I had to walk out of the library the other day. I was wearing noise canceling headphones and listening to music at a normal volume and yet a mom with three kids drove me out due to the fact they were running around and yelling like it was their house.
I travel and this is the new normal at libraries throughout the U.S. Many libraries now have an open area children’s section where the kids can play on the floor and be as loud as they want.
I do use study rooms at the library but not all libraries have them and a closed glass door does not block all the noise from a screaming baby/toddler.
Libraries are a shared space and in the past used to be quiet. Now in the effort to be inclusive to everyone they don’t enforce any noise rules because they want those moms and their screaming kids to come visit the library.
And of course, you cannot complain to anyone about this because if you do so you are a Karen and no one will care and then they’ll tell you “if you don’t like it you can leave” This is society now…everyone does what they want with no regard for others.
Oh my god you (or the fictional parent we’re talking about) is literally being the karen.
They are disobeying the rules (not keeping quiet), they are acting entitled (by acting like the rules don’t apply to them), and they are now offended when called out for not following the rules (primo Karen behavior).
They also are taking their problems (loud noisy kids) and pushing it onto everyone else. (More entitlement. Sure my kids are loud, but they deserve to be loud more than you deserve a quiet space. My personal freedoms are more important than yours).
You claim that OP didn’t show empathy when I don’t see that they went and demanded they leave or anything, to me they showed restraint. (And don’t even begin to start the debate about them going and talking to a parent about that. We both know there is a zero percent chance that they wouldn’t immediately become the target or a barrage of hate and screams for asking them to please be quiet. I worked retail. I know how parents react). You however have shown zero empathy to their situation, their need to focus and study, instead only seeing your point of view. You claim social contract while ignoring that the parents broke the social contract or being quiet.
You’re entire point reads as “the parents wants and freedoms are more important than this person’s wants and freedom”. That’s the funny thing about freedom, none of us really get true freedom, because true freedom means other people have to lose theirs.
Check yourself. You are the selfish one.
Good work - Labelling someone is really going to help them hear your point of view… And that literally the precise opposite of what I am trying to say, which is that the posted rules are the thing that applies here. If loud kids are not prohibited the signs saying “be quiet” are no longer there, they are not technically in the wrong.
FTR, I totally think the parents are actually the assholes here, and not OP. My point is that if OP did indeed confront them, and he was insulted, he has little recourse but to walk away or find someone in charge of that space to deal with it. If there are definitively clearly posted rules, then point that out to them would help. Alternatively, talking to the librarian in charge is the next step.
I read OPs post more about this being a more common thing in libraries, and I hope that with enough complaints the loud kids will either stop coming, or learn to be more respectful (because yes, that is a parents job to teach their kids that). Unfortunately, I don’t think that will be the case as we have all but lost the ability to see someone else’s point of view.