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Baffled by booze ban
2:04pm Wednesday 14th May 2008
CHECKOUT staff at a York supermarket refused to serve a woman alcohol because she had her teenage stepson with her.
Debbie Bell, of Pateley Place, in Acomb, York, went to the Tesco Extra store at Askham Bar on Sunday afternoon to buy a crate of lager while her husband was buying petrol.
The 39-year-old went into the supermarket with her 18-year-old stepson, Michael.
But when she got to the checkout, the assistant asked a supervisor whether he could serve her.
Mrs Bell said: "They said no' and asked my stepson if he had any ID. I said to Michael to go get his dad but they said that even if I got my husband they still would not serve us as we had an underage lad with us.
"Then he asked me to put the case of lager back and I told him to get stuffed.
"You can't do that just because somebody has kids with them. I was in there the day before with a 17-year-old lass and there were no problems."
She said her stepson was not even carrying the beer, he was just standing next to her and she said if it was Tesco policy not to serve people who have teenagers with them then it was a "stupid" policy.
A spokesman for Tesco apologised for the inconvenience but said the company had introduced the policy earlier in the year in a bid to stop underage drinking. He said that as far as he knew Mrs Bell's was the first complaint from the Askham Bar store about the scheme, but admitted that no records were kept of customer complaints.
He said: "There was a huge problem with kids attempting to buy alcohol so very strict policies were put in place to stop this, but the other problem is underage people getting adults to buy alcohol for them."
To combat this he said that all cashiers are instructed not to sell alcohol to adults if they suspect it may be drunk by someone who is underage.
He added: "It is very, very hard to gauge, but what we say to our cashiers is to err on the side of caution."
Have your say
Do you think the Tesco policy is a good idea?
Your Say YourPress
petethefeet, York says...
10:18pm Thu 15 May 08
To all. Isn't the problem that the law allows, in most cases, drinking in public places? Today, Gordon Brown suggested this should be examined following violence in Manchester. This would have my support.
Yorks_Lea, York says...
5:19pm Thu 15 May 08
petethefeet wrote:I'm sure they'd rather lose £3000 of business than risk even the possibility of losing their liquor license. How many grands' worth of business do you think THAT would lose them?
Asda, Sainburys and Morrisons don't do this. They would only do it once to me and bye-bye about 3 grands of business per annum.
If you think big corporations would undermine their legal standing because of a single customer, you are very much mistaken.
At the end of the day, it is your responsilbility, as a customer, to prove your age. It is not ANYONE'S responsibility to sell you ANYTHING with no proof of age. I'm 23, and I always carry my driver's license with me. Because I understand that the burden of proof lies with me, and if I cannot get served it is my fault for forgetting my ID. But of course it is easier to blame the 'stupid' cashiers with 'no common sense' and the 'big corporations' than to accept personal responsibility. If the young man could not prove his age, the cashier was under a legal (and moral) obligation NOT to serve the alcohol. And to stand his or her ground in the face of what sounds like abuse ('get stuffed'? Was that verbatim?) from this angry unreasonable woman. I say well done to the cashier for sticking to their guns.
To all of you using the hyperbolic stance of "Well what if I take my son to do the weekly shop, what if I have my two-year old with me (forwardslashrighteo
usindignation)" approach, I have to say you're being deliberately obtuse. The problem was not with the boy being PRESENT. The problem was that the cashier believed there was a possibility the lager might be for the boy. OBVIOUSLY no-one is going to believe you are buying alcohol for a babe-in-arms. To act as though this would ever be an issue is just obtuse.
Chumpy69, York says...
5:07pm Thu 15 May 08
Why can underage staff at tesco's serve you with alcohol?
Even if they ask a manager, who 9/10 times dont even check your ID let alone see your face.
Orange, York says...
3:24pm Thu 15 May 08
(oh pooh you rotters)
Plaggy Terry, Classic Cnuts says...
9:53am Thu 15 May 08
i am chilled ,you asked i answered,, the end, if anyone is getting distraught I would suggest it was yourself now get over it and move on theres a good little lad
when all else fails lets just accuse the commenter of not being chilled or angry, very strange way to have a debate
Plaggy Terry, Classic Cnuts says...
9:50am Thu 15 May 08
lastword morris, Haxby Rd says...
11:59pm Wed 14 May 08
tiger wrote:I was in my car!!!!!..behind them..
