A Cringe-Inducing Lesson for Father's Day

Writing for Salon, Aaron Traister revealed that he loves fried pickles, had a craving for them one day while babysitting his two-year-old daughter, is "kinda of fond of Hooters" (they offer said pickles), and therefore he "didn't think it would be weird to take the kid to Hooters" to satisfy said craving. How could this story not end in a train wreck? Needless to say, upon arrival (with kid in tow) he "upended the delicate Hooters ecosphere -- [an] ever-shifting balance of power between client and patron in a sexually charged alcohol-fueled situation." Instead of "Hi! Welcome to Hooters!" - the waitresses were "thrown off their rhythm by the arrival of a 2-year-old. ... They were all cold eyes, and concerned looks, whereas normally it's all about smiles and calisthenics." The collection of patrons - "guys who want to get drunk at 11 a.m. on a Tuesday ... at a Hooters" - we're equally unwelcoming. "They looked at me like I was stupid for bringing my daughter to Hooters." Traister, a five year veteran in the art of fatherhood, passes along a valuable lesson learned: "Don't take your daughter to Hooters. Or the racetrack. Or the bar." Yeah, no kidding, knucklehead.