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Sure_Comparison6978 t1_j8tjiss wrote

Good. We went to the mall on a Friday evening recently and the food court area was out of control. But we need a more balanced approach, not just enforcement There’s clearly a strong need in our community for more after school activities for youth, as this is also a problem I’ve noticed at the KC village center, and I suspect multiple other areas within the community.

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Tacticus1 t1_j8wdba7 wrote

Cracking down on bad behavior: good.

Prohibiting an entire class of people from hanging out at the mall: bad.

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koondogg128 t1_j8uv0xd wrote

I get that kids can seem scary and "out of control", but we all hungout and loitered at the mall when we were kids. I'm sure adults at the time said the same things about us. I'm not sure why this is an issue.

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seekingpolaris OP t1_j8v30zx wrote

Apparently they are getting into fights, bringing in tasers, bb guns, etc and harassing store employees/customers.

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Sure_Comparison6978 t1_j8wpmz8 wrote

Exactly. This is not about loitering, this is about people not even feeling safe.

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llamaafaaace t1_j8wyt1o wrote

Yeah this is absolutely not ok, but hopefully there can be some sort of middle ground rather than banning teens from malls without parents. We take away all the places they can hang out then complain when they stay inside playing video games all day.

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seekingpolaris OP t1_j8x4pqn wrote

Seems like this is a temporary policy. If things get better they will lighten up. If things don't then what else can the mall itself do. Solutions need to come from government as a whole, not a single private entity.

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Moonagi t1_j8us6ym wrote

They should start giving fine's to the parents of these kids, but no one wants to go there. Absolutely no reason for these kids to be loitering in public

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CookieMonster932 t1_j8v9bz5 wrote

Agree with fines for parents if the kids assault other people, but disagree on the "loitering." It's a mall people are supposed to loiter. Most kids just want a place to spend time with friends and the mall is a great place for that. It's the kids starting fights and shooting bystanders with toy guns that is the problem.

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Moonagi t1_j8wc8mp wrote

Being at the mall is a privilege. They’ve abused that privilege so there needs to be a crackdown on unattended teens

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No_Spin_Zone360 t1_j8wpi9k wrote

You're treating an entire group of people as a single entity. Don't think I need to explain why that's a bad thing.

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Moonagi t1_j8ws6o8 wrote

It doesn’t matter if you think it’s a bad thing because the mall is going to crack down on ALL teenagers, by requiring them to have a chaperone anyways

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No_Spin_Zone360 t1_j8y1sdk wrote

Oh, don't be mistaken. I disagree with that as well.

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Moonagi t1_j8y7egd wrote

Oh ok change the rules then..

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No_Spin_Zone360 t1_j93k6mu wrote

Just apply the rules to the individuals breaking them. Not an entire class of people. You know, like how it's normally done?

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chairmanm30w t1_j8x61td wrote

At what point do we punish a group of people for the actions of a few, because cranky, middle aged men have been ruining this subreddit for months, and I'm ready to have y'all fined for abusing the privileged.

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shebang_bin_bash t1_j8wc6k3 wrote

Loitering is an imaginary crime made up to oppress black people and the homeless.

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Sure_Comparison6978 t1_j8wpsz2 wrote

This is a red herring. It’s not about loitering or even smoking weed as others brought up. it’s about egregious and violent behavior.

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scuttlebuttisland t1_j8wn22d wrote

I swear all the bad shit Ive heard about the wilde lake area is just racism. One of the highest comments says "they smoked weed outside" like thats so scary. When i went to wilde lake hs everyone just did that sh at school

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imani_TqiynAZU t1_j8xsww8 wrote

Gotta admit, it is illegal to: 1) smoke weed outside in public, 2) smoke weed below the age of 21.

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imani_TqiynAZU t1_j9p9asi wrote

Loitering is neither imaginary nor a "crime." However, loitering (meaning "standing around in a certain place for a prolonged amount of time with no purpose") is bad for business. People blame Amazon for the death of enclosed malls. However, strip malls are doing fine (just drive around Columbia to see what I mean). So what is killing enclosed malls? One major thing is large amounts of unruly youth who make it inconvenient or uncomfortable for actual paying customers.

Don't get me wrong, I hung out at malls when I was a teen. However, that was literally during a different millennium, back when mass shootings were rare. This is a different day and requires a different approach.

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BeatNutz57 t1_j8ttb2q wrote

It's about time. The last time I went to the mall, several kids were out by the loading dock area smoking weed in broad daylight. IDK what the laws are now, but I'm pretty sure they haven't suddenly become this lax regarding smoking out in the open. Especially as a teenager.

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maavaa t1_j8ucqcc wrote

Recreational Marijuana was legalized in the 2022 election. Although it’s not official until July 2023, they won’t be cracking down on a law that’s soon to be gone in 5 months

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stevencartwright t1_j8uwxcq wrote

Is it legal to smoke it in public? Illegal and not enforced?

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stevencartwright t1_j8uy7fs wrote

> Smoking cannabis in a public place is a civil offense and may be penalized by up to a $250 fine for a first offense. Subsequent offenses can incur fines up to $500. The law also prohibits a driver from smoking cannabis in motor vehicles. This law takes effect July 1, 2023.

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maavaa t1_j8uz06g wrote

Yep. So pretty much treated like alcohol, where usually when cops see people subtly drinking in public they’re really not gonna do much about it unless they’re making a scene

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stevencartwright t1_j8v1o1g wrote

Yeah but people don’t like the smell. They call it skunk for a reason. Plus the underage aspect of it.

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[deleted] t1_j8wpcgi wrote

[deleted]

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maavaa t1_j8wpikl wrote

I’m gonna go ahead and assume it wasn’t 12 year olds smoking weed like that in public. And If it was then we have a WAY worse problem than just smoking in public places on our hands

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Sure_Comparison6978 t1_j8wq5x8 wrote

I’m seeing really young kids openly smoking, it’s almost like they’re daring you to say something. Especially becoming more noticeable in DC, like at the entrances of metro stations. I’m all about legalizing marijuana for adults. But it’s troubling to see really young kids do this, and the brazenness of it is also concerning.

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Particular_Ad3204 t1_j8x5v6r wrote

I walked past several high school aged kids openly smoking it the Lenfant Metro entrance in broad daylight. The kids in DC are on an entirely different level these days.

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DanielLikesPlants t1_j8xay89 wrote

oh no! kids smoking weed by a loading dock!

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BeatNutz57 t1_j8z9x92 wrote

Sorry, not all of us are addicted to that shit or want it blown in our general direction when walking around in public.

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Right-Basis7815 t1_j9ov9rn wrote

Used to go every weekend in 2003-2005, it was def the place to be. How has it changed since?

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hoodreview t1_j910jyh wrote

Patrols NO , police presence YES. There is a difference.

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[deleted] t1_j8u1zx1 wrote

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