Olive Garden Diner Shows No Amore for Autistic Child

NBC Miami ^ | Tue, Aug 10, 2010 | Jessica Sick

[nickcarraway]

One family got more than unlimited breadsticks when they visited a Boynton Beach Olive Garden Saturday night.

Richard Bennett and his family were having dinner at the Olive Garden at 1001 N. Congress Avenue when Bennett claims Paul Blankenfield started to make comments about his son, according to the police report.

"Can you control your kid, I'm trying to have dinner," Bennett told police Blankenfield said several times. Bennett said he tried to ignore Blankenfield, but when Blankenfield began to curse, Bennett told him that his 11-year-old son had autism. To which Blankenfield replied, "So what?"

The confrontation got physical when Blankenfield got up from his seat, pushed Bennett's chest and struck him in the side of the neck before other patrons intervened. When police arrived, Blankenfield was handcuffed and charged with simple battery.

"You know what, good for him," the police report states Blankenfield said of Bennett when he was being transported to jail. "he gets what he deserved - an autistic kid."

This isn't the first time lately that a complete stranger has taken to disciplining another person's child.

Jeffrey Feld was arrested in June after slapping a crying toddler in the elevator at a Surfside Publix.

[muawiyah]

That's because you've taken them to the store AND you are the one who puts stuff in the carts.

I'm talking about kids whose parents have been so negligent the kids simply do not know the first thing about how our "store system" works!

Fortunately for them they learned about it in Boy Scouting!

[Rodamala]

I hear you on the Organic Free-range Fair-Trade Peruvian Ocelot Claws. Just because someone shops exclusively at Whole Foods, doesn't make them a better parent... I'd almost be inclined to say the opposite is true. Better nutrition won't make up for a lack of discipline, and good discipline won't make up for a poor diet. There is balance... then again there is the whole "Doc, my arm hurts when I move it like this. Well, don't move it like THAT" thing too.

Common sense is out the door these days, gone forever and getting worse with every generation of further spoiled and entitled brats turned parents/voters.

All I know is how I was raised... At the grocery store, Mom refused to allow my brother and I to select "Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs" in the cereal aisle. The closest to that we ever got was Alpha-Bits, and that was rare. The toys, candy, junk food and such were off limits, too.

If we acted up we got the wooden spoon, and if we were stupid enough to REALLY act up, when Dad got home, we got the belt.

I am not "old" per se... this is simply how I was raised in the 1970's.

[Jean2]

I agree with that.

[altura]

Hah! I found the only kids I liked were my own.

[SampleMan]

Perhaps I misunderstood your post. My kids don’t put things in the cart without being told to so, or asking before they even pick it up.

I’ve seen families that look like a scavanging party, where the kids are grabbing things they want and tossing them in cart willy nilly.

[time4good]

Wow! You and me both! Except - my forbidden vice was Frosted Flakes or Captain Crunch. And we'd laugh at the wooden spoon. But my bottom (and a few hymn books) has sure felt its share of the belt.

I tell my son - and my wife who tends to spoil him (took us long to have him and with his Autistic Spectrum traits, she doddles him) - I say "I'm disciplining you now so you'll grow up self-disciplined later!

[muawiyah]

May well be their first trip to the store.

[FourPeas]

This story is useless without a description of what the child did.

A family member of mine loudly complains and throws a fit any time any child makes even the slightest cooing noise.

[Rodamala]

I say "I'm disciplining you now so you'll grow up self-disciplined later!"

Future Freeper Alert!

One time, mom broke a wooden spoon on my brother's ass... and he started to laugh at her... big mistake. Dad didn't use no wooden spoon!

[Psalm 73]

"And, hey while we're at it - the Irish, too - they should all be locked up.............."
"Watch it there, laddie!"

My 1st thought was the scene from Blazzing Saddles towards the end where Harvey Korman is negotiating with the townsfolk and says "the blacks and the hispanics [didn't use those terms, though] can stay, but NO IRISH!"