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Meridian policy could put damper on mall as teen hangout
Published Thursday, July 24, 2008
MERIDIAN (AP) — Lisa Neal is the owner of Airbrush Unlimited, a kiosk in Bonita Lakes Mall that sells airbrushed T-shirts, license plates, and hats. Neal usually is busy on weekends, but now fears that Airbrush Unlimited could go out of business soon.
That's because most her weekend customers are teens, and she fears the mall's new Youth Escort Policy will take away some of her best shoppers.
The new policy goes into effect Friday and bans people younger than 18 from visiting the most parts of the mall after 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays without a parent or guardian. Young people still can go unescorted to the movie theater and the anchor stores.
"I think it's going to be a disaster myself," Neal said. "That's half or better of the market that I have on Friday and Saturday nights."
Much of her business, she said, comes from the same teens every weekend.
"I don't know how they afford it," she said, "but they come in and buy a new shirt every week, and they don't have parents with them."
Some other businesses that cater to teens are wondering if their sales might suffer, too.
"It might help," said Leann Coppins, an assistant manager at Claire's accessory store, "but it might not help because the majority of our business does come from children."
Shanda Harrison, a manager at the Icing, Claire's sister accessory store, agreed the policy is likely to damage profits at Claire's. But at the Icing, which caters to slightly older clientele, Harrison said the policy is a good thing.
"I may eat my words later," she said, "but my honest opinion is that this is not going to do much damage to our business."
Teens, she said, hang out at the Icing, but don't usually buy anything.
"I think in the long run it may hurt us, with school starting, but during the summer it doesn't help us when they're in the mall. This is more of a baby-sitting place for them."
Store managers said mall administrators did not ask for their input before setting the new policy, instead informing them of it several hours before it was announced during a news conference July 11.
Courtney Hall, the mall's marketing manager, said stores were consulted mostly on a corporate level. She said a few stores were consulted locally, but would not say which ones.
Hall said mall managers did not want proposals leaked to the public before a policy was set.
"As far as comments from the stores, they were very positive," Hall said.
She said response on the new policy from the public has been "mostly positive."
Managers at other mall businesses that cater to teens, including Hollister and Co., Aeropostale, and Game Stop, said their parent companies would not allow them to comment on the new policy.
Meridian Police Chief Benny DuBose said the policy was set because some teens would gather at the mall in groups and "intimidate" customers.
The mall said in a press release that "60 percent of the arrests and bans that have occurred in recent months are the result of crimes committed by unsupervised youth and young adults." Hall said the mall would not release the number of incidents.
Neal, who can view the entire food court from her kiosk, said most of the problems are caused by people who appear to be in their early 20s. Neal said she has seen many people of that age coming to the mall intoxicated, picking fights, shoplifting, and selling drugs, but that she had rarely witnessed the same behavior in kids under 18.
"Never have I seen a fight with teenagers," she said.
Hall did not provide the mall's definition of "parent or guardian," but said, "we aren't going to make you present guardianship papers," adding that aunts, uncles, and older siblings over 21 would be considered guardians.
"It is absolutely not that we don't want teenagers at the mall, because we do," Hall said. "They make our mall thrive. We're only asking that they be escorted six out of the 72 hours that the mall is open."
Comments
Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on July 24, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a sad little city to pass such a rule.
Posted by notfromnatchez (anonymous) on July 24, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds good.
Posted by st8player37 (anonymous) on July 24, 2008 at 1:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Six out of 72 hours on the weekend is not unreasonable; have you ever been to Bonita Lakes???!!!
Posted by southern_bell (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 1:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think this is a great idea. I go to the local mall and see all these 12 and 13 yr old kids walking around like they are grown and it is sad to think that parents just drop them off. Now when I was this age my mom would drop me off at a supervised skating rink and when it came time to close I had of better been outside waiting for her or else. LOL
People have got to stop and realize how this world today is not like it was when we were their age. My kids are 18 and 20 now and I can count on one hand how many times they went to the mall by themselves. And that would be to drop them off at the movies. Don't get me wrong I am not saying parents don't care about the safety of their children,I'm saying look at the kidnappings and rape we have more of these days. Let the kids have fun, but have a responsible adult with them. I know kids don't like grownups tagging along but they can stay far away enough to keep an eye on them.
I know when I would go with mine they would be like, "mom walk behind us incase our friends are looking". I would laugh and do my thing and pretend I was by myself.
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
IMO, kids today are so different now. When I was in my teen years, I am not old, that was the place to hang out for my friends and I, the mall. We didn't harass customers nor stores. If we did go into a store, we went in to buy something but basically hung around the game room. Most kids I run into today, with their sassy mouths and disregard for ANY authority, is most of the reason why this mall probably had to take such measures. I wish a lot of kids understood today ways of conducting yourself in public. It's not all the kids, but it's enough of them to ruin things for all of them.
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 10:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
In today's world, you don't know who is waiting inside the mall watching for someone to drop off their teenage child. In some cases, there's already been contact with the child and the meeting is planned over the internet or by cell phone. Before you're out of the parking lot, the preditor is unlocking the door of his car to give them a ride. The preditor can be a much older teen or an adult. If they are willing to secretly meet your teen, they will secretly give them alcohol or drugs, or do worse. And it happens all the time at the mall right here in Natchez, MS. Fortunately, no teens have been murdered, that I know of, but a couple have gone missing and now are returned (there's not always a write-up about missing teens in the democrat).
But, unfortunately, this could also happen if you are with them...all the teen has to do is tell you they are gonna run over to look in another store, or on another aisle, and run out the door to an awaiting automobile...and then you'll spend hours looking for the teen, whom has already left the premises, before you finally realize that they are gone. Then you will need to go to mall security and ask if there are any surveillance cameras showing your child in the parking lot. I'm sure that it's sickening to see your child on surveillance footage getting into a car that you don't recognize.
Perhaps, the best way to prevent this from happening is to know who your child's friend are, only allow them to hang around with kids the same age, only drop them off places where there will be adult supervision, and limit your child's internet usage...no myspace, facebook, or other social networking sites where they can put up photos of themselves and can be contacted by strangers.
Cell phones are good for your teen to have if you want to call and make sure they are ok, but you still won't know if the teen is in the place they are supposed to be, and in case they do go missing, some phones will only ping when they are turned on or being used.
Yes, I am paranoid and up-tight...whatever I've been accused, I can't help that...but you might be too...if you had ever walked in my shoes. Very bad things are happening in this world, but miracles still happen too. I can only hope that you will join me in prayer. If more of us will humble ourselves and pray, God will heal our lands.
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