1st off let me say, I understand that there are swap meets out there, for example Walnecks, who promote the whole family deal and have things for kids to do. But when it comes to the one day, local club ones-these are the ones I am referring too. Yesterday there was one at the local fire hall-small area and overpacked. Well "Little Miss Priss" and here stroller the size of a small Honda, while negotiating the isle and trying to text, ran into a guy who was just starting to stand up, after going through a box of parts-and I think you can guess. Tha stroller sideways to the left, the guy almost took down the table and so on. Everyone was all right, except mom took a major attitude-in her eyes it was everyone elses fault. You could tell she did not want to be there, her husband had to take the family to the car and probably ruined his day.  Point I am getting to is, Hey guys, think about(and this is aimed towards the young and in love youngsters) leave the family at home. If its about finacials, and you need her to help pay-leave the kids somewhere. If its because she don't trust you-do yourself a favor and get divoriced now. When you have a bunch of guys 5'10" and over  be hearded through narrow isles trying to look at parts- and you wanna bring your 4yr old (for whatever reason) you risk getting them injured-just leave the kids at home. Later, have a good day all..

Ditto!!!!!!!!

Couldn't agree more. Not only the swap meets, but I see this at other biker events too, motorcycle shows, day rallies, etc. I've seen people with kids at club bike shows or runs and the same thing... mom gets upset when people have a few drinks and start partying like adults around the kids.

Don't get me wrong, I love kids (well most of 'em) and really enjoyed introducing mine to bikes and taking them to family appropriate events.There are plenty of events that are family friendly like Walneck's, the Progressive Motorcycle Shows, Local American Legion Riders Poker Runs with a family BBQ at the end, etc, etc, and its great they have those so we can share some of these events with family.  And then there are those where it's just not appropriate to bring kids... is it really that hard to figure out which ones are which.

So if it don't specifically say Family Friendly, then it's not... so leave the kids at home!

driving and texting is bad no matter where you are,lol......yes..leave the kids at home, they get bored quick and it ruins every one's day......

This reminds me of the time I saw a woman bring a baby into the bar, and then expected everyone at the bar to stop smoking because it wasn't good for her baby. Seriously? Around here, you can't smoke in restaurants at all any more...the only place you can smoke are in the bars which don't have much in the way of food. But instead of going to a bar/restaurant that doesn't allow smoking (by law), she chose one of the few bars where it was still legal to smoke and expected the other patrons to stop for her? I wanted to smack her, and I don't even smoke!

I also take issue when kids are brought to adult events, and then the parents act like they are on vacation from parenting, and it's everyone else's responsibility to keep an eye on the kids. If a kid gets unruly enough as to prompt me to do or say something, usually the parents are none too thrilled with what I come up with...mostly because it means the kid becomes attached like velcro to their own thigh.

Took my babies about everywhere I went, sometimes 2-up, with one in a backpack & one in a sling. Probably had some problems but do not recall them. (The grocery store is excluded from that remark, recall those incidents quite well)
Used gun & auto shows as tools for teaching history, engineering & science
Think your problem is w/ the stroller not the kid

I've seen people bring their kids to the Sturgis rally!?!?! Why on Earth would you want to even consider that move? It's not the time or a place for kids AT ALL! The wife and I often find ourselves shaking our heads! You want to take the kids on vacation try Disneyland or go camping in some remote but popular campground, kids love that...

Sturgis is Disneyland for guys like me, I go because I meet up every year with the same group of people, we get up early and hit the bikini bike washes, go buy a bottle of our favorite, drink it dry, head to the beer barn and dance and act stupid the next day we get up, late anyway, and head to Deadwood for a nice fat steak dinner! I would NEVER even consider bringing my kids to a place like that! Lots of 'grown-ups' not acting in such a manner! That's why there are rallies, a break from the real world and responsibilities! LOL

Yep, seen the same thing Black - Kids at Sturgis and other rallies, and then the get mad at us for acting the way we're supposed to act there.

I remember the attempted re-vamp of the Hollister Rally a few years back. The city canceled the rally in town and the GTMC decided to have their own Hollister Rally at Bolado Park. Well I guess since Bolado Park is normally a fair ground, parents thought it was an appropriate place to bring kids for the day - even though it was a biker rally and there was a big sign for the wet t-shirt contest.

Well we were at the body painting booth and Laura was having a strategically placed CycleFish logo painted on when this dad decides to stand and watch with his son who was about 11 years old. At first Laura was going to get up and leave until she remembered that this was a motorcycle rally and it wasn't her behavior that was out of line, but the dad's. Well a few minutes later mom shows up first screaming at the dad about "so that's why you wanted to come here" and then screaming at all of us that she couldn't believe we would do that when there were kids around calling us degenerates and all kinds of other stuff.

