Court Says California Mall Can't Ban Customers From Talking To Each Other
The Westfield Galleria in Roseville, California takes the comfort of its patrons seriously--so seriously, in fact, that it wants them to shut up and focus on shopping, or else ask for permission first if they want to talk about any topic that's not mall related. Last week, the state's 3rd District Court of Appeal found that the rule violated the state's constitution, so now mall shoppers can gab as much as they want to each other.
The rule seemed designed to protect patrons from unwanted sermons or pitches; it prevented a person from "approaching patrons with whom he or she was not previously acquainted for the purpose of communicating with them on a topic unrelated to the business interests." In fact, it was used by the mall's security guard to make a citizen's arrest of a youth minister who was proselytizing at the mall, which is what led to the lawsuit.
