Well, they did it. Mayfair Mall management got tough. Today they released their PGR (Parental Guidance Required) Policy, and I have to say, it’s gonna bum out a bunch of teens, including the 15-year old that lives in my house. Gone are the days when we can get our teens out of our hair by dumping them off at the mall.

Basically, the policy states that after 2 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, anyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 21 years old. And each adult can only escort up to four under-18ers. However, mothers who are not yet 21 will be allowed in the mall with young children. (That part still confuses me, but I’m going to assume the mall knows what it’s doing.)

As I mentioned, this will certainly affect my family – specifically my daughter. She and her friends did enjoy hanging out at the mall, especially on Fridays off of school or weekends. She’ll no longer have the luxury of cruising through Forever 21 or American Eagle without me hanging next to her. It’s that last part that is the most torturous in her mind. What could be worse than not be able to go to the mall with your friends? Having to go to the mall with your mother – ugh!

We’ll no longer have the option of dropping my daughter and her friends at the mall on a Friday or Saturday afternoon for something to do. Still, that’s just an issue of convenience, not hardship.

But that’s too bad. It’s the way it is. The few, who were starting to cause lots of trouble, have ruined it for the many. From the looks of the early comments in the Tosa Town Square or on the Journal/Sentinel website (other than the few close-minded and racist comments), people seem supportive. I encourage everyone to take a wait-and-see attitude and give it time to work.

This afternoon, I took my life in my hands and went to a movie…at Mayfair Mall…alone. I am writing to tell you that all went well and I am safe and snug back in my own home. Not once during this outing did I feel frightened, threatened or nervous about being at Mayfair by myself. Perhaps ignorance is bliss, but really, I was just fine.

I can’t help but note the irony in the fact that the movie that I saw today was The Queen, starring Helen Mirren. In the film, Queen Elizabeth seems bewildered by the swirl of attention in the days after the tragic death of Princess Diana. Maybe it’s just me, but I could see a parallel between the people in Britain pointing their anger over Diana’s untimely death at the queen and Wauwatosa residents wanting to blame Mayor Estness for the recent problems at Mayfair Mall. In both cases, citizens want to hear from their leader, even if it is just a statement acknowledging their concern.

For her part, Mayor Estness has said that the proposed policy change over at Mayfair was “another tool” for addressing behavioral problems and that she’ll have to see what the policy looks like when it is unveiled. I guess we’ll all have to adapt that wait and see attitude.

In the meantime, I would think that the most effective course of action would be to address our comments, concerns, anger, frustration and fear toward Mayfair Mall Management rather than the mayor. Some have chosen to use the Tosa Town Square here on www.wauwatosaNOW.com as the place to talk about this. There are some spirited discussions happening in the “Sound Off” forum.

But is Mayfair really listening? I, for one have e-mailed the mall twice through their website and have not heard back from them. They claim that the new policies have nothing to do with the recent events at the mall. If that’s true, and the new policy is a result of other incidents, then the question is: What took so long?

I suggest that if you’re concerned about Mayfair that you send a message, literally, to Stephen Smith, the mall’s general manager. His e-mail address is: stephen.smith@ggp.com. Maybe that will get his attention.
Oh, and by the way, the movie was great.