Big Brother Watch...

[Teta040]

Just thought I'd conduct a little poll.

Here in Albany, NY, our biggest mall, Crossgates, you know, the big enclosed mall (not a strip mall), has just implimented a curfewpolicy. Worse than curfew. They were passing out flyers today to people at the entrances.

Anybody under 18 HAs to be accompanied by a parent or guardian over 21, after 4 PM Fri and Sat (they close at 6 Sunday.) This isn't a "no kid under 18 to see an R-rated film" policy, this is the real deal. This is a HUGE mall. I wonder how they are going to enforce this?And why do they have it?

Just has me mad, and I'm not even a parent, let alone a high schooler. I can see there might have been problems with lazy parents dropping their kids off at the mal and forgetting them...and the potential for kidnappings is there too, BUT....I knowif I were a 17 yr old, I'd find it an insult that they wouldn't think I can take care of myself.

Think of it: you can drive at 16, but not go to the mall. And the Army has free acess to your high school, to recruit you, before you're in college..but you don't have the freedom to go to the mall alone.

Does anyone else have a similar policy implimented in thier popular public areas? One more way of silencing youth--who, these days, are treated in this country like #&$#.

 

[verte76]

What is this going to accomplish? Fewer drug addicts? No. Fewer AIDS cases. No. They're kidding themselves if they think this is really going to solve any problems. People keep thinking they can solve difficult problems with simple solutions. It won't work.

 

[Boston01]

well, they have done the same thing in some malls near me for very valid reasons. on friday and saturday nights, parents were dumping their kids at the mall for the evening like some sort of care center. of course these kids didnt have money to spend and were often bored. often they were rowdy and disruptive to the shoppers who were actually financially supporting the mall. over time, people who would actually spend money were driven off. stores closed. it was at the request of the vendors that these rules were passed in the malls i am aware of. nothing is absolute and many more kids behaved themselves than did not, but those who did not spoiled it for everyone else.

 

[echo0001]

What's with parents that this is the best thing they can come up with for their kids to do? Here, son, go hang out at the mall for seven hours with nothing to do while I go have a life....

 

[nbcrusader]

This is the only way to stop parents from using the local mall as a day care center for their teen ager.

 

[Se7en]

i know of at least one mall in buffalo that has the same type of rules. i think it's becoming pretty standard.

 

[financeguy]

There may be legitimate reasons for introducing this rule, perhaps it is something to do with insurance?

What I find strange is the American drinking laws - you can go and fight/die for your country at 18 but you can't buy a beer. But that's a different issue.

 

[anitram]

A mall with no children?

My idea of heaven, frankly.

It's the one thing I can't stand - screaming, unattended children and irritating teens who think the mall is their playground.

I'd pay premium to go to an adults-only mall.

 

[U2democrat]

holy crap what else are those kids going to do? around here we'd probably all be lurking at the wal-mart

 

[verte76]

I do understand the problem with using the mall as a day care center. I have always detested shopping, so I've never hung out at the mall. I'd rather hang out at the library.

 

[timothius]

Only in America...

 

[aussiedge]

In Queensland (Aus) there used to be a law in the 80's that said if you were in a group of 3 or more people you could be arrested...it was to stop protests and riots and troublemakers...pretty bad eh? police state..

 

[Techie2000]

I don't see the attraction of the mall. Do people not realize it is the fourth circle of hell? (Wal-Mart is the fifth!)

 

[verte76]

In Queensland (Aus) there used to be a law in the 80's that said if you were in a group of 3 or more people you could be arrested...it was to stop protests and riots and troublemakers...pretty bad eh? police state..

If we'd had a law like that around here in the '80's I'd still be in the slammer. That's when I started going to protests.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

In Queensland (Aus) there used to be a law in the 80's that said if you were in a group of 3 or more people you could be arrested...it was to stop protests and riots and troublemakers...pretty bad eh? police state..

Are you serious? I know Queensland is fucked, but didn't realise it was ever that fucked.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Sir Joh really ran it tough.

 

[Snowlock]

Just thought I'd conduct a little poll.

Here in Albany, NY, our biggest mall, Crossgates, you know, the big enclosed mall (not a strip mall), has just implimented a curfewpolicy. Worse than curfew. They were passing out flyers today to people at the entrances.

Anybody under 18 HAs to be accompanied by a parent or guardian over 21, after 4 PM Fri and Sat (they close at 6 Sunday.) This isn't a "no kid under 18 to see an R-rated film" policy, this is the real deal. This is a HUGE mall. I wonder how they are going to enforce this?And why do they have it?

Just has me mad, and I'm not even a parent, let alone a high schooler. I can see there might have been problems with lazy parents dropping their kids off at the mal and forgetting them...and the potential for kidnappings is there too, BUT....I knowif I were a 17 yr old, I'd find it an insult that they wouldn't think I can take care of myself.

Think of it: you can drive at 16, but not go to the mall. And the Army has free acess to your high school, to recruit you, before you're in college..but you don't have the freedom to go to the mall alone.

Does anyone else have a similar policy implimented in thier popular public areas? One more way of silencing youth--who, these days, are treated in this country like #&$#.

Mall of America here in Minnesota did it to cut down on gang violence in particular and violence in general. It worked.

 

[verte76]

I can understand why this would piss off someone who's not in a gang or anything else like this. But it does sound like they're trying to cut out certain unsavory activities.

 

[Maggie1]

All the malls in my area have implemented the same type of policy. Teens were taking over the malls and causing a lot of problems. In one area of the mall, you could not even walk because there were so many hanging out in the walkway. The mall is not daycare center or teen hangout.

 

[Sherry Darling]

A mall with no children?

My idea of heaven, frankly.

It's the one thing I can't stand - screaming, unattended children and irritating teens who think the mall is their playground.

I'd pay premium to go to an adults-only mall.

Maybe they can do a mall version of "adult swim".

Man, when I was a kid, those were the longest 15 minutes of my life!

I agree with Verte--I don't see what this will really accomplish. Reminds me a bit of the national law in England where all the pubs have to close at 11 to discourage drinking. So instead, all the drunks are now out on the streets, *driving* to a club that stays open until 3 am. LOL.

 

[kobayashi]

People keep thinking they can solve difficult problems with simple solutions. It won't work.

the mall can only concern itself with its principle interests-for a mall, one would expect those to be the comfort and willingness to spend of its patrons.

it would be misguided for the mall to attempt to cure societies ills.

thats not to say there isnt a problem that needs to be fixed or even that the mall itself wont need to play a central role in the solution. perhaps the mall had already exhausted other solutions (dealing with the municipality) before taking action for itself.