I really should have known better. It’s not like I hadn’t experienced the mayhem before. It’s not like I didn’t know I’d have to be dodging the masses and dealing with the intelligence-challenged. But I was on a mission.
And so, plan of attack in mind, I went to the mall on a Friday evening.
I had (naively) held out some hope that because I was going right after work, it might not be too chaotic. I was, however, very very wrong.
Okay, fine. It wasn't *exactly* like that...but close.
From the minute I stepped off the metro, I was surrounded by tweens and teens and not nearly enough chaperones. I’d forgotten how they move in packs – clearly afraid to be separated for more than a split second. And I’d forgotten how those packs don’t walk like normal people – they either shuffle, blocking your path, or they dash madly from store to store, nearly running you down in the process.
If I’d been in the mood, I would have gotten a drink and sat and people-watched. And I’m sure it would have distracted me for hours – or, at least until their curfew.
But it also made me think about how much “hanging out at the mall” has changed since I was that age.
When I was younger, my parents were concerned about “the older kids” – the ones who hung out at the mall’s arcade – and so I really only went if I was shopping for something specific. At the time I felt like that was completely unfair (but Moooooom, all the cool kids hang out at the mall). But now? It makes perfect sense.
I’ve read some articles in the past few years that mention how certain malls now enforce curfews because they feel like they’ve taken on “babysitter” roles, and they’re trying to avoid the drama that inevitably occurs when hordes of bored teens congregate. And, yes, it’s sad that it’s had to come down to actual, enforced curfews. But, based on some of the groups I saw the other night, I don’t think it’s a terrible (or unreasonable) idea.
I also don’t think I’ll be going back to the mall on a Friday night any time soon.
Lesson learned.
Wow. You are a brave woman to attempt a mall trip on a Friday evening. Even when I go on the weekend, I try to go in the morning, before noon, because I know the ants (otherwise known as annoying teenagers) will not be there yet.
It wasn’t one of my smarter decisions, but I survived in one piece. This time.
It is crazy looking back at it now huh? I grew up in the country, so I never really got to do that stuff. I was too busy climbing trees and kicking through the woods. The simple life was fun and A LOT less crowded 🙂
I was actually sad I didn’t have more trees to climb. You lucky duck.
Where should the tweens go? It’s one of the few places left for them. Still irritating as all get out.
I do understand that argument, but I also know that when I was that age we went to friends’ houses. Or at least made plans to meet at the mall to eat or something. We were never just *there.*
But you’re right. There need to be more options.
Ahh, isn’t it funny how quickly we go from a member of one of those packs to someone complaining about them. Youth is so wasted on the young. Wish I had all those hours I spent at the mall back…so I could go to the mall all. over. again.
Even if it meant being a tween again?
now i want to watch Mallrats.
a lot.
about as much as i want to stay away from an actual mall.
That sounds like an excellent plan.
i never “hung out” at the mall growing up – and i grew up in central NJ, where there were (no lie) 4 shopping malls within 20 mins of my house. my friends just never.. i don’t know.. did that. and yet we all led perfectly happy childhoods and are productive members of society. i wouldn’t want to babysit the hordes of tweens either if i were running the malls.
Exactly. Funny enough, my parents knew what they were doing when they encouraged us to hang out elsewhere. Who’d have thought?
Which mall did you hit? Because the Pentagon City mall is the absolute worst! It’s crawling with tweens because all the buses full of kids on their Washington, DC school trip stop there. I avoid that place like the plague.
Uh…yeah…I was at Pentagon City. And the school trip kids were easily identifiable by all of their “I heart DC” clothing. I might have outwardly cringed when I encountered one of the groups.
Haha! I know how you feel. Whenever I go to the mall and it is jam packed, I somehow get a little dizzy seeing a lot of people roaming around. It’s not that I don’t like being with people maybe it’s also stress.
Doesn’t going to the mall make you feel really old? Because all of the high schoolers that walk around with nothing better to do?