Children in the gastro: Active citizen counters discriminatory statements!

Children in the gastro: Active citizen counters discriminatory statements!

Veronika Bohrn Mena, a committed activist and two -time mother, has recently experienced an incident in a Viennese coffee house who rekindled the debate about children and their acceptance in the catering trade. During a visit, she was asked by an older lady to make her one -year -old child laugh quieter - the boy can't speak yet. Bohrn Mena made it clear that children have the right to their place in public space and should not be perceived as harassment. She asked the lady not to disturb her son's laugh and expressed her concern about an increasingly anti -child atmosphere in society. This point of view made it clear in a post on OE24

The discussion received additional momentum through the statements of Mario Pulker, the chairman of the gastronomy in the Chamber of Commerce. In an interview, he explained that he preferred to have guests with dogs than with children. Pulker criticized the behavior of children in local, since many parents do not pay attention to the upbringing of their children. These statements led to an outcry, in particular from the Catholic Family Association, which wants to start a list of child-friendly bars, as Meinverkirk. Pulker then defended himself and explained that his statements were torn from the context and that he did not commission the survey, which says that 55 % of the children surveyed would only allow in restaurants from the age of 16.

social reactions and legal framework conditions

The reactions on Pulk's statements are shared. While some guests understand his perspective-a 28-year-old St. Pöltner, who finds children annoying-demands other tolerance to families. Barbara Dangl, a mother of two sons, recalls that the responsibility for the behavior of children lies with the parents. At the same time, there are voices that demand clear rules for children in catering operations. FPÖ politicians have criticized Pulker and demands that he should work for the hosts instead of defaming children.

As part of this discussion, it is important to look at the legal scope. The General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) protects against discrimination due to the age, including children. A regulation that prohibits the access of children under 12 in the afternoon in restaurants could violate this law, such as antidiskriminating position.de. It is essential that different treatments from guests are only permitted if there is a factual reason. The mere reference to possible noise is not enough to generally exclude children.

The anti -discrimination agency recommends reacting to disorders in individual cases instead of introducing flat -rate bans. Such measures could be legally contested, which would bring the catering business in a precarious situation. The debate shows that the topic of child -friendliness in the catering is far from complete and that it is time to find constructive solutions in order to take into account both the needs of families and that of the companies.