I have a piercing, on my face. A monroe, which is more unusual but not outrageous. (In fact, I think it’s a rather classy piercing when it comes down to it.)

Children are drawn to the shiny thing on my face. They stare. This I understand; adults stare, too. But when I get on SEPTA, children seem to think that my shiny piece of jewelry is their toy. In the past 4 days, I’ve had 6 kids under the age of 6 actally reach out and start playing with my piercing, as their parents watched. I swat the hand away. They wail. The parent gives me an evil look.

One bus driver stopped the bus and asked why I’d hit the kid. When I explained that the brat was playing with the piercing and didn’t have a right to touch a random stranger’s open wound (that’s what it is) on her face without my permission, he agreed and asked the mother to keep her child in check or she would be put off the bus.

Since when did it get to be ok to watch your child fondle someone else’s face without so much as a single word?
I mean, it’s not like I’d give you permission to touch my face or my open wound/piercing with your grubby hands, but when did it get ok to skip the asking part?