Tara Watson with her daughter. Photo / Screengrab / NBC News
Tara Watson with her daughter. Photo / Screengrab / NBC News
The mother of a toddler who was screamed at by a US restaurant owner has shed further light into what happened.
In a Washington Post article, New York mother and marketing manager Tara Carson, relayed her side of the story.
Diner owner Darla Neugebauer called Ms Carson's daughter a beast. Photo / NBC News
Marcy's Diner in Portland, Maine, made headlines for all the wrong reasons this week when owner Darla Neugebauer yelled at Carson's daughter, who she claimed had been crying for 40 minutes and disturbing other customers.
In a Facebook post, Neugebauer said the child was crying as the parents had ordered pancakes, but placed them out of her reach on the table.
However, Carson said this not the case. She was visiting the town of Portland with her daughter and husband, who had once worked there while in the Coast Guard and had suggested Marcy's Diner as a "family friendly" destination.
"I ordered pancakes for my daughter, which took about 40 minutes to arrive," she wrote in the Washington Post. "At this point, my 21-month-old was getting antsy, as I imagine most would when they have to sit in one place and wait for a long time."
As her daughter wasn't having a "meltdown", Carson decided it would be best to stay in the busy diner rather than go outside in the rain.
"In the noisy diner I didn't see anyone looking at us or think we were causing a disturbance."
As her daughter was still fussing when the food arrived, Carson and her husband decided to eat their food quickly, then leave - which was when the owner decided to have her say.
"Out of nowhere, Marcy's Diner owner Darla Neugebauer threw to-go containers at my husband and yelled, 'Either she goes or you go!'"
Carson said she continued feeding her child, but minutes later, Neugebauer shouted out from behind the grill.
"She pointed at my baby's face and screamed, 'You need to shut the hell up!'" Carson wrote.
"I'll never forget the look of fear on my baby's face."
Tara Carson's Facebook review of Marcy's Diner.
After leaving a Facebook post about her experience the story went viral, as Neugebauer responded with an expletive-laden rant in return, calling Carson's child a "beast" and a "demon".
While many were unimpressed by Neugebauer's behaviour, others applauded her and said crying children had no place in a restaurant.
"I for one would gladly eat here," wrote Martha Crutcher. "Honestly a mother of and grandmother of 10, I hate it when I want to sit down to eat and disruptive children are amuck."
The response from Marcy's Diner owner Darla Neugebauer.
In her article, Carson said that while she was not a perfect parent, it was unacceptable for Neugebauer to shout at her child.
"Babies cry and sometimes moms make the call between a tantrum in the loud diner or going out into the rain.