Yup I saw something sorta similar I was at the Rosalia Rally and some mother screamed at me, I didn't see her at first until she started screaming. I was riding through the campground after a poker run and she starts to read me the riot act about how loud my motorcycle was and that there was a kid here so I shut it off and yelled back "What you want me to do push it? Next time leave the kid at home and the corn cobb you got up your but with him!" Yeah it didn't go over well but her ol' man collected her and they made their exit.

Like I have said before that we're bikers and we already have 3 strikes agin us so might as well tap into the stereotype now and then to bring some people into reality!

I can say as a Kid I went to a few of these event type things, but I think that was a different time when folks parented their children and took responsibility for them and their actions. Heck children see much worse on TV and Video games then they do in real life. It is wise to think before you take,or do expose your children to life experiences I agree. I agree 100% about them freaking huge ass strollers, think folks crowded, small isles, so gee let me bring the stroller that's the size of a QE11, really if ya need a stroller then put baby in a sling, back pack, or on your shoulders man. As far as events, well some folks do bring their children and just because your out "partying up" and going to the wet T-shirts and stuff doesn't mean that is what they are doing. Some of them kids could be partaking in the events. Hill climbs, Jr. division starts well before main event the motor cross events, some of those folks are in the industry and are doing the show tour thing and they are gone 8 months out the year and during summer events take their kids to bond with them. There is so much more going on at some of the events, like the traveling museums and history of's, bands, cooking, crafts, this is what they may be planing on doing with them kids, at least that's what I'd homp for. Some are there for the various fund raisers going on, some people live in the area and come to peek at the animals.
Fefe, she has a baby in a bar and is drinking then gets in her car to go home? can you say cell phone to locals. I've done it and told the person getting in their car that I was doing it, stood right in front of them and made the call, walked to the back and got the license plate number while on the phone to the locals.
just .02 worth from a different point of view and life experiences. Have a great one! "T"

JMO...If you or your kids cant handle the "heat" take you and your kids outta the kitchen! Do what you must to be considerate of others. Common Sense 101.....(I know, its not so common anymore!)

I once parked my bike in front of a restaurant, backed up to the curb. When I came out, there was a couple sitting at one of the outside tables, and their kid was still in the stroller, which was parked facing my bike. Now, it took me a minute to get geared up, and I kept looking at the kid, looking at the parents, looking at my bike...and they just sat there looking down their yuppy noses at me. I even said, "Are you sure he's ok there?" and I got a response about how I should mind my own business.

So, I got on the bike and fired it up. THAT'S when Mommy freaked out about the exhaust from my bike being blown into her kids face.

Gee, lady, if you don't want that to happen, then don't leave your kid parked behind the tail pipe of a Harley!

Lol Fefe! That whole "common sense" not being so common thing, at least you tried to warn them!

well you did ask first....you can't fix stupid.......

HA!!! Then general population never learn I tell ya!

As most of you know I am not the biggest fan of snot monsters and the bloody idiots who keep producing them by the friggin million..Marni and I are seriously past putting up with other peoples bad decisions..If I say something about the screaming kid on the plane Im the bad bastard.If I tell some dopey bitch in the store to shut the little shit up,I'm the bad guy.I have been to shitloads of rallies that are for kids charities and stuff and the little tricycle motors run around screaming ,eating face paint and dirt and generally disturbing the peace.Thats cool its a kids charity run..What friggin shits me is when I go out and some breeder has an urban cruiser for a stroller and 2 or 3 ugly little screAMERS blocking shit up..Im getting older thus I am getting crankier..Doesnt take much for me to get the shits a blow up these days..I dont wanna put up[ with other peoples kids.I kinda raised mine and she has pissed off and started the cycle again..I dont think any of us should have to change the way we do things coz some prozac affected dippy breeder sheila has made a bad choice and wants to hand off responsibility to the general public to help bring up her monster..I have been at big shows and had complete strangters kids come up to me and want to "play".Ok I kinda look like shrek but I sure as shit dont wanna put up with them..Ok now I got that out time for A BEER..cHEERs BOOF

 Took my kids most everywhere I went - Museums, gun shows, Highland Games, old-timers meets, the range, dirt track races (explain that one to your Manhattan friends, Sarah), . . . .  but they don’t belong some places.

Not sure I’m old enough for Sturgis, kids sure aren’t.