Seventy two year old man stopped from buying alcohol - Page 5

23-09-2007, 12:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Incognitas

No it's that we are developing the mindset of corporate lawyers.

Or that the government is prepared to unfairly hold the hapless checkout assistants responsible so that it can claim to be tackling underage drinking. Either way, I don't see why checkout assistants should be expected to rock the boat. Hardly anyone else does.

Shaun · 23-09-2007, 15:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by freezin

According to USDAW the law states, to avoid prosecution, the seller has to 'take all reasonable steps' to avoid serving under age customers:

If in any doubt, ask the age of the purchaser.

If you are still even slightly unsure, ask for proof of age.

If there is no valid ID, refuse the sale.

If the seller is charged with making an under-age sale, but can prove that they took these reasonable steps, they will escape prosecution.

If I had been working on a checkout (which has to be a really mind numbing job) I might well have wanted to get into the habit of wanting every customer buying alcohol to confirm that they were legally able to make the purchase. And checkout assistants are constantly reminded of the need to be vigilant by managers.

That's the climate that has been created in Britain with undercover enforcement officers.

I really don;t think asking "are you over 21?" is sufficient to cover these points. I think you'd still be prosecuted if you fell fowl of the law and were caught.

Rita Malone · 26-09-2007, 14:47

Anyone who works for Morrisons are either two sandwiches short of a picnic or are just plain

I worked for Safeway/morrisons three years ago. I am glad I left. All the dairy was on the bottom of a pile of heavy ladened ready meals. Er, I think the dairy was like crushed.

Mr_love_monkey · 26-09-2007, 15:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rita Malone

Anyone who works for Morrisons are either two sandwiches short of a picnic or are just plain

I worked for Safeway/morrisons three years ago. I am glad I left. All the dairy was on the bottom of a pile of heavy ladened ready meals. Er, I think the dairy was like crushed.

Well to be fair, I don't think most people grow up thinking of working at Morrisons as their dream job - I'm sure most of them would like to work elsewhere

**Hugh** · 26-09-2007, 15:11

You said -

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rita Malone

Anyone who works for Morrisons are either two sandwiches short of a picnic or are just plain

Then you said -

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rita Malone

I worked for Safeway/morrisons three years ago.

I know you have now left, but I assume you weren't including yourself in the first statement.

---------- Post added at 14:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:10 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

Well to be fair, I don't think most people grow up thinking of working at Morrisons as their dream job - I'm sure most of them would like to work elsewhere

Sir Ken Morrison might disagree - I am sure it was his dream job

Mr_love_monkey · 26-09-2007, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by foreverwar

Sir Ken Morrison might disagree - I am sure it was his dream job

Nah, I've met him, he said he always wanted to be an Fighter Pilot

**Hugh** · 26-09-2007, 15:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

Nah, I've met him, he said he always wanted to be an Fighter Pilot

Douglas Bader?

Mr_love_monkey · 26-09-2007, 15:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by foreverwar

Douglas Bader?

No, it's just the way my trousers hang

**Hugh** · 26-09-2007, 15:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

No, it's just the way my trousers hang

They still wet? (from your "little problem").........

I thought you had just got legless last night.

Mr_love_monkey · 26-09-2007, 15:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by foreverwar

They still wet? (from your "little problem").........

I thought you had just got legless last night.

oi - less of the 'little'

Mal · 03-06-2008, 22:37

I went into the Morrisons in Eccles today. I had gotten some beer and after she had put the bottles through the till, she said to me in future I would have to provide an ID to prove that I was over 25.

Well, it's nearly 10 years since I passed that birthday and there is no way that I could pass for being younger.

My only ID is my passport and I am not going to be carrying that around just to buy booze, I'd rather go elsewhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by freezin

According to USDAW the law states, to avoid prosecution, the seller has to 'take all reasonable steps' to avoid serving under age customers:

If in any doubt, ask the age of the purchaser.

If you are still even slightly unsure, ask for proof of age.

If there is no valid ID, refuse the sale.

If the seller is charged with making an under-age sale, but can prove that they took these reasonable steps, they will escape prosecution.

From Freezin's post, it states "If in any doubt, ask the age of the purchaser". If that guidance is correct, I take it that it is not compulsory to ask, so why can they not let the checkout operators use their judgement?

danielf · 03-06-2008, 23:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mal

I went into the Morrisons in Eccles today. I had gotten some beer and after she had put the bottles through the till, she said to me in future I would have to provide an ID to prove that I was over 25.

25? They are suggesting you have to prove you're over 25 to buy beer now?

03-06-2008, 23:12

I was in a local Tesco Metro the other night, the girl on the checkout served this guy with a couple of bottles of alcohol then refused to serve him with 20 cigs.

Tezcatlipoca · 03-06-2008, 23:33

I got asked for ID in ASDA on Saturday, while trying to buy cigarettes... I turned 18 back in 1995!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enuff

I was in a local Tesco Metro the other night, the girl on the checkout served this guy with a couple of bottles of alcohol then refused to serve him with 20 cigs.

What? Does she mistakenly think that tobacco has a higher age limit than alcohol? Very odd!

03-06-2008, 23:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mal

I went into the Morrisons in Eccles today. I had gotten some beer and after she had put the bottles through the till, she said to me in future I would have to provide an ID to prove that I was over 25.

Well, it's nearly 10 years since I passed that birthday and there is no way that I could pass for being younger.

My only ID is my passport and I am not going to be carrying that around just to buy booze, I'd rather go elsewhere.

From Freezin's post, it states "If in any doubt, ask the age of the purchaser". If that guidance is correct, I take it that it is not compulsory to ask, so why can they not let the checkout operators use their judgement?

If checkout operators use their judgement and they are wrong, they personally faces a large fine, losing their job, and a criminal record, and the store runs the risk of having its licence to sell alcohol revoked. I worked for a supermarket last year, where staff were constantly reminded of these risks.

Some of the customers who get challenged are understandably very irate, but I don't blame the staff for not taking the slightest chance. With the threats they face, who can blame them for being paranoid? Why should supermarkets and their staff make a stand against this nonsense? Nobody else does.