New Jersey's second-largest mall's new chaperone policy takes effect this weekend, requiring anyone younger than 18 to be accompanied by someone 21 or older on Friday and Saturday nights.
Garden State Plaza, one of the highest revenue-producing shopping centers in the country, with more than 300 stores, had announced the planned parental guidance policy earlier this month, citing unruly teenage crowds on weekends.
The policy takes effect Friday and applies to minors visiting the mall after 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It is subject to change during the holiday season, the Paramus mall said. Unsupervised youth shopping prior to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays either have to leave the mall by 5 p.m. or be "immediately" joined by a supervising adult.
Waiting zones have been established for kids who need to be picked up when the clock strikes 5 p.m. One is near AMC Theaters; another is near Entrance 10 on the mall's west side and a third is set up by the food court.
Mall management will be checking ID, they say. If you can't prove you're 18 or older, you might be asked to leave. One adult can accompany up to four minors at a time. That adult will be responsible for their behavior.
The limitation does not apply to children aged 10 and younger, who likely wouldn't be in the mall without a parent anyway. Why is the mall implementing this policy now?
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According to its website, "Like many shopping centers across the country, we have experienced an increase in disruptive behavior that violates the center’s code of conduct by a small minority of younger visitors. Taking this extra step in our security measures will ensure a pleasant and safe environment for our families and every member of our community, as well as our retail partners."
If you're wondering what counts as disruptive behavior, that would be provoking a disturbance or infringing on the rights or peace of other shoppers, including gestures, obscenities, slurs, sexually explicit language or behavior, and excessive noise or music. Failure to be fully clothed is also problematic. Some clothing may also be deemed offensive.
And horseplay isn't allowed either. See the full code of conduct here.
The policy is in effect indefinitely and covers the entire mall property, inside and outside. Restaurants and department stores may have their own policies, though, so shoppers are advised to check with them specifically.
The policy does not apply inside movie theaters. Guests can enter the theater using Entrance 1 or the escalators at Entrance 17 to avoid the common area of the mall.
Garden State Plaza, with more than 2.2 million square feet of space, is New Jersey's second-largest mall behind American Dream at the Meadowlands, which covers 3 million square feet.
