Single men were taken aback yesterday as the City Center and Villaggio malls surprisingly scrapped the ‘Family Day’ rule, allowing them to enter the premises without hindrance from security guards.
The single men, as well as security personnel at the two malls, were clueless on whether this was a one-time thing or if it would become a permanent feature, given the outcry and charges of racism that followed when single men, mostly Asians, were kept out of the malls during the Eid holidays.
Offices of the malls' managements were closed yesterday on account of it being Friday, so officials were not available for comment. The formerly out-of-bounds souq area was also seen teeming with single men as the authorities appeared to have relented and allowed them to enter the area, at least yesterday.
"We are happy ‘Family Day’ is not imposed today, although we haven't yet received any formal memo whether this will be permanent," a security guard at the City Center told The Peninsula.
"I personally feel bad to see these good people outside the mall," he said, adding he felt sorry to see single men having to spend their only day off milling about with nowhere to go.
"Today is not ‘Family Day’ but we do not know what happens next Friday," a security guard at Villaggio said.
Asked why they had suddenly stopped the implementation of ‘Family Day’, a security official at City Center said: "We only imposed ‘Family Day’ during Eid to control the crowd. We wanted to avoid overcrowding and trouble. It is the bachelors who normally cause problems." He, however, expressed the hope that the ‘Family Day’ would soon be a thing of the past.
Single men at the malls were thrilled since they got to spend the day at the malls. "I can finally watch movies I want to see. You know, one good movie completes my week," said George Lanting, a Filipino cinema buff who had come to City Center.
He was eager to tell his flatmates the good news. "My friends are just staying in the house right now because they thought it is ‘Family Day’, so I came here alone," he explained. Lanting's 'gamble' had clearly paid off.
"It has been quite some time since I have gone to City Center. I missed many things around here, including the promotions. My only free time is on Fridays. I am happy ‘Family Days’ have at last ended," said Rommel, another resident.
Putting an end to the ‘Family Day’ concept is beneficial to both the malls and single men. "I come to the City Center to buy things, not simply hang around. Bachelors, too, have money to spend," said Farooq, an Indian resident.
The ‘Family Day’ rule has met great resistance from single men and even women, whom it is meant to protect. They have called it biased and even racist. A section of authorities here are believed to be looking at ways to bring the ban to an end, which many consider a violation of human rights which gives Qatar a negative image.
Meanwhile, the City Center in a press release announced a record 200,000 visitors during its Eid promotion. The record turnout was despite the ban on single men, or the figure would have been much more considering the many single men who tried to enter the mall during the holidays.
The Pen
The problem is equal ratio and sadly the hygene of some of the people that enter these areas. Then there are the perverted acts of touching themselves and staring at women. I say that if people want to enter a shopping area, they have to have the intent to spend some money and not just loiter (which is illegal in many countries).
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