Posted on 09/27/2010 1:32:31 PM PDT by MissTed
On Friday and Saturday nights, at an increasing number of malls across the country, teenagers are being forced to bring along the one person they'd most likely rather leave behind: a parent.
Dozens of malls now have what they call a "parental escort policy," meaning teens under the age of 18 have to be with a parent or guardian who is 21 or over to enter. Most shopping centers have these restrictions only on weekend evenings, but some keep them in place seven days a week.
The Mid Rivers Mall in St. Louis, Mo., started sending away teens at the end of May, and it has resulted in both more customers and sales. After a month, overall mall traffic was up 5 percent on Friday and Saturday nights, and sales were up 3 to 10 percent in all categories, including teen-oriented retailers, according to the property's management.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Good luck enforcing that.
I read headline and thought it was the 4 legged kind of rat.
One of the malls in Norfolk Va did this. The teeny-boppers went ape for a couple days, and then went somewhere else. But the mall itself is much more tolerable, less crime (shoplifting, fights, etc). They don’t want to behave, then treat ‘em like children.
Mid Rivers really needed to do this. I hated going there at any time due to the number of teens there.
I blame parents. It’s common practice for “parents” to drop off a carload of kids at places like malls, to let them roam, unsupervised, with their nasty attitudes.
Just shopped (spent money) and looked at boys. ;o)
I guess when the Minneapolis bus drivers went on strike, the crime at the Mall of American plummeted.
Went to the a popular mall last week during school hours. It was full of teen girls who were dressed like hookers, teen girls carrying mixed race babies, stupid looking white boys wearing baggy pants, huge necklaces, baseball caps with extra-wide bills worn sideways, and mutants who could have been extras in the Road Warrior. Thunderdome here we come.
My girls are 13 and 16 and NEVER “hung out” at the mall. They consider the kids that do hang out to be “sketchy”.
The mall is used as a babysitter for parents that don’t want to have them at the house. But the malls don’t do a bad job of attracting teens. With stores that specialize in “goth” wear and Abercrombie and Fitch, where the music is cranked up and no seating is available, what parent wants to go with their kids?
When my 13 year old wants to go with a friend, my wife goes and gets coffee while my daughter keeps up with her on the cell.
I can build some really big rat traps if they need em.
Who still goes to malls?
They already have them, it’s called a “food court” and eventually they will eat a Sbarro’s supreme slice and that will be the end of them.
I wondered that, too. The few times we have gone to a mall my kids gawk like a bunch of hillbillies who are seeing the city for the first time. Shows how often we go.
I think they are talking about teen mall democRats.
The Walden Galleria in Buffalo NY has had this policy for a while. They were losing the adult/family shoppers big time. The only time I go there now is the weekend when I know the throngs of teens are absent.
I lost the desire to enter malls about the time I was 25 years old.
Not really; all of that cheese will cause a blockage and they will not be able to think.
Malls are having no difficulty at all in enforcing this. Some have been doing this for years with excellent results.
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