Kids These Days: Six Flags Banning Kids Unchaperoned 15 Under after 5 PM

Parents are no longer allowed to dump their  ̶l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ ̶h̶e̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ kids under the age of 15 at Six Flags Great Adventure thanks to a new rule put in place by the park due to an increase of "unruly and inappropriate behavior" across the entire industry.

The park located in Jackson, New Jersey, announced in a statement that after 5 pm, all visitors 15 and under must be accompanied by a chaperon who is over the age of 21. 

Meanwhile, guests 16 and over may be required to flash their state-issued ID to prove that they're old enough to hit some coasters without a chaperone.

"In response to the increasing incidents of unruly and inappropriate behavior across our industry and at other major entertainment venues, we are taking proactive steps to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone," the statement reads.

Six Flags Great Adventure has announced that after 5 pm kids 15 and under will need to have a chaperone. (Getty images)

I grew up like 20 minutes from Hersheypark and now live in Orlando, Florida — the theme park capital of the entire planet, as well as several others — so I've spent a lot of time in parks in my day.

I spend even more time judging those around me in said theme parks, and by far, one of the most obnoxious groups of people you could possibly encounter are unchaperoned kids in their early teens.

Believe me, I was there. I remember being driven to Hersheypark to ride Lightning Racer and eat funnel cakes until I puked. It was great, there's a euphoria that comes with being taken off leash for the first time in your recently-pubescent life.

But now, as an adult, there's no group I hate being stuck next to than 14 or 15-year-olds on a school trip who are getting their first taste of sweet, sweet freedom.

There's a lot of nonsense that happens at parks these days, and if they think they can fix it by requiring chaperones after 5 pm (which seems like an arbitrary time to pick. Everything's cool at 4:30 but at 5 all hell breaks loose).

I'll be interested to hear if this works. I don't think it'll solve the problem — most theme park fight videos I've seen feature combatants well out of their teens — but it might help.