Warning about restaurant play-areas
I wanted to share my recent experience in a fast food restaurant with you. I was in there with my 7 year old daughter and her two friends, who were playing in the soft area while I watched them through the window.
Suddenly there was screaming, blood, confusion... it turned out the kids had found an opening in the plastic covering that surrounds the play structure, and had gone through to the back where one of my daughter's friends had slipped and fallen, ripping her chin open in the process.
I called for a first aid kit ... the staff looked blank. None of them helped me get the child to the car - in fact I would have struggled if it hadn't been for another mum there who helped me contain the bleeding and get all the kids in the car. We then drove to the Al Ahli where the girl had four stitches and a CT scan.
When I phoned the manager of the burger restaurant to ask why the play area wasn't properly maintained to good safety standards, he said it was inspected by staff regularly, and they were not responsible for injuries. He also said the first aid kit was in the office, and couldn't be used in the restaurant because it was a food area!
I don't know if there is any independent monitoring of play-areas in Qatar, but parents please be aware that just because they're padded and enclosed, doesn't mean they're safe. I know the children shouldn't have gone through the gap in the plastic, but the gap shouldn't have been there.
My daughter's friend is fine now, albeit with a scar on her chin. And we won't be going back to this particular restaurant again.
the restaurant involved as I know in Qatar you can get into trouble for damaging business interest.. but stuff it. It is BurgerKing, at Burger King roundabout. So far I haven't had any response to my complaints, although you'll be pleased to know they have repaired the hole in the play area which led to the accident.
And to those who say kids can't be wrapped in cotton wool - I completely agree. Kids can't be protected from scrapes and accidents, it's part of growing up.
But that doesn't excuse negligence, poor maintenance, and bad business practices.
Thanks for sharing, make your complain it this address
http://www.mec.gov.qa/English/Consumer/Pages/MakingaComplaint.aspx
Wahooo!! Go qatarisun
I would never take my child to such places, in the first place. Not even for "play-area" reason. But for the food itself. I am convinced that only parents who hate their kids can feed their babies with such disgusting substitution of normal human being food, like McDonald's, BurgerKing, and others.. And especially, in Qatar, where on top of food issue, no any clue about kids safty, and at the end of the day no one is responsible for anything.
Not much of a warning if you don't mention the name of the restaurant and anyway they are kids, who amongst us never got hurt during our childhood...
Wrap them up in cotton wool and never let them out of your sight. For goodness sake children need space to grow and develop. Mistakes and accidents will happen on the way.
but pls let us know the name of the place so tht other kids dont get hurt. tks
than a first aid kit, FFS?
Why all the secrecy? Please NAME AND SHAME the restaurant and the manager. What's really appalling is his comment about FA kit.
Sad. If that child has been a local, than the ending of the story will be different.
with a a Big K.
Does it start with Big M ?