> I stood up (sorta) and turned around (sorta). Very
> politely, with my best Texas manners, I said to
> the brat's mother, "You have a choice, ma'am. You
> can stop your child kicking my seat, or I will stop
> your child kicking my seat."
Very clever. Would it have hurt to omit the threat?
"I will stop your child": what horrible threat exists there?
I did omit the threat. I didn't say how I'd stop the kid.