Via iStockphoto / @momcallsmebirdy TikTok
Lib Claire (momcallsmebirdy) was a few bites into her $30 airport burrito during a long layover when a kid walked by and sneezed all over it.
What would you do if a child sneezed all over your overpriced airport burrito?
That’s what one woman says happened to her. TikToker Lib Claire (momcallsmebirdy) was in between flights on a long layover. She says she had not eaten all day, so she decided to get some food. Deciding on a burrito, Claire says she sat at the restaurant preparing for an uneventful dining experience. After taking a couple of bites, a kid walked by and sneezed all over her and her $30 burrito.
Instead of apologizing, Claire says the parents of the child began screaming at her, yelling, “‘Well what do you want from him? He’s just a 10-year-old kid.'”
The father, she says, asked her if she had kids and let her know if she had a problem, she would have to “deal with her.” Pointing at his wife, Claire says a plus-sized woman came and hovered over her table intimidatingly. “‘You don’t have kids. You can’t say anything. What would you do?'” she recalls the woman telling her.
Shyly, Claire says she let her know an apology would go a long way. But the mom indignantly decided that she was not owed an apology because the kid is, well, just a kid, Claire recounts.
How Would You React To Child Sneezing On Your Airport Burrito?
Commenters were upset and disgusted on Claire’s behalf. The topic of discussion was not the absurdly priced burrito or the fact that Claire ran 31 miles the day before. Everyone was overwhelmingly focused on the parent’s behavior. Many wished they were there to represent Claire in the moment, accusing her of being too meek.
“This is when it’s okay to lie to make strangers feel bad,” said one commenter. “I’d absolutely say I have kids that don’t sneeze on stranger’s burritos.”
“Ugh I know,” Claire responded. “In retrospect I wish I had been more assertive but I was just so uncomfy that they were yelling at me.”
Another commenter explained her line of thought.
“From the 10 year old? I don’t necessarily need anything. From the parents? I want the $30, an explanation to the child on how to cover their mouth, and an apology from whoever,” they said. “But the attitude???? I’m non-confrontational but I would be calling security and trying to make these people miss their flight.”
People with and without kids mostly came to the same conclusion: Apologize and offer to replace the burrito.
When Does ‘A Kid Is Just A Kid’ Go Too Far?
“It’s not the child’s behavior that surprises me. It’s the way their parents dismiss it. The implication is clear: because they are young, their actions have no real consequences. But they do,” said former teacher Shandy Lwieka in a Medium article.
One of the reasons that parenting is hard is because kids are unpredictable. However, at the end of the day it is the responsibility of the parent to teach and also set boundaries.
The average 10-year-old is capable of covering their mouth. They are also capable of giving an apology. But without parental guidance on what should be done, it is hard for a kid to know to do these things. Dismissing disruptive behavior as “a kid being a kid” leaves room for more egregious disruptive behavior as the child ages.
A Moment Of Clarity
In the end, Claire was clear about how she should have handled the situation. She was also clear about her stance on the parent’s lack of decency.
“Your kid is not other people’s problem. If your kid is disgusting, and he doesn’t cover his mouth in a place that’s already disgusting, like an airport, and sneezes all over somebody’s food, coughs all over somebody’s food, does anything like that, that is not anybody else’s problem, except for your own,” Claire says confidently.
At the end of the video, she admits there is one thing she wondered about often: Why did the parents get mad at her about their kid sneezing on her food?
A user offered an explanation, writing, “I don’t think they could afford to buy you another burrito, so they got angry to save themselves the embarrassment.”
BroBible reached out to Claire for comment.