Somebody has some answering to do at the Center of Salisbury Mall. Just because a business signed a lease allegedly stating their employees would park in designated areas, unless these rent a cops are stalking these employees, how would they know who is whom? These tickets, (shown above) clearly excuse the fact that they do NOT know and that they're taking shots in the dark. The "employees" signed no such agreement. Heck, I know for a fact some employees had never heard of such a thing from their employer, who allegedly signed the lease. There are NO signs posted anywhere.Salisbury and Wicomico County are going ticket crazy with speed cameras and pulling people over for minor violations and many question if there are any violations to start with. My little Sister has been pulled over numerous times because she's a pretty young woman with a group of friends in the car. Obviously they must have drugs or they're up to something. The kids are pulled out of the car, the vehicle is searched and every time they find NOTHING.
I believe it's time to fight back. Today we will check into these activities and find out what OUR legal rights are. Do we have to step out of the car? Do we have to allow a search? Do employees have to abide by these BS mall tickets?
Are there not enough parking spaces at the Mall? Is the Mall overflowing with business, especially in the off season? There are so many questions I'd like answers to. What I will say is this, this is out of control and I for one think this is illegal.
Perhaps each one of YOU should take pictures of the Mall Cops parking in Fire Lanes and let's send them tickets for breaking the law. Send me those pictures and we'll publish them on Salisbury News. Are YOU being followed by the Mall Cops? Have YOU received one of these tickets?
Finally, do you feel the designated employee parking is safe, especially at night? Do you see the mall police out in those areas making sure you are protected at night when you get off work?
27 comments:
Time to call in Paul Blart: Mall Cop for this one!
The Mall Security vehicles are always parked in the "No Parking Fire Lane" spaces in front of the mall entrances. The mall employees are not legally responsible to pay fines for violations not approved by the Federal, State, or Local Government. It takes an act of legislation. No business has the right to assess fines ad hoc without an agreement taking place between all parties. I would demand a court hearing. I'll bet there isn't a provision for a trial to determine innocence or guilt.
Time to call a Jewish law ferm up in Baltimore and sue the salisbury PD and the mall!
As a security supervisor at the Centre MANY years ago, each business is reminded multiple times about their employee parking policy. There is a yellow line at the middle/outer area of the parking lots as a guide to where employees are to park. Likewise, the mall can and will fine businesses that do not adhere to the lighting, marquee and bulkhead policies in addition to the parking violations.
However, it now looks like the Centre contracts out their security services, but while I was employed many of our personnel were trained, certified and granted police powers by the State while on the property. I'm not sure if this is the case at this time.
Furthermore, it was always a policy that each business/employee could request and receive security presence while walking to their vehicles.
The Centre is a privately owned company and can administer their own parking rules on their property, just as any business owner can have cars towed that are parked illegally in their parking lots.
However, as I stated, I worked there many years ago and the Security personnel were hired in-house and trained on the policies. At that time, we did not fine individual employees for parking, but would address the situation with the manager/owner of each store.
I personally work for one of those businesses in the mall. And yes we have been told of the regulations of parking as employees. We have been told that we will be issued parking tickets if it is violated. As you stated on off seasons it is totally unneeded and not safe for us as when we leave at nite in the dark there is noone there to watch us get to our vehicles..Safety should come first before a fine. In seasons as Christmas time when we close at midnite and we are not allowed to park near our store entrance it is almost impossible to find a parking place at all. Never made sense to us that if you have two parking places right in front of each other you can park in one but not the other cause you cross the yellow line..so childish and just gives them something to do.
Walmart's does the same thing. The white lined spaces are for the employees and the yellow are for the customers. I think those that work the late shifts should be exempt from that. My mom works at walmart until around 11pm and has been harrassed in the parking lot trying to walk the long walk to get to her car by a man asking for money. It is not safe to have to have employees working so late to have to park so far away especially in today's society with the economy being as bad as it is it makes people very desperate. I am always worried for her safety and pray that NO ONE gets robed or hurt while just trying to get to their car.
This needs to change again for those working the late shifts. How would they feel if their mother was harrassed in the parking lot? I bet you they'd give her a closer spot immediately with no issues. Always seems to be the double standard these days.
When I worked at the mall a few yrs ago I had to fill out a form and sign it giving make, model, tag number. Now if since then the form has added they will fine you if not parking in designated area I coundnt tell you.
Mall security is a joke.
Being a total non-fan of the Centre @ Salisbury, and being a past small business in the Centre, I can state that the businesses are informed of this policy, and are required to give car make, and tag number to the mall of all employees. Although I did not agree with the policy, it is in place for the convenience of the customers of the Centre. Exceptions are made for handicap employees.
