Most teenagers are broke and don’t drive, it’s been a custom since the creation of “the mall” for teens to gather, hang out in the food court and shop a little if possible. If only window shopping while hanging out with your friends on a weekend, the mall was the place the be. If not the mall, where might a group of teenagers hang on the weekend? The movies perhaps? Not in Towson, Maryland, it’s not allowed.
As of today, those 17 and under must LEAVE THE MALL BY 5.P.M ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY evenings unless accompanied by an adult aged 21 or over. Huh? What? What planet is this? In an effort to avoid the overflow of displaced teens, the nearby Cinemark movie theater has changed its policies to mirror the curfew for teens.
No mall, no movies after 5 p.m. without an adult ages 21 or older. How will the mall keep teens out? There are now police and security CHECKING ID’S at the malls 19 entrances. Really? I look younger than my 16-year-old most days, so I have to be concerned about being stopped in the mall at 35 years old because I look young enough to need my ID checked. Bullshit.
Does that not sound kind of harsh? You might wonder why would a mall make such a decision. If I can quote the management of Towson Town Center they want to make the mall more “family friendly”
Local police are in support of the curfew, in December of 2015 a large crowd of teens got into an altercation with police outside the mall where police were pelted with rocks. The mall calls its new rule the “Parental Guidance Required” program.
As if the mall should dictate how families spend their time, senior general manager of Towson Town Center, Lisa Bisenius says “Everyone is welcome at Towson Town Center at any time – we simply require that during certain hours families spend their shopping time together.” She adds, “Providing a pleasant and comfortable experience for our guests is our top priority. The PGR program is intended to enhance the shopping experience in ways the entire community will appreciate.”
The policy also states that a person over the age of one may accompany up to four children under the age of 17. So if you have five children you need another adult to accompany YOU to the mall adults.
If you’re stopped for appearing to be under the age of 18 and can provide identification to prove you are of age you will be given a wristband to wear IN THE MALL so you won’t get stopped repeatedly. The wristband is optional however.
The 5 p.m. curfew includes the areas in the parking garage AND the sidewalk outside the mall. Damn can a kid catch the bus in peace? Luckily the mall has implemented a “parent pick up area” for kids to wait for their parents after the mall kicks them out. I’m sure the area will be heavily guarded and supervised. We can’t have teenagers congregate in public you know.
One Baltimore County politician encourages the change in policy. “Baltimore County is home to many large, family-friendly retail venues. Their success often requires fine-tuning policies that ensure customers have a positive shopping experience,” Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said. “We are delighted that Towson Town Center will be instituting procedures that have been successfully adopted elsewhere in the County. Towson continues to be a great place to shop, work and live. We wish General Growth Properties continued prosperity as one of the premier retail destinations in the region.”
Today, the first day the new policy went into effect, Baltimore County police officers even had dogs with them…to disburse teens from the mall. Is this the 1960’s?
General Growth Properties, which owns Towson Town Center also owns White Marsh Mall and Mondawmin Mall where I spent much of my teenage years. I guess we will have to see if these new policies trickle down to them as well.
