Chicago 4yr old served Mudslide at Chilis

Another one?!?!? The child was treated for alcohol poisoning at the hospital per WGN news in Chicago. Served what was supposed ot be a milkshake, got a mudslide instead from a new server who may have grabbed the wrong drink off the bar.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...staurant_gave_her_4yearold_a_boozy_drink.html

according to the link above
and more links below

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/04/18/girl-4-served-alcoholic-mudslide-at-chilis/

http://myfoxchicago.onespot.com/chicago/2011/04/18/a861f/girl-4-served-alcoholic-mudslide-at

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/now-chilis-is-serving-alcohol-to-toddlers/

WTH? Is it that we're just hearing about them now? Unbelievable!

Okay, lesson learned in the parenting department...always sample your kid's drinks.

Aren't childrens drinks usually in another type of cup? Every restaurant I've ever worked in the children's nonalcoholic drinks were served in a plastic cup that was only for kiddos.

We had people come into a restaurant that I worked in while living in GA that were known within the community (a segment of the population that is known for grifting and ripping off elderly with scams) and they tried to pretend that a large piece of a substance was found in their food and that they had choked on it. That substance was not in our bldg and had never been in our bldg. The food was prepared on site by scratch so there was no way it had been in that food. They dropped their pretense and the threatened lawsuit after an investigation by LE.

With so many of these being reported I'm concerned that we have some copycats here. Mudslides are difficult to mix up even for a new server JMHO. What drink had been ordered for the child? I've had a mudslide myself at a chilis and it has always been served in a glass barglass. No restaurant in their right mind will serve a child that age with a glass. I know it can happen but it shouldn't happen---that's an injury lawsuit waiting to happen.

This may very well have been caused by server error. If so then my course of action as a manager in the past would have been to fire that server immediately. Retrain all servers and bartenders. (2 meetings, mandatory, to cover both shifts). I don't have a "hinky meter" Haha but I do have a BS meter and mine is starting to tick over into the red with this spate of sudden reportings of alcohol being served to minors. Not specific to this case---just wondering. JMHO. I do agree it could all be server/bartender errors but what the heck?

I wondered about copycat/lawsuit settlement seeking in this case when I first heard it covered on the news too. But according to the initial reports anyway, the server was new and grabbed the wrong drink from the surface of the bar, it was apparently sitting there amongst several drinks, one of which was the one meant for the child. You are right, normally childrens drinks are served in child cups with lids and straws. The server just hadn't been there long enough to realize.

This is a disturbing new trend either way. I think some of these cases may well be hoaxes perpetuated by parents, but from the sound of what I have read, seen so far on this one, it appears ligit.

I agree with those who say "parents, when out with your children at restaraunts, etc. Always sample your child;s drink!"

I never thought of if when my children were younger but if I had little ones right now, especially ones who were not old enough to verbalize that something tastes odd, you can bet I would be sampling each and everything my kid ate or drank when out.

I have to say; until recently I never thought to check my childrens drinks at restaurants. Chain restaurants often serve childrens drinks in themed cups. Usually plastic with a lid and some sort of design. I'm not blaming the parent, but I would wonder about any drink brought to my child that was not in one these cups. Heck, since these stories started I wonder about everything we are served in restaurants.


I wonder how milkshakes are served? They're often pretty big but I would imagine there are "child size" milkshakes. I don't believe a mudslide was prepared and then placed into one of the childrens cups.

Definitely a lesson for us parents out there. Check your childrens drinks wherever you may go.

This one does appear to be real, but there was no reason to treat the child at a hospital and no damage was actually done. The mother said in an interview on Fox that just aired, that the child took one sip and said "I don't like it", so the mother then tasted the drink and realized what it was. While it would not hurt to check the child's condition, of course, there is no possible way this child would have had alcohol poisoning from one sip.

jmo

I'm going to guess they needed to be certain of the alcohol content in this little ones blood to ensure her safety, re: reason for ER visit. The restaurant may have had that as part of their protocol for accidental ingestion.

Childrens bodies are much more sensitive and would become intoxicated rather quickly. Depending on her weight, even a sip could have proven too much for her.

I've had a mudslide (yum) and I can tell you I would know straightaway if they put one in front of my son. A childs milkshake looks completely different. Of course, I can't blame the parents, especially if they were not aware.

Shame on you Chili's. I will never ever take my child anywhere without checking his drink first!

MOO

Mel

I read about it on CNN and they released a statement saying the mother and the child both ordered drinks the child ordered fruit punch which was served in a child cup with a lid and straw and WAS served to the child, the MOTHER ordered a chocolate shake which was served in a glass shake cup that looks very much like the same thing mudslides are served in. Chilis says the MOTHER was served a mudslide on accident, but the drink ordered for the child was fruit punch and that is what was placed in front of the child.
I went to look for the link this morning and it's no longer there.. so take what i say as a rumor.

MOO but i think this mother is trying to cash in.....

Disguiseduser0308 said:

I'm going to guess they needed to be certain of the alcohol content in this little ones blood to ensure her safety, re: reason for ER visit. The restaurant may have had that as part of their protocol for accidental ingestion.

Childrens bodies are much more sensitive and would become intoxicated rather quickly. Depending on her weight, even a sip could have proven too much for her.

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in several of the articles linked in opening post the mother was quoted as saying after around four drinks from the beverage the child said it tasted funny. On the WGN tv news story they showed a picture of the mudslides served at Chili's. The drink was apparently not served in a kid cup but a glass. I must say, based off of the photo shown of what that chains mudslide looks like in the glass, I would never know the difference between it and a chocolate milkshake based soley on appearance. Probably why a server, new and unfamiliar with policies about child cups and what a mudslide might look like and how it might differ in appareance from a regular milkshake, could easily make such an error.

The mother was further quoted as saying after the child had the four drinks from the drink and commented on it tasting funny, she then tasted it herself and knew there was something wrong with it - implying she tasted a hint of alcohol.

Reportedly the child was taken to the ER to be checked out because she complained of headache, stomach ache and general unwellness.

peeples said:

I read about it on CNN and they released a statement saying the mother and the child both ordered drinks the child ordered fruit punch which was served in a child cup with a lid and straw and WAS served to the child, the MOTHER ordered a chocolate shake which was served in a glass shake cup that looks very much like the same thing mudslides are served in. Chilis says the MOTHER was served a mudslide on accident, but the drink ordered for the child was fruit punch and that is what was placed in front of the child.
I went to look for the link this morning and it's no longer there.. so take what i say as a rumor.

MOO but i think this mother is trying to cash in.....

Click to expand...

Presumably the mother would be ordering for both herself and the child. So how do they know that the mother wasn't going to drink the fruit punch and the child wasn't getting a chocolate shake?

I'm really begining to wonder if people are doing this on purpose! :maddening:

MOO i think this mother did this on purpose....