Rivertown Crossings kicks out The RAPID

[GRDadof3]

RAPID buses banned from mall entrance

Randy Zimmerman, Rivertown Crossings Manager, has now banished the RAPID's bus stop to Outer Mall Drive and Potomac, for what he called "acts of violence". Funny thing is is that the Press contacted the Grandville police department, who characterized events as several acts of "rowdy behavior" over the past five years, not "acts of violence".

And here's the kicker:

"They (The Rapid) needed to do something," Zimmerman said. "I wasn't willing to take the risk of having something happen to a mall customer."

On Nov. 14, he sent an e-mail to officials at The Rapid, saying, "We continue to have issues with the bus stop here. Since our meetings with you have failed to reach any solutions to these issues, we ask that you immediately remove the stop from our property. I cannot continue to accept the incidents that have occurred here."

As if people who ride the bus are "Varga's people"??? You know, those "undesirable people you send to my mall".

This in addition to Rivertown Crossings' recent declaration to have any nearby residents walking onto mall property to be "arrested on site for trespassing", leaves me to wonder if Rivertown Crossings mall is a neighbor to West Michigan, or if it just wants to suck our money out of our wallets. I wonder if General Growth knows what kind of "bull in a china shop" mall manager they have working for them, and if they condone such decision-making?

In more uplifting news, there's a huge advertising section devoted completely to Uptown shopping in the paper today. Happy Thanksgiving!

[Allison Slater]

This is outright ludicris. I'd suggest getting together a picket group to protest this, but due to their acres and acres of parking, they'd probably kick us off their property and we'd be reduced to being on 44th st.

I don't think I'll be spending any of my money at that mall ever again.

[grcitydog]

I don't need another reason to stay away from Rivertown, but I have one anyways. Just when I thought I had heard enough....

[Rizzo]

You have to admit he's out to protect the safety of customers. I mean what would happen if a Rapid Bus hit a stone and flipped into a barrel roll and exploded into a flaming mess? His customers' money would be burnt and stuff.

---\

[tamias6]

If I read between the lines, this is what I get.

Dear RAPID

I'm damanding that you (The Rapid) remove your bus stop from our mall because we six figure McMansion owning Yuppies driving Escalades and other various gas guzzling SUV's are complaining that there are too many low class slobs poluting our Mall with their ghetto germs and trailer trash filth. We especially don't like those fat mothers and there mutant pimple faced off spring offending we the politically correct and decent upper crust with their WWE westling t-shirts and obesity. If you must drop them off at our shopping establishment, please do so right in the middle of Rivertown Parkway during the afternoon rush hour so that we higher class people may be amused by watching Minorities, Red Necks, and White Trash get ran over by a dozen semi trucks on the way to deliver over priced products made in China to our fine tenents.

Thank You

Mr. Manager

River Town Crossings Mall

[krylonics]

I guess my once a year shopping trip to Rivertown will be no more. I'm going to urge everyone I know to do the same.

[GRDadof3]

It really doesn't make any sense. If there were a bunch of kids being "rowdy" in cars in the parking lot, would they then banish all cars to the far outskirts of the property?? Of course not. But a few rowdy incidents over a five year period by bus riders and all bus riders are kicked to the curb off mall property? Including the handicapped and elderly bus riders? Hmm, I don't think I've heard about any problems at Woodland Mall with their bus stop right outside the mall doors. Hmm, same with the Meijer stores with bus stops...

I think it shows a pattern of prejudice toward certain groups by mall management. This action, combined with treating pedestrians entering mall property as trespassers, shows an attitude that "anyone who would ride a bus or walk to the mall are undesirables" (read: minority, poor, criminals, etc.).

I wonder if the city of Grandville is aware of all this, or Mayor Sheets of Wyoming? That's got to be embarrassing to have your biggest business/employer/attraction be so hostile to local residents. Imagine if Steelcase or Amway banned all employees from riding the bus to work, or told employees that if they walked to work they would arrested.

[OneSweetWorld]

This all has to be a joke, right? What kind of business are these people running? It has to be a joke...

Anyways, someone should form a boycott. I thought this region was trying to make a push to decrease the dependence on motor vehicles. This isn't exactly helping. Zimmerman should be ashamed of himself.

[krylonics]

Maybe we should organize a day that we could fill the bus, ride to the mall stand there and give them a huge group mooning Brave Heart style.

[Rizzo]

Or just write his superiors-- tell them you are "angry," and "ridden with so much disgust that I can no longer choose to patron your facility and tenants."

replicate x100 or so...

I would wonder if this manager isn't just working on his own behalf, but possibly customers have been complaining???

[Allison Slater]

I'm already urging people I know to shop elsewhere. I'll probably send my own complaints to the management there as well.

