Just So Very Sad

[MissM'sMom]

We went to the zoo for Mother's Day. It was a beautiful day and DD's first time. We went into a small area to look at some monkeys, and a little girl, not more than 6 or 7 was crying. Not loudly or obnoxiously, but obviously upset about something. Then a VERY large man, who I assumed was her father, walks up to her, grabs her upper arm, gets right into her face and starts swearing at her, "Shut the m-fr up, shut the f up" etc. Just a constant stream of horrible swear words and threats. As far as I could tell, the mother wasn't doing anything. He wasn't shouting, but it was loud enough for most of the people around them to hear. I was in complete shock, and I could tell that most of the other people around them were as well. I started crying, and couldn't stop for about five minutes. Another woman was talking on the phone who witnessed it was obviously very upset too.

I have never seen anything like this in my life in person. What kind of disgusting thing (I can't even call him human) would treat a young child like that? What mother would let someone talk to their child that way? It took all my strength to not start screaming at this guy, or take the little girl with me and protect her from such a monster. Believe me, I am a timid mouse regularly. Because you know if he behaves this way in public, it is 100 times worse in private. I am still upset about it, my hands are shaking.

What could I have done? He was HUGE, about 6'5'', at least 250 lbs. What could the crowd have done? I just wish I had some magic powers and could have kicked his butt or taken her away. I just felt so helpless and horrible that I didn't help her.

It definitely makes me so grateful for my own parents, my wonderful DH, and my beautiful DD.

[Globetrotter]

Because you know if he behaves this way in public, it is 100 times worse in private.

:yeahthat: It might very well be an abusive situation, or maybe he was in a terrible mood, but I'm inclined to believe the former. I don't know the protocol for something like this in a public place.. could you have reported this incident?

[JTsMom]

How horrible! That would have shaken me to the core. I think I would probably have called the police. I can't imagine that it wasn't an abusive relationship. Poor baby. :crying:

[MissyAg94]

I know the feeling. We were at an amusement park yesterday and we say an older lady with a walker fall to the ground. The younger woman with her (could have been a daughter) started yelling at her to "Get up! Get up!" She was pulling her by the arm to get her up while she was yelling at her. It sounded so hateful. I felt sick. And I didn't say anything because I figured that it wouldn't do any good. A friend I was with did make a comment but she was ignored. I kept thinking that if she was that mean in public, she must be worse in private.

[ewpmsw]

You could call the police or whoever, but what are they going to do about it? Its no-win.

I'm not defending the parents' behavior AT ALL. It's completely unacceptable. FWIW, I've lived through the exact situation you described many times. Can't tell you how many scenes we had like that in public when I was a kid, some a lot more explosive. Seeing the disgusted looks on strangers' faces made the experience even more humiliating. There's not much anyone can do except pray for the children and family and hope it's an isolated incident.