Problem Solution

I live in a small town named Whippany. In this town there are 8 schools, 2 post offices, and many pizzerias. However, there are no places for kids to hang out.  On the weekends, teenagers are finding themselves in all sorts of trouble simply because there is nothing for them to do in this town. Because there is nothing for them to do, they are getting into trouble, resorting to hanging out in parking lots, and wasting money.

            First of all, teenagers in Whippany are getting into trouble with their cars. Since there is no where to go, teenagers are racing down main roads, constantly making donuts in parking lots, and peeling out of unwanted parking lots. All of these actions get the cops attention, and the teenagers end up getting motion vehicle tickets. The teenagers do not seem to think that this is a big deal, but the parents are fed up and with the fees and insurance issues. The teenagers do not understand the consequences and danger of these activities, and continue to do them anyway.

            These problems might not seem like a big deal at first, but once you get more and more violations, they begin to add up. In order to help prevent these violations, the officials can set up more strict punishments afterwards. They could raise the fine price, increase community service, and even possibly incorporate probation hours. The average speeding ticket has a fine between $52 and $202. They could raise the fine to a minimum of $200. If they do this, teenagers might take their actions more seriously.

            Additional to getting into trouble, teenagers have also resorted to hanging out in parking lots. In our town there is a CVS, 711, and Quick Chek. Any day, any hour, you will see at least 4 teenagers hanging out at them. On the weekends, there could be up to 20 people hanging out in these parking lots. Their cars take up all the spaces, they get rowdy, and the workers get annoyed with their loitering. They hang out here for hours on end, and when asked to leave they return 20 minutes later. This is causing a problem and scaring away business for the stores.

            Solutions to this issue could simply be to not allow loitering. Another solution could be “15 minute parking only” signs in the parking lot. These teenagers take up most of the parking spaces, and this is not fair to those who actually want to go into these stores. Limiting their times in the parking spots could benefit the shoppers and the workers at these places.

            Lastly, teenagers with nowhere to hang out waste more money than they think. From gas to fast food, they are always throwing money away. With nowhere to go, teenagers aimlessly drive around for hours. They either drive miles down the highway, or to a fast food restaurant. Even though this food is cheaper, they buy more of it when they are bored just to sit there and eat it. They do not realize how much money they are wasting on things that they do not necessarily need.

            A final solution to these problems could be building a town center or another place for teenagers to hangout. They are still young, and cannot afford to be wasting their money this early in their lives. Having a place to go could save them on gas money, and it also could prevent them from eating just because the