While we may have all heard about teenage drinking and if recent newspaper reports have to be believed the schools kids new obsession for alcohol, drugs and sex. A few days back I had first hand experience with the same and being parents to 2 boys 4 years and 1 year my wife and me had a hard think about this.
It was just like any other Friday night our family decided to go for a quick dinner at our favourite Italian joint. Its called Little Italy. We reached there around 8 PM and ordered our regular fair. Some Masala Garlic bread, Fuseli with pesto sauce, Risotto with mushrooms and starters. While we were just served the Garlic bread we saw 4 school kids enter the restaurant and take a corner table.
They looked like any ordinary school kids and it was not very common to see kids in this upmarket restaurant on their own. I was expecting their parents to join them soon. The kids quickly started ordering. So far it was all normal. But was I saw next horrified me. The server returned back with a few bottles of chilled Bacardi Breezers and started serving the same to the kids. I quickly told my wife about what was going on and immediately pulled out my phone and clicked a few snaps of the kids. We also summoned the hotel manager and warned him to immediately stop serving alcohol to the kids and I told him if I hear or see this happening again we will report him to the cops. We quickly completed our dinner while the kids were gulping down their drinks and had also ordered some Pizza etc. But they looked disappointed as the hotel was not serving them any more alcohol. As the sight became unbearable, my wife and me went to their table and asked them about their whereabouts and were the kids aware of what they were doing. All of them were from 8th Grade barely in there teens and were studying in very respectable schools one in Chembur and other in Ghatkopar East. One of them took offence that we were objecting to him consuming Bacardi Breezers as they thought it was very light and his parents too did have any issues with it. My wife shockingly asked him if his parents were indeed aware what he was doing. All the kids confidently answered YES. Women being women my wife asked them to immediately call their parents as all of them had mobile phones. But the kids were quiet smart and ducked the discussion. We then asked them about this divisions and other information which can help us trace them. They gave us sketchy details.
I quietly told my wife we have enough information and have made out point and we soon left. Since then we contacted the principal of one of the school (my son studies in the same school) and have provided them details of the incident along with the photographs and am also going to meet the principle of the other school soon.
I was also very sad that when the incident was taking place there were many others in the restaurant who too saw it but for some reason choose to ignore it……..
The incident made me ask many questions to myself about the kind of society we are living in. When we were kids it was a different world such incidents did happen but they were never in such open …. and we used to always associate such incidents with kids in Europe or America. Now that it has happened in my own backyard I am worried!!
Would love to know your thoughts on this important social issue.
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Comments (11)
Hi Vishal,
You did the ideal thing by taking the matter and approaching the principal of the school. Its such an irony that so many people talk about moral responsibilities but duck it when they have the opportunity.
Its a grave situation and if people still overlook such incidents then very soon it’ll be too late to do something. Today’s kids are tomorrow’s torch bearers and I’m sorry but by giving them too much liberty, we are, in reality, making them weak.
i’m agree with aneez
Hi,
wondeful and responsibl act on ur part. inspiring.
hope the parents of these kids are too.
think this is a matter of grave concern and needs adequate attention and focus
thanks
Mahesh
i agree with you, its not tolerable at all
Its really a great step. lot of us choose to ignore such happenings around.
I hope many more people will take such step or atleast report to venue manager that it may lead to problem for them or/and regular customers like us may stop coming to place which doesn’t maintain ethical code
no matter in public or not, never tolerate children drinking an alcohol
I wouldn’t totally blame the kids as they are still at their learning stage and they obviously don’t know what’s right and wrong at this point. What they need is guidance, and I believe that should come from their parents. The parents are to be blamed for not keeping a check on them and giving them uncontrolled freedom. The parents encourage their kids by giving them more-than-required pocket money and in a way encouraging the kids to spend on wrong things such as alcohol.
And how can a reputed restaurant like Little Italy serve alcohol to anybody without verifying their age!
The nature of us humans-is to gravitate from pain to pleasure and pleasure is where religious and social evils lie but the dizzy try to put moral cultural thoughts on somthing as nature want us to reproduce at all costs and when nature is ready not us dizzy humans trying to delay it, we will always have these problems –people live blind and are always looking for others to guide their blindness
You SNITCH!!!
Hi Vishal,
You did the ideal thing by taking the matter and approaching the principal of the school. Its such an irony that so many people talk about moral responsibilities but duck it when they have the opportunity.
I like your amazing post