Posted on 04/20/2005 2:05:07 PM PDT by NormB
NASHUA, N.H. (AP) - Every kid knows hanging out with Mom or Dad can be kind of a drag. Kids who want to spend time at the Pheasant Lane Mall on Friday or Saturday nights might not have a choice.
In response to recent "disorderly and disruptive" incidents, mall security two weeks ago started distributing fliers outlining the mall's "general code of conduct," according to mall Manager Ginny Szymanski.
From 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, mall security guards now stand outside two entrances to make sure anyone under 16 has a parent or someone over 21 with them.
"That's when we approach them and give them a copy of the code of conduct and ask the parent to come in with them," Szymanski said.
She said the code - which outlines 13 rules governing acceptable conduct and clothing, among other things - will be enforced by security.
Szymanski said the mall rules have always been in place and posted, but the fliers were printed two weeks ago in response to the large groups of teenagers who have been hanging out - not shopping - at the mall on Friday and Saturday nights.
If the parent can't accompany the child during those times, they are asked to take the youngster home, she said.
If kids are found to be disrupting the mall's business, Szymanski said they will be escorted to the command center to call a parent to pick them up.
"We're not out to punish anyone," she said. "We're just trying to better manage the shopping experience."
Shoppers interviewed by The Telegraph didn't seem too thrilled by the code of conduct, though.
"I feel as though if I want to drop my kids off, I should. They're responsible," said Leann Newcomb of Lowell, Mass., who was shopping Monday with her 15-year-old daughter, Ashley.
Ashley agreed.
"I can come here and I can be fine without my mom," she said.
Stacey Donovan of Tyngsborough, Mass., said she always has considered the mall a safe haven for people.
"God knows what they'll be doing if they're not at the mall," she said. "To say it's not allowed is not the right answer. Let them have their place."
Not every New Hampshire mall has problems with kids' behavior. Scott Payrits, senior marketing manager at the Steeplegate Mall in Concord, said kids come to his mall to shop, not to cause trouble.
"We do not have any sort of problem with disruptive incidents, especially with kids," he said. "We have very good public safety. We don't have the need for a children-specific code of conduct."
One of the rules at Pheasant Lane prohibits dress "commonly recognized as gang-related."
Szymanski said the mall doesn't have a gang problem, but that people with certain attire - such as long chains that fall below the knee or studded dog or wrist collars, all of which can be used as weapons, she said - will be asked to remove them. If they don't comply, they will be asked to leave the mall, she said.
Leann Newcomb questioned the rule.
"They sell that stuff," said Newcomb. "How are they going to tell the kids after they buy that stuff not to wear it? Isn't that a violation of your constitutional rights?"
I just don't understand what schoolkids are doing at the mall during the day on school days. Not just a few kids and not just on a few days. It's nuts!
At our mall once we had a gothed-up girl leading a gothed-up boy around on a leash, while holding hands with another gothed-up girl. They were frightening.
Going away humming "Meetin' at the buildin' soon be over, soon be over, soon be over. Meetin' at the buildin' soon be over, all over this world."
hmm..ok, let me get this straight. A place of business is being filled up with a huge demographic which is not purchasing anything and in general disrupting the primary purpose of the business (that of buying/selling).
So in response, said place of business now requires that said demographic appear with a member of a more responsible demographic to enter the place of business.
And this is bad why? Next thing you know people are going to be complaining about age profiling.
People employed by malls often try to find a reason to justify their employment, I remember being in a shopping center (Ireland), and this peevy li'l gobshite told us to move out of the way (we were not in anyone's way) - myself and my family!
I don't go to malls because I don't like sharing space with disruptive kids (or weirdos, or Russians babbling on cell phones, or 14 year olds pushing strollers).
That being said, I remember being 16 or so and not having anything to do. I guess that's kind of tough. 'Course they have the internet now so they can spend their evenings in chat rooms, talking with 38 year old men acting like teens.
Owl_Eagle
(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
The largest mall in our area had a similar problem. When the kids were 'hanging out', they stood around in large groups and blocked even the widest aisles.
They were so busy 'peacefully hanging out' that they routinely used obscenities toward passers-by. When one practiced unacceptable behavior, the others followed suit. (kids will be kids, I guess)
The stores were seeing a major drop in sales because people were not comfortable shopping at the mall. The rules were put in place that are identical to the ones in this article, and the mall is once again a safe, peaceful shopping experience.
The guards at malls are not paid, nor do they have the experience, to operate a teen club.
Stacey Donovan of Tyngsborough, Mass., said she always has considered the mall a safe haven for people.
"God knows what they'll be doing if they're not at the mall," she said. "To say it's not allowed is not the right answer. Let them have their place."
Paging the aclu for violation of childrens "rights" I'm sure.
There have been multiple gang fights, and stabbings in the past fifteen years at the Northridge Mall in California. Enough that I won't go there with my kids in tow. It's been a few years since I've been there, so I don't know if improvements in security have been made.
I was at a mall several years ago where there was a gang encounter.
One bunch came around a corner just as another group came up the escalator .
Shouting began, and a gun was displayed.
My husband and I happened to be near a book-store, so rather than try to get through what looked like the beginning of a war, we went into the book-store and got behind the stacks.
Eventually, the cops showed up and broke it up.
I haven't been back to that mall since.
I've seen some strange people in malls. But what I remember is when a gang of teens came into the mall. They were casing the stores, looking for something to rob. They were also causing trouble, pushing people around and making comments that in view of their manner were frightening.
I saw the security guards all together in a group. And I decided at that point to take my family out of that mall. Whatever happened, I didn't want to be in the middle of it.
Now the malls belong to the teenagers? Who knew?
Not only are malls an entitlement, now, but also a consitutional right.
I suspect that this teen is not as knowledgable about the 2nd amendment, though. Or, really, any of the other ones, for that matter.
When you hear about child abductions, perverts and child molesters and sexual predators, where do you think they hang out or target kids?
Here's a hint, where would you go if you wanted to look for kids as prey.
I don't have a problem with kids at the mall, alot of them do purchase, and this is going to hurt the business at the malls, your not looking at the loss of 2 or 3 kids, but a large minority of them.
Thats is not business that will be made up by adults, but is an overall loss.
That said, I've seen some obnoxious behavior by teens at the mall near me (Its located near a couple of high schools, and is also a bus and train hub for kids from several more).
This policy however is nights on friday and saturday, so school kids won't be affected by this after school.
Based on things I've seen in the mall, I don't think a responsible parent should let their kids "hang out" on friday and saturdays nights without parental supervision at the mall.
That said, this is still a dumb policy, but these parents sound like idiots in what their problems with it are.
I got a bad feeling thats not a teen but a parent.
Dear god, what bad bad parenting.
Knowledgable and that teen's name has probably never met in the same sentence.
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