[foodnfoto]

I have to vent and to warn all other parents out there about the play spaces at fast food restaurants!
So..fast food stores already suck parents and kids in with their cheap toys and junk food. Now they offer play spaces-basically padded jungle gyms with crawling and climbing tubes, ball chambers and slides. That is all well and good, but do the operators of these establishments EVER clean them? I don't think so. Under severe pressure from my six year old we went to a Burger King today to have lunch. After eating, I told him he could play there for a while. We walked into this enclosure and immediately I was hit with the smell of what could only be described as a high school locker room! He took off his shoes and started crawling around and having a great time.
Then, to make matters worse, in came a whole bunch of kids, clearly over the 4 foot height limit and, without removing their shoes, they starting playing in the space too. There were 20 lb. 2-year-olds in an enclosed, small space with 100 lb. 12 year olds and no other adult, but me, in sight! I told the larger kids they were too big to be in there and should, at least, remove their shoes. I was ignored. I voiced my objections to their mother who ignored me as well.
I then voiced my objections to the manager and emphasized that if he refused to enforce the clearly posted rules that he'll be socked with a law suit one day. I think that got his attention because he then made all the big kids leave. I then asked him how often the place was cleaned and sanitized. He countered with a blank stare.
Needless to say, we will not be returning to the BK or any other play space. I am writing to my local health department, Dept. of consumer affairs and any other agency I can think of to insist on regulations regarding the cleanliness and safety issues of these play areas. I hope other parents will do the same or at least stear their kids away from them.

[Jim]

Another good idea not very well thought-out. As for those ball pits being a breeding ground, you bet!
We have good friends who took their 3 year-old son and his friend to a fast food joint and to play in the ball pit. The next day, both children were extremely ill. Upon their hospitalization, it was discovered they had contracted a strain of staph from contact with feces. Nice, real nice. Our friend's son was released from the hospital after a 3-day stay. The other little boy died a few days after. Apparently, this is not an uncommon occurence where children's diapers, drool and whatnot come in contact with play things that are left to fester in their own bacteria and toxins.
As for the 15 year-olds playing with the toys meant for the youngsters... get out, go play with your own toys!
Our rule = we just don't go. No questions, no worries.

[ShawtyCat]

My hubby likes to go to McDs once a month and my little girl always wants to play in the pen with all the balls. I don't ever go in and always use the drive thru. Told my little girl that she has plenty of toys at home.

There was a used needle found in one of those pen areas at a McDs. I can't remember where but I will never let my kids near those places. Plus, they always stink and I saw gum and some brown stuff I couldnt identify on some of those dirty balls. Ewww!

[Isa]

This is so sad. Poor kids even playing areas are unsafe these days. I'm sorry to add to the warnings, be careful of water slide parks. The water is not always clean, a little girl, who was vegetarian died of ecoli contamination. The park was later closed and the water tested. The bacteria were present in great number. Chlorine would have solve the problem easily. There are people out there putting the public at risk just because they want to save a few dollars here and there.

[holydiver]

I was an assistant mgr. at a Mcd when I was in my late teens believe me they do not clen nothing. I used to find needles in the parking lot all the time never mind the stuff the customers would do to the bathrooms. Plus the food I wouldnt feed to a hungry dog.

[ShawtyCat]

One of my friends used to work the night shift at a Queens KFC and told my why the corn always tasted funny. They kept the stuff in a vat of melted butter and would have to skim the insects off the top of it before serving to the customers. Let's say that I never went to KFC again. Ick!

[m brown]

The joys of the ball room at chuck e cheese will never again be seen by my boys~

I like the excuse that they have plenty of toys at home! I love the drive thru and will be careful of kfc corn.

yuck!!!!!
and i thought bowling shoes were bad~

[Svadhisthana]

They now make ball pits for in home use. They are small-relative to the Fast Food places (I won't call them restaurants) but large enough for children to have fun without worry over others children's germs. Here is a link.


As for public ball pits: