Lake Winnie -- are their rules on teens too harsh?

I don't see too much ridiculous behavior (line cutting, fights, over the top rudeness) in general either. Most of the time I think it's just kids being kids.

Then again, my tolerance for such things seems to be a little higher than the median - often people describe 'scary groups of kids' at parks or how you have to drive through 'bad sections of town' to get to a park and I'm thinking, "Where?"

Either I'm lucky, oblivious or totally ghetto.

Probably a little of all three. :)

I'm with you, Lord G! Livin' in the Cleveland Hood on the near west side, I've pretty much seen it all.

Look at that gang of kids! Shocking!
You mean those hispanic kids?
Yes! Why is it you never see only one of them?
maybe cuz parks are better with groups.

I then look at the lady and say:
Ma'am, your weight is shocking! Does this mean you should go in herds?

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Lord Gonchar said:IEither I'm lucky, oblivious or totally ghetto.

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I think you're just lucky to be so oblivious to the behaviors deemed "ghetto". (I really dislike that word due to racial connotations, but MOST of us here are cognizant of the *other* usage, so I'll stick with it).

Honestly, I think most of the problem arises when said group of teens gets stuck in long lines and begins defacing park property, line jumping, and generally making the more *respectable* park guests, the ones with money, uncomfortable to the point where they'll pack up the kids and go home...

To use your own words: "The mall would be packed end to end with a sea of 13 to 17 year olds. It got so bad that the tenants complained that the kids were driving away business."

We have some really good teenagers here, and they KNOW who we're referring to....MOST kids are good kids, but then take them away from parental supervision and put them with a bunch of kids their own age, and MOST will start "trying to act cool"... :(

You know what I'd like to know. What are kids suppose to do these days. Don't get me wrong kids shouldn't cause toruble and no parks and malls are not babysitters, however if some kids go to a park or mall and hang out for a day (while behaving and not cuasing trouble) what is the problem. There is very little for kids these days that doesnt cost and arm and a leg. Now I'm not saying 10 year olds should be there alone however teens need a place to hang out to. Would you rather have them hang out at the mall or go to a friends house and drink or smoke weed, which is what many do becuase they figure they have nothing better to do (in their opinion). Of course there are trouble makers but the majority doesnt cause trouble so why punish everyone and take away the little fun they can actually have.

Re: class issues above -

IMO, class has nothing to do with race, or income. I know some poor minorites with more class than I have in my little finger!

BTW, just so you guys know, most of Chattanooga hates Teenagers. If there's one incident where anything goes wrong, the place is immediately either shut down or restrictions are put on.

Case in point:

We've lost two arcades, 2 internet cafes, the right to go to the mall on Friday and Saturday after like, 5:00, Lake Winnie, and a skating rink. All in the past 5 years.

And the three or four places left with things for teens to do are all in or very near ghetto areas, and just got used to the kind of things that shut other places down, or *gasp* got extra security on the weekends.

Yet with the people I've seen at those places, I can see why some of them just pulled out.

Boy, young people really do get a bad rap these days. Most young people are well behaved, and if you've got a park with 2,000 of them and a fight breaks out because of 10 of them, or a group of 20 or so cut in front of you in a given day, is it really fair to label the entire age group?

I get that they don't spend money, but honestly, I love it when my daughter says she waited until leaving the park before eating at home. Honestly, I think that's just smart. She certainly has it to spend if she chooses.

Sarcasm on:

You know it's really a shame we have to share our lives with such unruly young people, who couldn't have *possibly* learn their behaviour from older individuals. ;)

It might be something like this. Lake Winnie isn't a big thrill park. They probably figure that if the teens want big thrills, they will go to SFOG in Atlanta and would do so even if there were no restrictions at the local park. If they just want a local hangout, Too Bad!

I still say, however, KWs approach to the problem during the 1990s was better. Teans were welcome by themselves but had to pay the POP price.