children [and other animals] placed up on counter tops

[Securious]

...Disgusts me. Don't adults have any sense, the child is dirty, probably soiled themselves and your next in the queue. The staff think its funny and say isn't little Johnny cute, the kid then goes, fwwaat and you inherit the mess. Do they clean the counter top when those peeps go-NO! You see it in banks, check out counters, corner stores, well you get the idea, not too smart is it.  I think its done as a distraction and a topic of conversation, or just "hey look how beautiful my bouncing bundle of joy is!"