Houston's Deerbrook Mall Bans Woman for 10 Years for Talking Too Loud

Have you ever read a news article that you hoped was a parody of a news article and not the real thing? That's what I was hoping for when I read MY FOX Houston's "Woman banned from mall for 10 years."

According to the FOX entry, Latasha Connor was banned from the mall for 10 years for speaking in an elevated tone to a Food Court clerk. Apparently her volume level made a Humble police officer walk over to ask her if there was a problem. When she denied that there was a problem, he asked her for her ID. She didn't have it so he made her stand there for 15 minutes until the mall cops got there. She left with a criminal trespass warning and a 10-year ban instead of a life ban although the officer wanted her to get the latter. The general manager later through the ban out.

Besides the police officer going overboard and the 10-year ban being absolutely ridiculous, I think Connor should sue the city and the mall for going along with this officer. When did buying a Cinnabon and talking loudly become illegal?

A police officer does have the right to ID anyone who he or she feels is disturbing the peace or anyone who looks suspicious. That, I can understand. But harassing people who are minding their own business is what cops take advantage of.

I can also remember plenty of times that I was ID'd while walking to high school for no other reason than just because. I remember arriving later to school one morning because I, along with other students, was excused from taking a standardized test due to my grades. A police officer immediately approached me and asked for ID. However, the blonde girl next to me who was walking to school and got off the same Metra train that I did was not asked for ID. They watched her walk by, and when I asked about it, the officer ignored me, asking for height, weight, age, address and making a snide comment about the neighborhood I lived in.

While this news piece did not compare how a police officer would treat a loud mall patron of a different color, what I can sympathize with Connor for is the humiliating feeling that you've done something wrong when you're absolutely innocent. While I continue to hear stories on the news about people who won't talk to police about what's going on in their community to get criminals off the streets, this is an example of why.

Do you see how Connor was treated? This isn't as unusual as you may think it is. When someone is constantly harassed for doing nothing, they may develop an attitude against the boys in blue later in life, too. Why would you respect a group that treats you like a criminal? Connor's ban has been removed, but if I were her, I'd take my money and my shopping interest elsewhere. The mall certainly owes her a face-to-face apology, and give her a free pastry, too.