Texas couple asked to leave restaurant for wearing face masks to protect their ..

[MyMission]

Texas couple asked to leave restaurant for wearing face masks to protect their immunocompromised infant

I was looking to see if anyone posted this here. Many here including myself are from or living in red Southern states, enjoying the warm temperatures (climate) but not the political climate. The article discusses Texas law, federal discrimination laws and how businesses can get away with this. There's a short video clip too, interviewing the couple and owner separately.

(CNN)A Texas couple who landed themselves a rare night out with friends says it was cut short when the restaurant kicked them out for wearing face masks, which they say they wore to protect their immunocompromised 4-month-old son.

Natalie Wester and her husband, Jose Lopez-Guerrero, joined a group of friends at a restaurant and bar in Rowlett, about 20 miles northeast of Dallas, on September 10.

"We are new parents and in the middle of a pandemic, we don't really get out a whole lot," Wester told CNN. "But that Friday night, my mom happened to be available to watch our son. ... Living in a pandemic, being isolated and away from others is a big deal for our mental and social health."

Their infant has cystic fibrosis, they said, so they have taken precautions to stay safe and do what's best for their family, and that includes wearing a face mask in public except when drinking or eating....

"About 30 minutes in, our waitress comes over and she sits down next to me and she's like, 'Hey, so our manager is over there in the kitchen, and he is not as nice as I am so I came over here to talk to you and unfortunately, this is a political thing, but our manager does not believe in the mask. He's tired of being told what to do by, you know, politics in the country, and so you're going to need to take the mask off," Wester said. (More)

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/21/us/no-mask-policy-restaurant-couple-texas-trnd/index.html

I'm disturbed by this, being told to take their masks off or leave, although I wouldn't want to eat inside a restaurant in any case. They didn't realize there was a no mask policy. I don't think businesses there can mandate masks unless the county numbers reach a certain (High) number, so no restaurants there would require, but some would recommend it, and I expect many would not kick the patron out if they wore a mask. But clearly there are places like the one in this story!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. This asshole needs to be boycotted

[leftyladyfrommo]

2. Why do other people care? I don't get it.

KCMO has a mask mandate but Gladstone doesn't. Gladstone is a smaller city completely surrounded by KCMO. Some people wear masks and some people don't. No one makes a big deal put of it. I don't think anyone really cares.

People seem to have gotten used to wearing masks in stores here.

[Journeyman]

3. Their Yelp page is closed but the questions (and answers) that got posted are hilarious . . .

Can I catch other communicable diseases there, or is this just a COVID dive?
Asked by Phil F.

The premise of your question is ridiculous. Obviously we do not discriminate against the carriers of any plagues or STI's. That isn't the kind of discrimination that we practice at Hang Time. LOL we'd have to fire literally all of our kitchen staff AND management if we decided to take a stand against just Hepatitis OR Herpes. We at Hang Time believe that if the good Lord wanted the person preparing your food to wash his hands after using the bathroom, he would have put a sink in our crotch.


Does the salad bar have a sneeze guard, or can we just go face first into it like decent god fearing people?
Asked by Chris S.

The owner doesn't believe sneeze guards work. Tom says sneeze guards are like trying to stop mosquitoes with a chain link fence.


Do I have to show my unvaccinated card If I want to eat here?
Asked by James Scott C.

If you can prove that you're not vaxxed, then you get the ivermectin upgrades to your food and drinks for free.


Can we bring the repeat customers in their urn?
Asked by Anthony C.

Sure, as long as there's no mask on the urn.


I'm planning to hold a memorial dinner for the 9,000 Texans who've died of COVID-19 since February, 95.5 % of whom were unvaccinated. Do you cater?
Asked by Rob E.

And the number count depends on the number of fingers and toes the staff have at the end of the day. Knives are sharp and the well-being of staff is not high on the list.


What's your plan for when this place fails?
Asked by Chip K.

Start a whining GoFundMe page. Don't they all?

[pansypoo53219]

4. just going out stupid. can't eat at home?

[Ms. Toad]

5. Been posted at least once, and the parents royally scolded. n/t

[MyMission]

8. I must have missed it

There's a lot to be said about this.

I'm not much for scolding the parents, even though I wouldn't eat indoors myself.
They tried to do the right thing wearing masks, even if going out wasn't a great idea.
And they're trying to draw attention to this.

I'm more about scolding the business and owner. Denying someone service for wearing a mask!
But I guess those on the other side feel upset they're being denied service for not wearing a mask or not being vaccinated. Not at all the same thing, but they don't get it.

[Ms. Toad]

10. It is possible that they were just out for the company, and not eating.

I did that for my spouse's aunt's funeral. The family decided to go out - t was important to do what I could to maintain family connections. Even though I disagreed with eating out, I could be relatively safe as long as I remained masked (and didn't eat.) With a straw, they could have stayed relatively safe sipping a beverage, but not eating.

I don't know what their plans were, but merly being in a restaurant wtih others does not necessarily mean that they were going to eat.

[Treefrog]

6. Did they attack the waitress?

[MyMission]

7. They left peacefully and paid their tab

It wasn't clear if they got their food order or just paid for drinks.
The food had not been served yet.
I wouldn't have paid the tab if they asked me to leave!

[left-of-center2012]

9. I posted a thread on this a couple days ago

Someone else posted the restaurant owners Facebook page.

A lot said here on DU and a lot of comments.
Try the DU search.