From the moment the young man walked into the store, the manager had his eye on him. As he looked at merchandise, the manager continued to follow him. When he tried to purchase an item, he was simply shrugged off while the other customers were served.
Discrimination plays a big role in our society; yet, in our attempts to correct our mistakes, we've forgotten one large group: teenagers.Ask teenagers if they've faced age discrimination because they're teens, and most will reply a bitter "yes." Teenagers can name numerous businesses that have treated them poorly simply because of their age.
One student recalls trying to return an item of clothing, only to be told she couldn't, even with a receipt. After asking the manager, the teenager was once again told she would be unable to return the item. Five minutes later the same teenager walked in with her mother and asked once again if she could return the article of clothing. This time the clerks were more than happy to accommodate her.
Other teens can cite various stores that have accused them of stealing. Many teenagers actually avoid stores that have treated them poorly. "If a store (clerk) is rude to me just because I'm a teenager, I refuse to give them my money or even set foot in their store again. There is no reason they should treat me so badly," states one teen.
Of course, the discrimination against teens reaches much further than just stores at the mall. At banks teens are constantly under scrutiny. Many teenagers interviewed for this story complained of rude service, as well as extra time taken to make sure a check was valid.
If teenagers attempt to visit art galleries they are greeted with suspicious looks and rude comments. The attitude seems to be that, after all, if a teen visits an art gallery, surely he must be up to something evil.
One of the biggest complaints among teens involves restaurants. Many teens say they've faced rude and unpleasant servers.
Teenagers who work in the restaurant business, however, are quick to defend their actions. "Whenever a group of teens would walk in, all of us would fight over who had to serve their table. Face it, teenagers are rude and obnoxious sometimes. Plus, once I got only a 52-cent tip for a $20 meal," says Amber Herd.
When questioned about the way they treat teens, store managers and workers bring up shoplifting and vandalism. They say the majority of these crimes are committed by teens. In fact, many store clerks and managers interviewed for this story would not answer any questions because they suspected the questions were just a joke. Others simply ignored the questions and assumed the teenagers couldn't possibly be doing anything intelligent with their time.
Admittedly, teenagers don't always have a strong sense of how to behave in public places, particularly among friends. Most don't have much money. Unfortunately, it seems the basic stereotype of a teenager is placed on every teen. While stores certainly have valid claims and reasoning for doubting teens, they must also realize that the obnoxious, low-tipping stereotype is just that, a stereotype.