When ignorance about breastfeeding coincides with an irrational fear of terrorists, what do you get?
A very nasty scene at a ritzy New York Country Club, that’s what!
This is exactly what Belgian diplomat Tom Neijens and his wife Roseline Remans discovered when they stopped by the Metropolis Country Club in White Plains, New York on June 8, 2013 and inquired about having lunch.
Club employees permitted the family to dine on the terrace despite the fact that they weren’t members, whereupon Remans began to discreetly breastfeed her daughter Luka at the table.
Neijens, first secretary of the Belgium Mission to the UN, told the New York Post that a female employee of the club quickly interrupted Roseline’s perfectly legal and proper feeding of her baby with this sharp rebuke:
“Please leave immediately, you are disturbing the members!”
When Neijens protested and said it would only take a few minutes, the female staffer insisted that Remans finish in the restroom.
Understandably incredulous at the blatant ignorance on display at such a high end establishment, Mr. Neijens inquired why a baby would be asked to have lunch in the restroom when adults are not.
The Greenburgh Police Department arrived minutes later with Detective Scott Harding apparently yelling, “Close the doors!” with two other diners ordered to leave the terrace.
Mr. Neijens described the chaotic scene as something straight out of a Western movie with the officer walking around like John Wayne with “one hand on his gun, one hand on his Taser.”
The officer warned the couple that they were trespassing despite the fact that country club staff had given them specific permission to dine. He also said that some fearful members thought Mr. Neijens’ black backpack indicated they were terrorists.
Most laughable if not actually true, is what the officer came out with next when a tearful Ms. Remans asked why terrorists would breastfeed at a ritzy club:
“In Sri Lanka, babies are used by terrorists.”
Well, you learn something new every day, don’t you?
Attention all breastfeeding mothers. Your milk engorged breasts are actually considered weapons of mass destruction by law enforcement authorities. That liquid is NOT food for your baby. It is actually highly explosive material that could detonate at any time, sparking a chain of events identified by the media as bona fide terrorist activity.
Detective Harding quickly backed off his ridiculous posturing when Mr. Neijens revealed his State Department issued identification.
He dismissed his over the top behavior by explaining that the club had received terrorist threats in the past.
Despite the fact that they were doing nothing illegal or improper and possessed proper identification, the couple was still escorted off the premises via the back door.
A few days later, Mr Neijens sent an e-mail demanding an apology from Country Club general manager Tracy Fraus and assistant general manager Audra Vaccari.
“I am deeply worried about your staff if they cannot distinguish between a European couple looking for a quiet place to breast-feed a baby and suicide terrorists carrying a backpack.”
Lt. B.J. Ryan, a spokesman for the Greenburgh Police Department, labeled the incident as a simple “cultural misunderstanding.”
Ahem. On behalf of breastfeeding mothers everywhere, I beg to differ.
Breasts are not “cultural” and there is no “misunderstanding” their true purpose. They are the universal instrument for optimal feeding of babies.
Not “boob grenades”.
Hard to believe the terrorism handbook didn’t cover this point properly.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources:
Belgian diplomat booted from golf club, treated “like terrorists” over wife’s breastfeeding
Couple “treated like terrorists” over breastfeeding and backpack at ritzy restaurant
New York. That is an open minded “Blue State”… right?
It’s obvious that the employees knew it was a baby, but called the cops when she refused. Also I’m amazed that they suggested the restroom to feed. The restroom?! A place where even places of business require you to wash before returning to work.
Don’t have words for this…
jeez put your boobzuksa away you dont have the right to nourish 😉 this is ridiculous hope you got your apology
Thanks for sharing this..
It’s pretty amazing that today this can happen. I contrast this experience with one I had about 37 years ago. I was travelling with newborn twins (I think they were about 3 months old at the time) and stop at a restaurant off the highway for dinner. I asked for a corner booth and was offered one near the back where I had room to put my babies down in their car seats. I was (like this woman) discreetly feeding the babies before my dinner came. When it did come, the waiter had cut up my steak for me! saying “my wife fed our babies”.
I admit that was a one off experience, other places were less friendly but I was never asked to leave or hide in a bathroom (I wouldn’t have).
I’m glad I live in the south. It’s a wonder they didn’t get shot by those hot-shot Barney Fife types.
Giving birth is the most normal thing you can do as a human being. Feeding your baby at the breast is the second most normal. It was how we were created, otherwise why would women lactate!? While I don’t think it’s necessary to throw nursing in America’s face to normalize it our culture is mildly ridiculous in it’s treatment of mothers feeding their babies in public.
holy boob grenades batman! we’ve got our selves some ‘terr’ists’! IDIOTS!!!! i would have squirted those idiots square in the face. imagine if these dolts knew that THC was in all mother’s milk?! they would have been arrested for drug smuggling, too!! so embarrassing. ‘cultural’? hahahahahaaa! that is hilarious.
Okay this is terrible. And stupid. I really want to fly to NY and slap them all.
But… “Boob grenades” – bahaha! Made me lol at work.