Mall Curfew for Teens

[PepperElf]

I don't mind it at all.

Back in my hometown it's been in place for a while at the big mall. On Fridays & Saturdays after 4 PM, anyone under 18 HAS to be accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 21. This adult HAS to be in the same store as the minor. Each adult can chaperone up to 5 minors. (ID required)

Exceptions are in place for minors going to the movies or the food court (right below the theaters) - however they specifically HAVE to use the food-court entrance and cannot leave that part of the mall.


(and minors who are working of course have an exception and i believe the mall has special cards for employees to carry as proof)


Plus on top of that, children aged 6-16 cannot be inside the mall during school hours unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.



I don't know about other malls, but I suspect part of the reason this has gotten so strict is because people have gotten fed up with the groups of bored kids who think nothing of destroying property - or shoving around the elderly.

It happened to Mom I know. Bunch of kids pushing right by, knowing they were shoving an old lady to the side. Until they go to Dad who simply stiffened up a bit. His shoulder was much stronger than they were, and they bounced off of his chest.

[tropicsgoddess]

I can understand the reasoning for the curfew, but 6pm is ridiculous. Maybe something more reasonable like 10pm.

[AdminAssistant]

Malls usually close by then.

[Greenday]

6pm is quite rational I think. My local mall is open until 9:30pm Monday-Saturday and 7pm on Sundays. Gives adults time to go shopping after dinner unmolested.

[HYHYBT]

Depends on the day. Weekends, kicking the unaccompanied kids out at 6 makes more sense; any legitimate use of the mall they wanted to do, they could do earlier in the day.

Weekdays... well, it depends on whether they have anything else to do. Say school lets out around 3, give or take. Allowing for transportation (a bigger consideration for people who cannot yet drive) that still gives them two hours or more that gives more to spend at the mall. Fine. But if they have other scheduled things (sports or band practice, for instance) then they effectively cannot go to the mall at all because by the time they could get there it's too late. You're effectively punishing the ones who want to do things other than hang around the mall as much as possible.

[jackfaire]

I honestly don't buy that for a second. How many of these 16 and under kids are really spending tons of money at the junior stores?

In my city most of them. The Mall is closer to the part of town where the parents give kids brand new cars for their 16th birthdays and the kids get allowances that come close to what I pay in rent before they even turn 16. I used to live in that part of town.

It's all upper middle class kids whom the parents love when the kids head to the malls to hang out. I spent my summers in that mall. The theater, stores, and the food court all saw plenty of income from me and other kids.

[KellyHabersham]

This rather gets me wondering if the mall where I used to work still has a curfew for teens - I remember a few years back, one of my coworkers at the library was mentioning problems her youngest son had because of a then-recently implemented curfew for teens.

[DrFaroohk]

Why couldn't they have a rule that says "ANYONE who acts like a decent human being has the right to shop here. ANYONE who does not will be banished."

Rather than just picking one group that's probably only a small part of the problem.

[Greenday]

Rather than just picking one group that's probably only a small part of the problem.

How many adults do you see running around, being extremely disruptive?

[blas87]

I think at Mall of America you have to have an adult with you if you "appear" under the age of 16?

[Mr. Security]

This rather gets me wondering if the mall where I used to work still has a curfew for teens - I remember a few years back, one of my coworkers at the library was mentioning problems her youngest son had because of a then-recently implemented curfew for teens.

As a security guard who works at a library I wish we could have a curfew for the teens but management would never allow it and in reality it would punish the good kids because of the bad so it's not realistic but honestly I can see why a mall would have a curfew. On weekends they would have all day so they have plenty of time to buy things and on weekdays in all honestly after 6pm they really don't need to be at the mall. although 6pm is a little early maybe make it 7pm but the teens should be at home doing there homework in all honesty but I do think 17 is a little old it should be 14-15 as the cut off limit for the curfew