A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Mall
There I am, going to the zoo. Problem being, I have no sense of direction (and, yes, I have a compass in my car... GWH thinks that means I can find things. knowing what direction I'm facing is not helpful in the least tyvm, dear.). So, I'm driving along innocently when I spot a MALL!
Ooh! A mall is way more funner than the stupid zoo! AND the anchor store on my side was a JC Penney's Outlet. I've been wanting a black vellux blanket for Penney's for a backdrop, but I've been to cheap to pay $50 for it at JCP. My hope was, I'd walk into Penney's, get my blanket for $10, and then hit the rest of the mall.
Oh how high my hopes are. So so very high.
Penney's didn't have the blanket, but that was just the beginning of my wrong.
To back up a bit, right before I saw the mall, I saw a closed down (obviously) Handy Andy. WTF Handy Andy? Haven't they been closed since 1904? Why is the building still there and the sign still up? This long and no one has moved into that store front. (first clue)
Ok, back to the mall.
The parking lot was rather empty for a mall on a Sunday, but I didn't pay much mind to it. Blonde, and all. I step into Penney's and whoa... Stuff strewn all over the floor, big empty sections of store, just odd. I figured it was just because it was the outlet mall and, who knows what I thought.
I found 2 pair of dress pants for dh and a comforterI thought Alec would like, but he wasn't with me so I didn't buy it. Checked out with my 2 pair of pants and decided to check out the rest of the mall.
Holy. Crap. 2 reasons not to leave my camera in the car right there staring me in the face.
The mall was completely vacant. Dark. Abandoned. Save for the handful of hooligans loitering where stores once were.
It was right out of a movie. I wish I had my camera (one to take pictures and 2 because I seriously doubted my car was going to still be there when got back outside). The windows weren't boarded up, it wasn't like stores just left or would be there soon. It looked more like a hurricane had just went through. (In Ohio. Hurricanes v rare here. Lake Erie not known for typhooning.)
I have never seen something that weird. I should go back and take pictures, because there is no way I can explain it. On second thought, I don't think so. Read on.
I spent the rest of the weekend speculating why a mall would be abandoned like that. There was a Kaufmann's (I think, there was a banner that said Kaufmann's hanging on a building, I didn't go in to verify.), you'd think at least a pretzel shop would open in there or something.
So that was on Saturday. Monday my cleaning lady comes and the first thing she says to me is "Olivia and I were at the Whateveritwascalled Mall on Sunday and OH MY GOD it was so weird". (that's weird enough since this mall is no where near here, but yet we both went the same weekend). We start comparing notes and talking about how weirded out we both were.
She said she was on the phone with her ex when she told him she was there and he said "Don't let Olivia out of your sight." Ok... Olivia is 15, btw.
Then, later, she finds out the story. Apparently that neighborhood is SO BAD that the store owners were all like screw it and moved out. There were abductions from the mall, etc. NICE! I was there with Sean!!! I can't even fathom how bad it must have been for stores to just close up. You'd think the mall owners would have security upped or something. Don't all malls have security? There are malls in Detroit, how bad can THIS have been?
Explains the Handy Andy, though. The whole stretch of road is from a bad Stephen King book.
I'm not sure the $10 pants were worth all of that. Although, it's always nice when your pants inspire a story.
Ooh! A mall is way more funner than the stupid zoo! AND the anchor store on my side was a JC Penney's Outlet. I've been wanting a black vellux blanket for Penney's for a backdrop, but I've been to cheap to pay $50 for it at JCP. My hope was, I'd walk into Penney's, get my blanket for $10, and then hit the rest of the mall.
Oh how high my hopes are. So so very high.
Penney's didn't have the blanket, but that was just the beginning of my wrong.
To back up a bit, right before I saw the mall, I saw a closed down (obviously) Handy Andy. WTF Handy Andy? Haven't they been closed since 1904? Why is the building still there and the sign still up? This long and no one has moved into that store front. (first clue)
Ok, back to the mall.
The parking lot was rather empty for a mall on a Sunday, but I didn't pay much mind to it. Blonde, and all. I step into Penney's and whoa... Stuff strewn all over the floor, big empty sections of store, just odd. I figured it was just because it was the outlet mall and, who knows what I thought.
I found 2 pair of dress pants for dh and a comforterI thought Alec would like, but he wasn't with me so I didn't buy it. Checked out with my 2 pair of pants and decided to check out the rest of the mall.
Holy. Crap. 2 reasons not to leave my camera in the car right there staring me in the face.
The mall was completely vacant. Dark. Abandoned. Save for the handful of hooligans loitering where stores once were.
It was right out of a movie. I wish I had my camera (one to take pictures and 2 because I seriously doubted my car was going to still be there when got back outside). The windows weren't boarded up, it wasn't like stores just left or would be there soon. It looked more like a hurricane had just went through. (In Ohio. Hurricanes v rare here. Lake Erie not known for typhooning.)
I have never seen something that weird. I should go back and take pictures, because there is no way I can explain it. On second thought, I don't think so. Read on.
I spent the rest of the weekend speculating why a mall would be abandoned like that. There was a Kaufmann's (I think, there was a banner that said Kaufmann's hanging on a building, I didn't go in to verify.), you'd think at least a pretzel shop would open in there or something.
So that was on Saturday. Monday my cleaning lady comes and the first thing she says to me is "Olivia and I were at the Whateveritwascalled Mall on Sunday and OH MY GOD it was so weird". (that's weird enough since this mall is no where near here, but yet we both went the same weekend). We start comparing notes and talking about how weirded out we both were.
She said she was on the phone with her ex when she told him she was there and he said "Don't let Olivia out of your sight." Ok... Olivia is 15, btw.
Then, later, she finds out the story. Apparently that neighborhood is SO BAD that the store owners were all like screw it and moved out. There were abductions from the mall, etc. NICE! I was there with Sean!!! I can't even fathom how bad it must have been for stores to just close up. You'd think the mall owners would have security upped or something. Don't all malls have security? There are malls in Detroit, how bad can THIS have been?
Explains the Handy Andy, though. The whole stretch of road is from a bad Stephen King book.
I'm not sure the $10 pants were worth all of that. Although, it's always nice when your pants inspire a story.
Labels: Dangerous Musings
posted by Angie at 10:21 AM
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