BABY BLUES: Beloved mall officially enforces new ‘curfew system’ policy and angry shoppers rage it will ‘alienate’ customers
According to The Sun, Willow Grove Park Mall in Montgomery County, located outside of Philadelphia, is taking proactive measures to curb unruly behavior among young visitors by enforcing a new curfew system. Under the policy, minors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when visiting the mall after 5 PM from Monday to Saturday and after 3 PM on Sundays. This curfew will also extend to parking lots and garages.
Mall security personnel will check IDs at the entrances and escort unaccompanied minors out of the premises if necessary. The decision follows consultations with local police, who advised the mall to take action during peak hours, which have seen an increase in incidents such as shoplifting, fights, and general disturbances, according to WPVI-TV. While there haven’t been any significant incidents reported, the mall aims to prevent future issues with this new rule.
Mixed Reactions from Shoppers
Reactions from shoppers have been polarized regarding the new policy. Some view the curfew as a necessary step to maintain a peaceful shopping environment, while others feel it may alienate teenagers.
Maureen Feeney, a Montgomery County resident, welcomes the rule, stating, “It would be like, ‘Oh, I’m back in high school again,’” and noting that groups of teenagers can often create chaos in the shopping area. “They’re running around everywhere, running amuck,” she added.
Conversely, Olivia Simmons, a school counselor from Mount Airy, expressed mixed feelings about the curfew. “I understand, but maybe let them have some freedom. Not all kids are the same. I’m a school counselor, so I know kids are different. They should be able to make choices.”
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Megan Schmidt from Lafayette Hill took a more practical approach, suggesting the curfew could help boost the mall’s struggling business. “I don’t think those kids are buying anything anyway. I think they are just hanging out. It might help the industry if people know someone is policing whether or not kids are coming in and acting up,” she said.
Similar Policies at Other Malls
The Willow Grove Park Mall is not alone in implementing such a curfew policy. Other regional shopping centers, including the Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey and the Fashion District in Center City Philadelphia, have adopted similar systems, aiming to attract more serious shoppers by reducing rowdy behavior in their spaces.
Backlash and Criticism
Despite some local support, the policy has faced backlash online, with many criticizing the mall for potentially driving away future customers. One Facebook commenter remarked, “Translated, the mall’s not dead yet, but we’re determined to alienate our future customers to ensure that it will be in the future.”
Another commenter expressed nostalgia for their own teenage mall experiences, noting, “I can understand why they are doing this, but when I was a teen we would go to the mall to hang out, and we bought a lot of stuff.”