No loitering!

Britain has new weapon against loitering youths -- Sonic Teenager Deterrent

Now, this is very interesting and actually pretty cool idea. However ... it got me thinking about something I haven't thought about for a while: loitering. Why? Well, in high school (and even during college during the breaks) it was kind of a way of life.

When you're young and you want to hang out, there are only so many options. You can go to someone's house but that's not always available at short notice. Then there are countless other options that involve spending money, usually too much. So, what do you do? You go somewhere public and free and goof off. Many times in the past I've found myself sitting in cars in parking lots just talking and trying to figure out something to do. That gets old quick so you have to find stable, more entertaining places.

Our favorite haunt in high school was Jim Woods Park, basically a large field with a baseball field and a playground at opposite ends. It wasn't always the most interesting place, but it definitely beats the other, sometimes more popular options: The Fort Steuben Mall and Wal-Mart. The Mall had always been fairly lame and overcrowded, but when Wal-Mart opened it seemed like a great place. It was open 24 hours a day, had some cheap stuff to get, and it was large enough to wander around for a while. Then after a while it was just as crowded and boring. There was also King's, a 24-hour restaurant ... but you can't just eat everytime you want to hang out.

So, the point? Kids need places to hang out. All-night restaurants and parks just don't cut it. They don't have money to spend money on something every night and it just isn't a good way to hang out with friends. I always thought having some sort of late night rec-center would be a good idea. It would be a safe place for kids to relax and hang out without being chased out of stores and parks.

Any other ideas?