Grandparents Ejected From Shopping Mall For Photographing Grandson

December 23, 2011 @ 11:46AM

Grandparents Ejected From Shopping Mall For Photographing Grandson

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Security guards in an Indiana mall ejected a pair of grandparents for snapping a photo of their five-year-old grandson.

Don Oberloh and his wife Debbie Cassella were sitting in a café at the University Park Mall in Mishawaka, planning to take the child to see Santa Claus.

Oberloh snapped the photo of his grandson who was visiting with his mother from California. The boy’s mother was in a store shopping.

A security guard approached them and told them they had to leave.

When they explained that they were there to see Santa Claus, the security guard threatened to have them physically removed. Another security guard stepped in to provide backup.

According to the Daily Mail, which picked up the story from WNDU:

He recalled: 'I believe she said you can't take pictures at the mall.

'I thought she was joking and I said "I’m taking a picture of my grandson", I’d understand if I was taking pictures of the architecture or the products in the stores and she became a little hostile.'

'I asked to speak with a mall manager and she flashed a badge at me, and I didn't see it, and asked ‘is this good enough?’ and I tried explaining things to her and she came back.'

Mr Oberloh said he apologised but the woman became belligerent at which point he asked to speak to the manager.

She added: 'I told him I can't just leave and then he said that he would remove me physically and then he called another security guard and that guy came over and then my daughter showed up and I said we were just here to take my grandson to see Santa and he said you can't see Santa.'

Oberloh left with the child while Cassella waited for her daughter before leaving.

Mall officials said it is not official policy to remove shoppers for snapping photos but shoppers who do not follow orders to stop taking photos would be ejected.

So it all boils to the mood of the security guard that day on whether you’re allowed to take photos of your grandchild or not.

Please send stories, videos and tips to carlosmiller@magiccitymedia.com

Comments

Michael Strader...

4 months ago

He did stop taking photos when told it wasn't allowed. So what was the reason for the ejection?

Stacky512a

4 months ago

What is the world coming too? Jesus....

And how did the news station get thier footage?

Roberto V

4 months ago

I'm just taking a wild guess here, but maybe it was stock footage.

I can't believe that any mall security guard making $7.25 per hour really takes their job that seriously... For what those jerkoffs get paid, they should be out behind the Macy's dumpsters getting stoned, not harassing grandma and grandpa. This is ridiculous.

Elliott

4 months ago

Some do because they are professionals and they take their work seriously. Most of the rest are on a power trip..

Touch me mall boy and you'll see what happens..

As it happens I would probably demand to see someone in charge. Make them work to make me leave if I felt they were just power tripping..

io-io

4 months ago

Maybe the mall management should understand that shoppers can very easily just stop shopping at their mall and shop elsewhere - even shop on the web these days. Its funny what technology is able to enable. That would certainly put a damper on the retail stores in the mall, and thereby provide a bit of incentive to the mall's management in fixing the problem of the idiot moron rent-a-cops with both an attitude and a badge.

Frank

4 months ago

As a certain comedian put it: "There's the white mall, then there's the mall white people used to go to." Turning this place into the second variety will go a long way towards stopping this kind of crap.

Ivan

4 months ago

The mall is owned by Simon Property Group based in Indianapolis, IN (the Simon's also own the Indiana Pacers basketball team). Their HQ tel number is 317-636-1600. I caled to voice my displeasure over the incident, and apparently the people at Simon knew nothing about it.

DrCos

4 months ago

"He said he would remove me physically."
That would be assault.
And if a mall cop were to lay a hand on any of my relatives (especially older ones), it would be an ambulance ride for them.

Respect is not something you have to have when you're a useless mall cop.

Sam

4 months ago

Actually I don't think it is assault. I know this from experience. I own a business and several years ago I had somebody in the store that I wanted to leave. When he refused to leave I called the police and was told that because of an emergency situation, turned out to be a robbery that a clerk was shot, that it would be a while before they could respond.

I asked him to leave again and he told me to fuck off. I physically removed him and a few hours late he came back with the police. I told them my side and they told him I had the right to do what I did. About 6 months later I got sued and the judge ruled in my favor. The judge said something along the lines of as long as my contact was only an attempt to remove him from my store and not an attempt to cause bodily harm than I was within my rights.

Now I know this was about 8 years ago and every state is different so it might not be the same in this situation.

Ivan

4 months ago

Shopkeeper's privilege does not equate to mall common areas. The difference here is that a security guard has no more authority than someone walking down the street. The security guard would be committing battery (not assault) by forcibly removing the couple. All they can do is call the real cops and the mall can press charges for trespass.

LorgSkyegon

4 months ago

From what I understand, the photographer is well known in the area for using the photography for filing ADA lawsuits against businesses.

Ivan

4 months ago

So, he apparently filed an ADA suit 6 months ago re: accessibility violations. And???? You make it sound like there are oodles of lawsuits; I see one, which has nothing to do with photographing his grandkid.

You say he is "well known" for filing ADA lawsuits against businesses "using his photography" ( meaning more than one suit against more than one business for ADA issues. Are we to believe that a $7.45 an hour mall guard has this guys face committed to memory? Is there a hot sheet for ADA lawsuits these days? And where does "his photography" fit in with the ADA suit?

Sounds like you're a Simon Malls troll who just received a bad tel call and are making a rather weak attempt to deflect the focus of the story.