John, when you say MALL I think of The Galleria atTyler mall here in Riverside. It's pretty big and very busy. I'm afraid to walk to the mall from my parked car, much less ride a bike through it! All those car drivers are looking for is a parking space!

On the other hand, the mall where I park to commute is much smaller and not as busy. As long as you ride safely and keep a lookout, it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm sure in CA there is a law against this (you can't cut through gas stations on the corner to avoid the light) but who's really going to care in this case?