It is a familiar sound. You are enjoying a quiet beer in your seat when someone starts crying. Unlike adults, babies can not seem to order a bottle of beer without howling.

Those who visit bars to seek refuge from crying babies are fighting back.Last month a lot of bars and restaurants declared that nippers are not wanted.The owners were fed up with parents who thought their babies were entitled to VIP service despite drinking only milk.

Businesses that shut out children argue that parents have plenty of other places to go. Some websites listed out lots of kid-friendly bars and restaurants.And cinemas are usually accommodating.

Balancing the interests of parents and non-parents is hard.Parents, by and large, think non-parents should bear it when a crying infant briefly disturbs their tranquil, responsibility-free existence. However, others on long-time flights want to sleep in peace. The Economist once published a wry leader advocating the companies to set child-free zones on planes and trains. Malaysian Airline has taken this advice: it bans children from its first-class cabins and offers child-free zones in economy in some planes.

Up to now, the rights and wrongs of banning babies is still under the heated discussion.