Malls attract different types of visitors, including “mall rats” who are often teenagers that use the mall as a hangout spot. They may cause trouble and annoy other shoppers, but also have inside knowledge of the mall’s workings. The mall provides a safe space for socializing for unemployed or underemployed teens.
Shopping malls attract many different types of visitors during their opening hours. Some are destination shoppers, who have specific needs and stores in mind. Others prefer to browse their favorite stores and maybe do a few impulse buys along the way. There are those mall visitors who have little intention of actually shopping and tend to use the place as a pastime or teenage hangout. Such a person is known as a mall rat.
A mall rat is generally a teenager who spends much of his free time gathering with friends at a local mall. Sometimes a mall rat is actually employed in one of the mall’s shops or restaurants, but it may be in the mall rat’s best interest to remain unaffiliated with any of the mall’s tenants. It wouldn’t be unusual for most store employees and managers to be very familiar with a regular mob of mall rats.
In addition to congregating in the public areas of a mall, mall rats can also travel from store to store in small herds. Mall security officers tend to watch these packages very closely, as store owners often observe vandalism or shoplifting. An experienced mall rat may also verbally harass other customers or make life difficult for shoppers in general.
A mall rat generally knows the inner workings of a mall better than most casual visitors. By networking with mall employees and running their own reconnaissance missions, mall rats often learn of new store openings or other developments weeks in advance. The relationship between mall employees and mall rats can be one of mutual respect as long as the basic rules of engagement are strictly observed.
Writer and director Kevin Smith put the mall rat phenomenon on the public radar with his film Mallrats. In the film, a group of mall rats and fashionistas wander aimlessly through a typical mall, occasionally interacting with friendly mall employees or avoiding detection by mall security officers.
Because a mall offers many amenities to its visitors, it can be a very popular destination for unemployed or underemployed teens with little money to spend and little else to do. A mall rat wants to socialize with his friends, but this can be problematic in a real-life environment. A mall provides a safe environment for teenagers and young adults to come together on fair ground. Perhaps that explains the allure of a shopping mall for restless teenagers looking for excitement and companionship.
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