The concern is correct for the employees leaving after dark, but security does make themselves available for escorts to your vehicle if requested, (although their assistance is not always in a timely manner).
The Centre has many unique rules it places on its tenents and thier employees. This is just one of them, but I will state, as a small business owner that convenience is often a factor when someone is chosing where to shop, and this is a small inconvenience for the employee.
I use to work at the mall. Never had a ticket. But when I worked till close time the so called mall cops weren't out there ...no where to be found..the other employees there told me to always walk with someone. Still think the mall is unsafe
I wanna be mall security!
My qualifications are: I was the manager on the football team in high school. I was ridiculed and bullied for being stupid and uncoordinated.
I expected respect I did not earn.
My grades in alternative school were pretty good and I learned a lot in reform school too.
I'd rather get a job as a policeman and continue working toward that goal. Maybe they'll start me as an animal control officer. I have experience with animals. I liked to swing kittens by their tail when I was a child.
Please give me a uniform so I can be the big man in control.
Most of the "mall Cops" they have out there are afraid of their own shadow! Let alone running from the fat old farts. The security there is a joke one of these day's when SHTF you'll see what I mean.
I've worked in several malls over the years, and mall employees were always expected to park at the far end of the parking lot (usually beyond the yellow lines). This is to allow customers to park closer to the doors. All mall employees are aware of this when they get the job.
Joe - what is the point of posting 9:24's comment?
If all Centre employees parked in all available spaces near doors, where would the customers park? The Centre is privately owned. Who are we to tell them what they can and cannot do.
If a business rents space at the Centre and signs a lease that includes parking in designated areas, why is it a private citizens concern? If a business or an employee does not abide by the terms of the lease, that is justification to get rid of them.
Why are signs required to be posted pertaining to where employees park? That is not information the general public needs to know. Contrary to what you say you have been told, employees ARE informed about parking, They should count themselves lucky stars not to be fired on the spot, that they are given chance to correct the situation.
Why are the Centre owners required to answer to us? If Centre Security park in the Fire Lanes, I certainly do not object, as they are visible there.
I have seen Centre Security escorting employees and patrons to their vehicles. Of course if there are several at one time requesting the service, some would need to wait their turn.
But since the Centre is privately owned, they hire their own Security, the lease states designated parking areas, the businesses inform employees of designated parking area, employees can request escort to their vehicles, why is it our concern, if we do not own a business or are not an employee of the Centre.
The Mall along with Wal-Mart need to fine those parking in the Handicap spaces. There have been many times when I've been at the Fruitland Wal-Mart and watched someone being dropped off at the door (who has no problem walking) while the driver parks in the Handicap space. Many times if someone (driver) is sitting in the vehicle the motor is left running and he/she is reading while waiting. There is no tag or thing hanging from the rear view window showing someone in the vehicle is handicap. Why aren't these people receiving tickets?
Look, I knew some of the Mall people would be on here defending their position and that's their right. However, I think many of you are missing the point here.
First of all, NONE of the employees signed a contract stating they would or wouldn't park in a designated area.
IF the Mall wants to fine someone, fine the company that employs those violating the COMPANY agreement.
Secondly, what gives them the right to ticket anyone at all? Can the mall police also ticket people for parking in a handicap parking place or in a fire lane? I think not.
One thing is for sure, our Council Members are now aware of this and I'm confident they will follow up on it to see if there is an agreement in which this can be enforced.
Don't hate me just because we have exposed something most were not aware of.
My question is, how do they decide if they are working or there shoping?
So is the hospital allowed to boot your car then??
What i want everyone to read befor commenting on this blog is to read the notice and actually notice that it is not mall security doing this but mall mangement. The security officers are only doing their job and its a shame that everyone has to put security down. Everybody thinks they are a joke untill they need them.
It was the policy when I worked there for years back in the late 90's/ early 2000's. The Security personnel knew who the employees were because they saw them regularly. That is not so difficult to figure out.
Did I park in the employee designated spots? Once. Only because I received one of those letters during the Christmas shopping season. It was way to risky to park that far back. I already had several problems with stalkers (including the psycho TJ Leggs) and had to report them regularly. So, I opted to risk getting a mall ticket or whatever they wanted to give me instead of risking my life.
It was my experience that the people that work in the mall are at more risk for trouble than the customers. Either way....EVERYONE needs to be alert and take all the safety precautions available!!!
Retail has built in drama.Way too many gray areas and too few absolutes.All they actually need is one person with common sense and good judgement making the calls.
The mall is a private business. They can make up whatever rules they want, and if the lessee (business inside) agrees to pay fines, that's fine. ;)
If the employees do not sign anything, they can't be held responsible from a legal aspect. But I'm sure that they can be let go for failing to do anything - it's a right to work state. It would be better to pay $10 than lose your job.
