There is only one good reason to go Christmas shopping at the Mall of America

[NickB79]

People watching. You can find all the merchandise elsewhere for better prices, but you just can't beat the (sometimes amusing) variety of humanity that wanders on through.

I will always cherish my memories of the Mullet Family: Momma Mullet, Daddy Mullet, Little Billy Mullet, and even Grandma Mullet was out that day :-)

[dana_b]

1. damn! where was your camera phone??

:P

[mediaman007]

2. I endorse the people watching! What an incredible variety.

[mrcheerful]

3. SO and I couldn't afford to do any shopping this year

with all the price increases as well as the gas gouging that went on this year we had enough to pay the bills and buy food. Even then if it weren't for holiday meals at family get togethers we would have either gone hungry or hit one of the food banks. SO is down in the dumps because she couldn't send her kids gifts this year.

[Ian David]

4. I used to be a shopping mall security guard.

I worked day shifts, night shifts, double shifts, and once a triple-shift.

The best part of the job was when little fruit bats would get loose in the mall and we'd get to try and catch them with butterfly nets and put them outside.

I can't count how many times I plucked children off the railings that might have managed to crawl over the tops.

[valerief]

6. I think torso-leashing of little children at malls should be mandated.

You got 'em on a leash and you strap that leash to your wrist, you're not liking to lose 'em. And a torso leash is no more harmful than a bra.

[Ian David]

8. I once saw a woman holding her little child by the hand...

... and she let him splash through the coin fountain.

Unbelievable.

[carlyhippy]

11. I had wrist leashes on my kids...in the mall of america in fact

and they took off in 2 different directions trying to get to Lego land, and ended up getting tangled around a woman who was just walking past haha. I agree, they should be controlled, until mine got too big, I had a double stroller for the mall, it's just too big of a place for a little one to get lost in, and too big to expect little ones to walk the whole mall.

[phusion]

5. I can't stand being around malls, etc. this time of the year

Well, most of the time to be honest.

It's like I get physically ill when I'm around all the zombie shoppers. I can't take it.

But cheers to you! :)

[valerief]

7. the mall music is the worst of it, i think. nt

[Ian David]

9. They keep the music on all night while the mall is closed, too.

Oh, god.

I'm having a flashback now.

It's worse than one someone leaves a quarter standing upright on the top step of the "up" escalator.

[carlyhippy]

10. I bet that place is CROWDED today!!!!

I only go in the summer, we went one year during the xmas season, and didn't think it was as grandly decorated as I imagined it would be. I love to people watch in that place too haha. After that I stop at the small cheese store and get some samples then try and figure out where in the heck my car is, always forget what state I am parked in. :) I miss snoopy in the amusement park since knotts sold out.