Toddler Kicked Out Of Restaurant Over Squeaky Shoes

In Savannah, Georgia, a woman named Catherine Duke was at a Panera Bread she goes to often. With her was her two year old daughter, Emma, who has medical issues including development delays; she didn't even try to walk until 23 months, according to the story, and the doctor recommended orthopedic shoes that squeak when the child is walking in a correct manner (heel to toe).

According to Good Morning America, the squeaking got to be too much for another customer because an employee of Panera came over to Catherine Duke and told her that a patron had complained about the noise of Emma's shoes and that they would have to either take off her shoes or leave. They left. Now, I'm no Mother Teresa, I'll complain about a long wait or bad service, but how cold hearted do you have to be to complain about the squeak of a special-needs child's shoes? Panera Bread, for their part, tried to make things right with the Duke family, apologizing and offering to hold a fund-raiser for Emma's medical bills.

In the Comments section under the GMA story there were (when I read it), plenty of people who would have complained about squeaky shoes, too. How about you? Are squeaky shoes enough to complain to the management of a restaurant?

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