When I worked in Annapolis Mall, they instituted a similar policy one holiday season. Employees were expected to park at a building off campus and ride a bus in. This could take up to an hour to accomplish, and I didn't have the time to deal with it (I was working 2 jobs that season to make money for college).
In the end, when my employer asked me to register my vehicle, I just wrote on the piece of paper that I walked to work so there was no vehicle for me to register. My manager knew that wasn't the case, but he didn't care, either. As far as he was concerned, he met the obligation of getting me to fill out a form. He wasn't obligated to make sure it was truthful.
When the mall cops did sweeps in the early morning, my plates never came up as a mall employee. Three times I got parking tickets because I was there while the mall hadn't opened yet, and I told the mall that I didn't work there (I changed first, of course). Twice they voided the tickets no questions asked. The one time they did ask, I said that my car wouldn't start the night before so I had to get a ride home.
I do agree, though - based on how the letters are written it's not a classy way to do things.
I never worked at the Center but did work at the old Salisbury Mall in its prime. What I've read here is correct in that the shopping center parking lot is considered private property and under the control of the owner or management company. Police officers, from whatever agency, have the authority to ticket fire lane and handicapped violations but mall security can issue violation notices or have vehicles towed under the authority of the owner of the shopping center.
Joe, of all people you should know that if customers can't park at the front door or close to the entrance of a building they'll go somewhere that they can. Go park at the recycle bins near Walmart north on a Saturday and which the cars going up and down the rows for 10 minutes looking for a space two or three in from the entrance. If all the "good" parking spaces are taken up by employees who are there for 6-10 hours customers will go somewhere else! Downtown is a prime example!
It sounds to me from some of the posts of current or former employees or merchants that mall management makes the merchants aware and they pass this on to employees. If the employee chooses not to comply with mall rules then go find employement elsewhere or pay the fine.
I've worked at The Centre for seventeen years and I park where I want. As an employee at the Centre, I consider myself a customer. They're making money off of my labor. My employer told me I needed to register my vehicle, I told them that information is none of their business. The time or two I've seen members of security "ticketing" my car, I walk up and take the "ticket", wad it up and deposit it in the closest trash receptacle and give them a pleasant wave. Some of the security guards are my friends and family members, and I've told them I will call for an escort to and from my car every day I work (and I'm there six or seven days a week) and will encourage my co-workers to do the same. And I will remain on the clock until I have that escort, so my employer can choose to pay a parking fine or pay me to stand around for a couple extra hours a week, waiting for security. Ultimately, while I enjoy mocking the time The Centre management wastes on pointless things like this instead of addressing the real problems at The Centre, I would just ignore this crap and go about your business (until they scratch your car giving you one of these "tickets"....)
Just another pointless way to gather extra cash. The mall must be crawling with business. DO they know how weak this situation makes them look?
It always amazed me how people will scream and holler over a parking ticket. If their car was broken into and all their Christmas packages stolen, they would report it to the police and you'd never hear from them again. BUT GET A PARKING CITATION?....THE MAYOR'S GOING TO HEAR ABOUT THIS! I'LL WRITE AN EDITORIAL!....I'LL HAVE YOUR JOB! BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
I was delivery food to one of the employees of one of the businesses in the Mall who obviously called us asking us to delivery it. I asked that employee while she was giving me her order which entrance to go in that would be closest to her business so that I could deliver her order more quickly and..to save me time on my next delivery. I followed her instructions which directed me down one of their fire hallways. Two "officers" stopped me and htreatened me with arrest if caught in there again. I explained that i was following the employee's directions. I then explained that UPS uses the same hallways for DELIVERY. I reported the abusive tactincs to the Mall General Manager who was just as abrasive. I quit delivering to the Mall.
There is a myriad of legal issues to be considered on this topic.
1. Contract Law
If there is a clause in the lease agreement between the mall and the business within, the business has agreed to be fined.
2. Wage Enforcement Law
Can an employee be fined? Not so quickly.
3. Local, State codes, ordinances.
Even though the parking lot is a private property entity, police do have the authoity to enforce fire lanes and handicap parking violations.
4. Collection Law
Is fining an employee a legal form of collection? Has the employee also willing (without coersion)
entered into an agreement with the employer?
5. Jurisdiction and Authority?
Do Mall security guards have power of arrest? Limited or otherwise?
The legal issues here are vast and seemingly ambiguous. But the cost of pusuing an action would definitely outway the fines.
My suggestion is to make it public. Contcnt local news organizations. Blogg and publically comment as you are doing. Hitting a business in the gross sales department is the best way to get reform. Aslo, as stated, your local county or city counsel members or even letters to state representatives. Boycotting the Mall and staging sign hold fuction in front of the business can also be effective.
And.....you can always sue them.
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