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Why is teenage discrimination still allowed?
Filed under: Teens, Day Care & Education
I stopped to get gas and windshield washer fluid this morning at a 7-11 I don't normally stop at. It's across the street from a Senior High School in a quiet, suburban part of town.
As I opened the glass door I noticed a neon sign posted under the "We Do Not Sell Cigarettes to Minors" declaration. It was typed, in boldface, on a plain piece of paper: "Only 4 Students at a Time."
Now, these signs are really nothing new. I remember a similar sign at the convenience store by my own high school, and feeling outraged by it at the time. Now, though, my rage has mostly diminished to mostly benign observation, and I can usually see two perspectives. Students, in large groups, are perhaps more likely to steal than the general population -- store owners can't watch them if they're on hoards. And wouldn't it be tough to be a small business owner in this city?
But then I thought, you know, what if the sign said "Only Two Senior Citizens at a Time" or "Only 1 Sudanese family at Once." Wouldn't that be outraged, front page news? The store owner would almost certainly be slammed as racist and discriminatory.
So why do corner stores continue to get away with this? Have you seen this in your town?
As I opened the glass door I noticed a neon sign posted under the "We Do Not Sell Cigarettes to Minors" declaration. It was typed, in boldface, on a plain piece of paper: "Only 4 Students at a Time."
Now, these signs are really nothing new. I remember a similar sign at the convenience store by my own high school, and feeling outraged by it at the time. Now, though, my rage has mostly diminished to mostly benign observation, and I can usually see two perspectives. Students, in large groups, are perhaps more likely to steal than the general population -- store owners can't watch them if they're on hoards. And wouldn't it be tough to be a small business owner in this city?
But then I thought, you know, what if the sign said "Only Two Senior Citizens at a Time" or "Only 1 Sudanese family at Once." Wouldn't that be outraged, front page news? The store owner would almost certainly be slammed as racist and discriminatory.
So why do corner stores continue to get away with this? Have you seen this in your town?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
3-28-2007 @ 8:42AM
christine said...I usually see signs that say "no backpacks allowed" instead of limiting the number of teenagers.
Reply
3-28-2007 @ 8:57AM
Jenny said...Not every group is protected from discrimination. Ethnic origin and age-over-40 are protected classes, though I believe that the over-40 only applies to employment so the store owner could legally exclude senior citizens. Students are not a protected class.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_class
If the store wants to, they could have just phrased it "only 4 customers at a time."
Reply
3-28-2007 @ 9:31AM
Mammacheryl said...They reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, and they're just protecting their asses. Most convenience stores around here only have one attendant, and it would be pretty easy to overwhelm one or make a diversion to shoplift. Personally, I'm okay with it, as long as they're referring to high schoolers and not college students. Teens are still minors, and if they're wandering around without parental supervision... // Anyway. I've never actually heard of it being inforced, but then again, I was never one of those teenagers who only travel in large groups. And I never knew anyone to be outraged by the request. Seems like common sense to me.
Reply
3-29-2007 @ 2:48AM
Eddie L. said...Kids today are, by and large, not that trustworthy, in my own opinion. They have no respect for authority, themselves, or others outside of their "gang". They get anything and everthing for free, run their homes, their schools--they definately have too much "freedom", too much money, and not enough morality or common sense.
Reply
3-28-2007 @ 9:55AM
Betty Hesseltine said...They have this here where we live and I do not blame the convenience store owners at all for doing it.
Reply
3-28-2007 @ 12:19PM
Wendy said...I remember being a teenager and going to the corner store everyday after school. The owners had the same sign in the door. We didnt really care, as long as we eventually got in to get our snacks. The wait was never that long. It seem since we were limited to amount of students to go in at once we focused on buying what we wanted and getting out.
I understand it. The kids in large packs do not only steal, but can vandalize a store. I dont think it is discrimination, but covering your ass.
Reply
4-23-2007 @ 6:01PM
neil said...I think its bs to assume a group of teenagers is going to steal, or even suspect such an occurence. I did a candid camera project where me and five of my friends walked into a convenient store, we did nothing suspicious and the owner told us to leave. We sent in six of our female friends and they werent hassled at all (horny guy prob). Then my dad and 3 of my uncles went in, and he actually looked happy, he prob thought they were gonna buy something big. It happens to us all the time, after a game we go and buy a drink, eyes follow us everywhere. We shouldnt be made to feel uncomfortable especially when we are not doing anything.
Reply