If they do it more than 5 minutes and it's clear the parents can't seem to do anything about it,I ask to be seated somewhere else.

  True story: Dad took me out to dinner several years ago at the Old Spaghetti Factory when it used to be in downtown San Diego (this was a semi-upscale Italian restaurant).  We were promptly seated and as we were reading from the menu, someone's precious little child starts throwing a tantrum. 

We ignored it at first but then the kid didn't stop crying and the parents didn't do a darn thing to shut up their whiny little brat.  Dad then requested to the manager that we be seated elsewhere.  We were then moved to the other side of the restaurant and there were no more problems after that.

What's more annoying is the parent or guardian who won't do anything to tend to the child.

I went by myself to the Dennys resteraunt by the airport last year figuring it would be nice and quiet to eat past 10:00 at night. When i was eating, i had the pleasure of listening to this whiny child that was at the table across from me. I later told my mom about the situation making my point that this child should of been in bed. She said taking the children along is better than leaving them home alone!

Take the little bugger outside! My brother won't subject people to my nephews when they get dumb in public! They get their dining expirience cut short as all children should!

This is a terrible thing. Because it is a terrible thing to do to a kid. To let a kid grow up learning to be rude and oblivious to others is very ignorant.
We live in a society of rudeness , and are passing it on to the next generation. Part of the intellectual decline of our society. Children need to be taught discipline to have discipline. They are not being taught.

If you're in an upscale restaurant ("string quartet in the corner" kind of "upscale"), then yeah, I can see where this would be annoying. But if you're in a McDonald's or something along those lines, where there are dozens of children running around attempting to find out exactly how durable their happy meal toy is, you kind of have to expect them to make some noise.

I try and be understanding. i raised two kids myself and for the most part they were good in restaurants. we always tried to go to family restaurants. that helps. I suppose if they are there for a lonnnnnnggggg time and do nothing to calm their child it can be frustrating. I try and ignore the tantrums and whining especially if the parent is trying to do something to calm their child.

A few parents handle this well, but in the last 10 years parents of toddlers (for whatever reason) believe that other patrons of restraunts have no right to actually have a quiet meal. . .when I ask to have my table moved, mommy-with-no-control gives me a dirty look like I'm the problem. . .take the kid outside.

This really depends on the restaraunt. Some restaraunts are obviously set up for families, a clue being a play structure or toy station. We have several such restaraunts in our area and we frequent them. I would be annoyed in a restaraunt where the owners went out of their way to create a certain climate not conducive to kids, but if it's a family restaraunt, or a fast food place, you have to expect it. Parents can't be expected to cook every meal and young kids like to make noise - that's the way it is.

Now, when my 1 year old is noisy or hyperactive, my wife and I take turns bringing her outside to run around a little bit while we're waiting for the food. Usually, we don't go to a restaraunt unless both kids are very hungry, so when the food arrives the kids are generally occupied. However, if one of them finished early and requires attention, I or my wife (whoever's "turn" it is) will take the child outside and the other will have the waiter/waitress wrap up the meal for later.

I have to say that I'm lucky that both of my kids are generally very good in a restaraunt. Often a restaraunt has crayons and paper for them, but we bring our own just in case. The problems generally arise when they're overtired, though my 4 year old is never disruptive anymore.

I find this annoying, but I almost expect it when I go. It could be worse though. I was at Wal-Mart about a year ago, and I watched as this 11 year old boy threw himself to the ground while beating his fists into the floor. Apparently his mother wouldn't by him some watergun or something, so he threw a tantrum right there in the aisleway.

I never EVER frown at kids or complain if a child cries. You don't know just from face value if that child may have an illness or have autism you just simply don't know.

I'm not going to lie, and I'm not going to aplogize. On a scale of 1 to 10, this is an off the scale 100! Why, well I work hard everyday, in a noisy enviorment. I raised five kids, and made a point of teaching them manners, and when they did misbehave in a restaurant or theater, I removed them, because I wouldn't put someone through something like that, I think it's selfish and rude. When I spend my hard earned money at a good restaurant, I have a right to expect a reasonably quiet and restful enviorment. If I walked into a Chuckee Cheese Pizza or anyplace designed for kids, I can deal with it. But sometimes parents, or management need to show some respect for other people. But on the flip side, I would never embarrass the parents and say something to them, I usually just put up with it.

No, I feel bad for them. Mainly because I've been in a similar situation, my husband and I couldn't get a babysitter for our anniversary when my daughter was little and so we decided to take her with and the whole while she's freaking out, and we had already ordered the food when she began freaking out. I took her outside while the hubby waited for the food, and she quieted down, I gave her a bottle etc, and the minute I stepped inside the restaurant she started it again. We gobbled our food down, paid and left. The minute we were outside, she stopped crying again!