In the very week Logan City was voted the most-unfriendly city in Queensland, a major Logan shopping centre has confirmed that it will do everything it can to help win the title again next year.A new policy introduced this week by Centre Management at Grand Plaza at Browns Plains has seen the Centre's security guards turned into neo-Nazi Food Police, scouring the tables searching for offenders who breach the new "NO EATING NO SITTING RULE".
Spare a thought for a struggling pensioner grabbing a spare seat for a couple of minutes for a well-earned break. They are now liable to be booted out the front door for not eating a meal while they rest their weary legs.
New warning signs placed on EVERY table in the food court this week warn customers: "Food Court tables are reserved for customers enjoying a meal".Queensland Consumer Watch witnessed outrageous incidents at the Centre this week when two members of a group of four people thoroughly enjoying themselves were warned to leave because they were not consuming food along with their friends.
Another group was told to leave immediately after consuming their food, depriving them of a few moments to collect their thoughts, gather their rubbish and move on.
The second most-outrageous intimidation by the Grand Plaza Food Police was when two women were told that they could not stand and talk to their friends for a few moments who were sitting down enjoying a meal.
But the worst case was when one of the Food Police - who seemed to enjoy his daily fix of power - lent over the back of a two-year old girl sitting with her mother, to make sure the toddler was also consuming a meal. This is bloody outrageous. Fortunately, the little girl was nibbling on something, otherwise she would have been liable to be summarily ejected from the centre.
There is a Police Beat only 50 metres away to enforce the removal of any person from Grand Plaza, with or without reason - a right guaranteed all private property owners in Queensland under section 277 of the Criminal Code.The clear warning to customers at Grand Plaza's Food Court is not to stop and talk with friends if you happen to see them dining in the Food Court - otherwise you will be subject to Gestapo-like move-on powers by trumped-up security guards in white shirts masquerading as defenders of the new food eating regime.
Whoever is running the Centre Management at the Grand Plaza at Browns Plains is proving that they are the greatest dills ever let loose on the Australian public.
By employing their own Food Police to control the dining habits of ordinary customers shows the depths of stupidity to which Australian retailing has sunk.
Why aren't the Grand Plaza Food Police used for something more serious such as dissipating the nicotine addicts who crowd the main entrance blowing more smoke than an Australian bushfire and making customers' arrivals and departures at the Centre a painfully, unhealthy experience.
No doubt, Centre Management at Grand Plaza will defend their new policy on the grounds that it frees up valuable tables and chairs for those wanting to eat there. But this ignores the fact that food courts and private malls are the new meeting places for tens of thousands of Australians each week.
Instead of meeting and greeting on public footpaths in old-style suburban shopping centres such as Moorooka or Stones Corner, major shopping centres are now a key means of bringing the community back together as they catch up with friends and acquaintances.
This is a valuable social phenomenon which is being increasingly recognised by retailers around the world.
Unfortunately, the notable international exception is the Grand Plaza at Browns Plains where their motto should be changed from "we're big on living" to "we're big on controlling everything you do in our centre of intimidation".
For a pleasant shopping experience at the Grand Plaza at Browns Plains, avoid the Food Court and never, ever stop to talk to friends who are consuming a meal - otherwise you could be thrown out the door before you've even had a chance to step inside your first shop.
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