Why I Hate Going to Malls Friday/Saturday Nights

[Greenday]

After watching my schools hockey team win 7-1, two of my friends and I went to the mall because one of them needed to get something. Well, being late on a Friday night, it was filled with young teens. I mean filled with young teens to the point where me, nearly 21 years old, felt old. No matter what store we went into, it was filled with teens.

American Eagle? Filled.
Food Court? Lines were too long to even consider eating.

I think Victoria's Secret was the only one that wasn't filled, but sadly, we didn't get to make a trip in there because my one friend didn't want me to see his girlfriend try on clothes there.

Of course, besides just making it crowded, a bunch of them thought it was smart to be running around the mall. I mean literally running. A few came pretty close to running into me, and I prepared to step into and throw a shoulder into one when he dodged at the last second. Quite upsetting I didn't get my chance.

And, to top it off, I saw a group of kids standing around, joking, laughing, and then one pulled out a knife and pretended to try to stab his friend. Yea, another unfortunate event. Should aim better next time and help the gene pool out.

[blas]

I was at the mall last night too, Greenday.

There were teens and tweens everywhere. I couldn't believe how some of these kids act. I was eating alone at the foodcourt and the teens were climbing all over tables and chairs and running around like crazy little toddlers and kids!

And at the movies was even worse!

[Greenday]

I was at the mall last night too, Greenday.

There were teens and tweens everywhere. I couldn't believe how some of these kids act. I was eating alone at the foodcourt and the teens were climbing all over tables and chairs and running around like crazy little toddlers and kids!

And at the movies was even worse!

You know, I have a 6 year old cousin and a 2 year old cousin, though they are about to turn 7 and 3 in a few months. They don't even act as unruly as the teens I saw at the mall.

[PepperElf]

And, to top it off, I saw a group of kids standing around, joking, laughing, and then one pulled out a knife and pretended to try to stab his friend. Yea, another unfortunate event. Should aim better next time and help the gene pool out.

that's when a friendly notice to security ... helps clear the waste - i mean kids with knives - out of the mall

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

And this is why malls enact policies which require minors to be accompanied by parents on the weekends--so that the people who actually do spend money don't feel threatened and shop elsewhere.

It sucks if you're one of the good kids who never caused trouble and have this restriction placed on you anyway, but you only have your peers to blame.

[draftermatt]

We went to the mall Friday night too (my wife needed shoes).

I'm all of 24 and I felt god awful old walking through there.

I had a lot of "when I was your age" moments inside my head too.

[Jack7957]

And this is why malls enact policies which require minors to be accompanied by parents on the weekends--so that the people who actually do spend money don't feel threatened and shop elsewhere.

One of our local malls does that and it's a huge difference between it and the one with no restrictions.

[protege]

I don't go to the mall much now. It's like a ghost town in there--quite a few stores are either empty or boarded-up now. Too bad, since it was once a nice mall...and *the* place to hang out years ago. Now, you have to deal with the wannabe-ganstas and other thugs that show up at night.

[DesignFox]

I hate crowds, period. Teenage crowds make me feel like that cranky old lady shaking a cane and yelling at kids to get off her lawn.

I know my friends and I were assholes as teenagers (I mean, really, which one of us wasn't in some way or another) but there were certain lines we just didn't cross. Blocking doorways, stairwells, screaming obsceneties around little kids, making huge messes, pulling KNIVES on eachother????... no. We spent what little money we had to spend and perhaps we were a bit rambunctious, but we didn't cause trouble. And we left when our money dried up.

I mean, really.

I avoid the malls as much as possible on the weekends. I just don't like dealing with the crowds. Besides, much as I like people- I mean, hell, I wouldn't do a retail sales job if I didn't- at the end of my shift and on my days off, it's all about me time. I want nothing to do with anybody save my few close friends, my SO or my family (and sometimes, I don't even want to talk to them).

[PepperElf]

since i moved into this town ive avoided the main mall. it's a bit of a drive and ... most of what i want i can get at target, wegmans, or walmart.

... only thing i need now is a bookstore... so i may have to breakdown and go to the mall. or just order online lol

[One-Fang]

In my day (oh god, when did it become not my day any more??!) they moved teens on for ... loitering. Yeah, just sitting around. I got moved on once when I was alone. Apparently I was too young to rest on the bench seats between stores. Or something.

I suspect that was a golden era that has now passed. When the worst that teens did was just hang around in groups making the place look dirty. Or busy. Or whatever the heck was wrong with hanging around in groups.

(And no, teens in my day didn't act anything like anything described in this thread when we got together in groups, either. Quiet(ish), non-disruptive, just 'hanging out').

[otakuneko]

y'd'rned kids!

I didn't even go to the mall much when I was a teen.

[Kogarashi]

Our nearest mall when I was a teen was a minimum half-hour drive away via highways, and I didn't have a car. Yay for growing up in the boonies.

[tropicsgoddess]

I hate shopping on weekends both at the mall and any store since it's so busy and if there isn't droves of teens acting a fool there, there's droves of families with screaming kids and babies and the stores are so crowded. GAH! Is it so much to ask to shop in peace?!!!

[Mike Taylor]

The mall that I worked at was across the street from a high school, but I seem to recall things only being an issue if the football game was rained out. Most of my venom was reserved for the parents who let their little ones shoot around the mall in Heelies.