e you a mom of a child under the age of 18? Are you happy?

According to an research study recently released by C3, a Kansas City-based kids marketing agency, there's only a 50/50 chance that an American mom will answer the happiness question affirmatively. You read that correctly. Half of the mothers in the U.S. are not, according to this study conducted with Weekly Reader Research and mirroring the demographic breakdown of the U.S. census, having a very good go of it.

Clearly this is not a comfortable premise, and it is hardly made brighter by the national economic duress or the advent of the holiday season. In fact, the whole issue might have been comfortably swept under the rug except for one salient conclusion of the study. According to Jenny Ferguson, C3's consumer insights and research director, "the more unhappy and pessimistic moms are, the greater the usage of quick-service."

Certainly nobody really wants to hear that. Of several fast-food companies contacted for their opinions in regard to this finding, it is hardly surprising that only two even bothered to get back. One spokesperson delicately expressed the opinion that the story wasn't quite right for them, and another flat out questioned the premise, statistics notwithstanding.

It should be quickly pointed out that there are a lot of happy moms, some of whom are enthusiastic consumers of fast food. "Comfortable & confident" moms, as well as those in a happily busy sub-category labeled "on the go," represent a combined 30 percent of the total mom population and are likely, by a margin of 3:1 to have at least one fast-food outing in a given week, according to the study. Even so, among the least likely to patronize fast-food establishments are the combined 20 percent of moms who make up the so-called "happy, healthy & prosperous" sub-category, and the "conscientious" moms who, according to Ferguson, "like to cook, are concerned about health matters, enjoy planning, and are the sort to drive around with hampers in their trunks full of nutritious foods." These latter two sub-categories are, by the same margin of 3:1, likely to make no fast-food stops in a given week.

As already indicated, though, it's by far the troubled moms who are steadfastly visiting fast-food establishments. It's hardly surprising that the 7 percent of moms who fall into the "stressed single" classification are fast-food customers. But perhaps even more noteworthy are the 25 percent of moms who comprise the "worried pessimists" and "disillusioned & disappointed," camps and are the most frequent consumers of fast food.

"What's interesting is that money doesn't seem to have a whole lot to do with it," Ferguson says. "In general they're economically fine; but they say that being a good wife and mom is just not a...

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I understand it can be part of a person's job to put up with rudeness. However, I don't really think they should tolerate outright abuse. I draw the line where a person is directly abused or when customers get out of hand...

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