[tony speller]

This is complete BS! What we should do is draw national attention to this. What I suggest it letting some fairly large (with media pull) environmental organization know about this... about how Zimmerman is discouraging public transportation to the busiest shopping mall in the city, during the busiest shopping time of the year. I guess that doesn;t tie in the fact that they don't want "undesireables" coming there, but we could work that through another avenue. He'd pretty much be forced to let the Rapid continue service, or risk losing a lot more proffit this season.

[GRDadof3]

The feeling is mutual over at Chris Knape's blog. He also has links to Randy Zimmerman's and to General Growth's email addresses.

I also wonder too if Peter Varga at The RAPID should also complain about rowdy Rivertown Crossings' mall patrons causing problems at the RAPID's bus stop at the mall. I mean, if Randy can't keep his OWN mall patron's in check, then who else is going protect the people who ride the bus? What are those mall security guys driving around the parking lot there for anyway, if not to protect the harmless shoppers, including those who arrive by bus?

I'm not setting foot in that mall again until something is done. I'm definitely letting General Growth know.

edit: message sent to Rivertown Crossings. General Growth's contact page is down right now.

[snoogit]

General Growth's contact page is back up.

[tony speller]

The feeling is mutual over at Chris Knape's blog. He also has links to Randy Zimmerman's and to General Growth's email addresses.

[snoogit]

Sometimes you can get more attention if you write a letter, or give a phone-call so heres some non internet-based contact info:

River Town Crossings Contact Information:

River Town Crossings

3700 RiverTown Parkway

Grandville , Michigan 49418

Phone (616) 257-5000

Fax (616) 257-0507

General Growth Contact Information:

General Growth Properties

110 N. Wacker Dr.

Chicago, IL 60606

Telephone: 312-960-5000

And whynot lets get the Mayors of the two towns affected involved too:

Grandville City Government Contact Information:

City Hall

3195 Wilson Avenue SW

Grandville, MI 49418

(616) 531-3030

* Departments At City Hall

o Mayor - (616) 530-4983

o City Manager - (616) 530-4983

o Planning and Zoning - (616) 530-4983

o Treasurer - (616) 530-4972

o Clerk - (616) 530-4976

o Assessor - (616) 530-4979

o Information Hot Line - (616) 530-4978

[tamias6]

I too have voiced my feelings about the bus stop ban to Rivertown Crossings.

[the03avenger]

i sent management a letter letting them know that til the bus stop is moved back i wont be going there ill go to woodland or anywhere else but not rivertown i used to ride the bus i couldnt imagine having to walk that far to the mall he should be ashamed of himself.

[tamias6]

If anything its going to make it more dangerous for people to walk from the bus to the mall. Rows upon rows of parked cars make for perfect hiding places for thugs to ambush unsuspecting people. Also imagine the elderly slipping on some black ice in the middle of winter. There is even danger of being hit by a car. Thus like you and many others here, I'll have factor in this bus ban in my decision rather to go to this mall or to Woodland to do any mall shopping.

i sent management a letter letting them know that til the bus stop is moved back i wont be going there ill go to woodland or anywhere else but not rivertown i used to ride the bus i couldnt imagine having to walk that far to the mall he should be ashamed of himself.

[mgreven]

Woodland's a better mall and a nicer shopping experience anyway...this doesn't help my already not-so-great impressions of Rivertown.

I can't think of one reason to go to RTC over Woodland.

[walker]

Woodland's a better mall and a nicer shopping experience anyway...

[Allison Slater]

Come to think of it, I'm suprised the bus stop isn't in that large often vacant plaza along the road by the cinemark entrance.

[egrguy]

I certainly voiced my displeasure and gave the mall my 2 cents regarding their poor decision. Hopefully, we will see some positive results of this.

[Sunlover38]

Since when does riding the bus entitle you to front door service? The bus drops people off at odd places all over the City . . .sometimes I have to park far away from the entrance and ~gulp~ walk quite a ways . . .

[dragt]

I am a pastor of a church in town and by choice ride the Rapid on a daily basis. I could easily afford to drive a car around town but until I get my electric '72 vw bus operational , I'll be riding the bus. It's incredibly offensive to see the entire bus riding population marginalized to this point. In order to avoid some incidents by a very few, the entire bus riding population is deemed of little enough value to just kick to the curb?!?

to be honest though, no mall in the burbs is really a decent option for bus goers. Service is already pretty limited to the malls, but what other option do a lot of folks have? I needed some new cordless tools for some side work after my beloved 9 year old craftsman died... where else can I go (especially since my local hardware burned down and won't reopen til spring )? I'd have been pretty pissed if I had to carry my new multi tool box across all that parking lot (dogding hummers as I go).

This is classism at it's worst! Anybody up for some truly acts of... ummm... "branding"

Where's all the politcal graffiti artists when you need them...