Comments on: Zurich Public Transport: 0, Mariachis: 2

By: Dr. Lemming

Dr. Lemming — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 10:21:00 +0000

Maybe they were actually kicking the baby out of the restaurant for bringing her own food instead of ordering from the menu…

By: swissmiss

swissmiss — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:25:00 +0000

Sorry Mark. I’m not good at catching sarcasm without tone of voice. Makes the internets a tricky place for me sometimes.

By: naechstehaltestelle

naechstehaltestelle — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:01:00 +0000

Anybody who doesn’t want to see someone breastfeed in public should be willing to put up with ear shattering screaming. I don’t know about you, but I prefer the boobies.

By: Kirk

Kirk — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 21:46:00 +0000

While I agree that the "no mariachi" sticker was borderline offensive (and doesn't make sense since the biggest offenders are accordionists, not mariachi bands), I actually thought the video was kind of clever and funny. I don't think anything would have made me laugh harder than seeing the reactions of riders to a mariachi band trying to play on a Basel tram.

Maybe the more casual German/French attitude toward nudity helped, along with having a baby that refused to take a bottle, but Gretchen breastfed everywhere we went (with the utmost discretion, of course) and seldom got any reaction except for the occasional old man staring. She even occasionally had women give her knowing smiles. I've really been surprised at how little public breastfeeding I've seen in the States, but then again we were gone for so long I forgot that boobs scare people here.

By: Mark Reynolds

Mark Reynolds — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:19:00 +0000

Swissmiss: I was trying to join the pile-on in reaction to Adam’s comment – most women are discreet* because who wants people staring at them in what is often an uncomfortable sensation? I thought my hyperbole was enough to convey my sarcasm, but topping Adam’s “99 percent of the time” was beyond my humble abilities.

Shifting to cultural observations, I practically never see women breastfeeding here, but again, working on the assumption that most women aren’t looking to be a spectacle, I not trying to look. And, to be perfectly clear, I don’t care anyway and recognize that it’s my problem if I did.

* (thanks for the correction Angela, I always get that one wrong, and never remember that I do)

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:41:54 +0000

People who are going to argue that breastfeeding mothers should be more “discrete” really should learn the difference between “discrete” and “discreet.”

By: swissmiss

swissmiss — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:27:00 +0000

Huh. The breastfeeding story *really* surprises me. I’ve nursed all over Swtizerland from Starbucks’ to the petting zoo and never gotten a second look. And I’m a self-conscious midwestern prude. If people were staring I’d notice.

tqe-adam and mark: Um, no 99% of the time it could not be more discreet. Most nursing mothers are already discreet but you know, for milk to come out there needs to be a nipple. That’s just the way it works.

By: Mark Reynolds

Mark Reynolds — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 11:35:00 +0000

Breastfeeding mothers should deinitely be more discrete. Lord knows I can’t count the number of times I’ve had topless women wagging their boobies and hungry infants in my face while I’m trying to eat. Drives me nuts.

By: Jul

Jul — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 10:11:12 +0000

Sara – The article is pretty short, and doesn’t say much, but seems mildly partial to the mother who was thrown out. The comments on the article, however, are very mixed. In the reader poll, 40% said it bothered them to have breastfeeding women in a restaurant.

GL – How did I manage to miss that story?

By: Jul

Jul — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 10:05:48 +0000

Now that I think about it, although I fully support the right of ugly people to go out in public, I really do not want to see them while I’m dining in a restaurant – it’s unappetizing to me. Sure I could just look the other way, but wouldn’t it be better it we kicked them out, too? I mean, as long as we’re banning people based on our personal hang-ups…