOU **REALLY** WANT IS TO FIND OUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO SLEEP ON THE SCHOOL BUS. AND YOU – THAT DOESN’T BELONG TO YOU, DOES IT? THEN PUT IT BACK WHERE YOU FOUND IT. FECKING KIDS. That generally worked. ---
**Author:** ![Flowerchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/858c86/32.png) [@Flowerchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flowerchild)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/29 "2002-10-23T04:37:14Z")
This reminds me of the speech I get from my mom EVERY time a kids cries in a resturaunt or store. The speech is basically , " When You and your sister were little , we could take you ANYWHERE and you never cried or fought EVER. People would stop in the street and compliment us on our cute , well behaved children. When I was about 8 that speech made me a little proud , now I HATE it . ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/30 "2002-10-23T06:06:58Z")
> [@](#): > > (well, it’s my dad, so he actually tells them to shut up, that people are trying to sleep.) 😉 [sup]Sounds like something my kids would say.[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/31 "2002-10-23T12:45:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Legomancer \* > **so this weekend I was staying in a hotel in Knoxville, TN (where I saw the fabulous Sun-Sphere!)** On a side note, I was at Knoxville just a few weeks ago (and not at all there for anything dealing with the rail car accident…nope), and went out of my way to see the Sunsphere, as featured on The Simpsons. I was not impressed, but had fun anyways. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/32 "2002-10-23T12:54:12Z")
I love Jodi’s battleax speech. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/33 "2002-10-23T16:27:02Z")
Funny, I can’t see Jodi ever being like that. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238/34 "2002-10-23T17:08:58Z")
I only saw the Sun-Sphere from the interstate (the only thing I did in Knoxville was sleep and use the airport - I flew in there, we drove to the Blue Ridge parkway in North Carolina, drove back, and I flew out.) The “fabulous” part came from the old Knoxville World’s Fair commercials. I distinctly remember ads for the World’s Fair that mentioned seeing “the fabulous Sun-Sphere!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-teenagers-and-the-hotel/133238.md?page=1)