Plaggy Terry wrote:what has this got to do with tesco and their policies terry? huhlastword morris wrote: Well it seem sincredibly difficult to get canned up these days SO....WHERE did the two 8/10 year olds on Huntington rd last night get their can of carling???? Thet were both on those really small bikes and riding in the middle of the room drinking out of the cans!!How did they manage to ride in the middle of the room and u saw, where the curtains open ???
hustler, York says...
11:51pm Wed 14 May 08
Gardener, NZ says...
11:03pm Wed 14 May 08
Anon, York says...
10:41pm Wed 14 May 08
my opinion, york says...
9:59pm Wed 14 May 08
TooRad wrote:LOL I agree its a load of cr@p and I agree with mr soul to, which is probably a first
1 - Akuma often talks cr@p, but his comments here are the cr@ppest load of cr@p he ever cr@pped. 2 - I'm utterly ashamed to say I agree with both Bemused and Mr Soul! 3 - The problem lies with big corporations making countrywide policies and not allowing discretion. A smaller shop or off licence would be familiar with its customers and would be able to implement a policy like this based on knowledge rather than a directive from head office which may not necessarily apply.
True grit, York says...
9:45pm Wed 14 May 08
tiger, york says...
9:26pm Wed 14 May 08
Plaggy Terry wrote:i think you need a chill pill mate... i dunno whats wrong with you getting over heated loike that for? i only asked you what it had to do with tesco and their policies..that was all... now relax!
tiger wrote:zilch zero, but ive already commented on the tesco policies do i need to reiterate always all the time ? other commenters have come out with irrelevant statements on this are you going to ask them the same question? That said i thought it was kinda funny someone riding in the middle of the room drinking out of cans. get a grip or a sense of humour obviously it wasnt a serious comment.<shakes head>Plaggy Terry wrote:what has this got to do with tesco and their policies terry? huhlastword morris wrote: Well it seem sincredibly difficult to get canned up these days SO....WHERE did the two 8/10 year olds on Huntington rd last night get their can of carling???? Thet were both on those really small bikes and riding in the middle of the room drinking out of the cans!!How did they manage to ride in the middle of the room and u saw, where the curtains open ???
crabstick, york says...
8:42pm Wed 14 May 08
Plaggy Terry, Classic Cnuts says...
8:18pm Wed 14 May 08
tiger wrote:zilch zero, but ive already commented on the tesco policies do i need to reiterate always all the time ?
Plaggy Terry wrote:what has this got to do with tesco and their policies terry? huhlastword morris wrote: Well it seem sincredibly difficult to get canned up these days SO....WHERE did the two 8/10 year olds on Huntington rd last night get their can of carling???? Thet were both on those really small bikes and riding in the middle of the room drinking out of the cans!!How did they manage to ride in the middle of the room and u saw, where the curtains open ???
other commenters have come out with irrelevant statements on this are you going to ask them the same question?
That said i thought it was kinda funny someone riding in the middle of the room drinking out of cans.
get a grip or a sense of humour
obviously it wasnt a serious comment.<shakes head>
Plaggy Terry, Classic Cnuts says...
8:12pm Wed 14 May 08
Has anyone forgotten Akumas stance on the drink driver thread.
Let him remind us of that stance too!
TooRad, york says...
8:04pm Wed 14 May 08
2 - I'm utterly ashamed to say I agree with both Bemused and Mr Soul!
3 - The problem lies with big corporations making countrywide policies and not allowing discretion. A smaller shop or off licence would be familiar with its customers and would be able to implement a policy like this based on knowledge rather than a directive from head office which may not necessarily apply.
Brian, york says...
7:29pm Wed 14 May 08
slornie, Birmingham/York says...
6:31pm Wed 14 May 08
Bob Reid, York says...
6:25pm Wed 14 May 08
I guess Tesco would have well and truly shown her the door!
Plaggy Terry, Classic Cnuts says...
6:17pm Wed 14 May 08
Its really silly,like another commenter said you can go to a pub and have a drink when you have the children with you so in effect you could technically sling them a sly sip of your booze.like the wacky warehouse, for instance or places like that or even all pubs with children welcome signs,
But you cant go to a superstore and buy alcohol whilst having a child with you, he wasnt even a child !!
PC gone mad !!
tiger, york says...
6:16pm Wed 14 May 08
Plaggy Terry wrote:what has this got to do with tesco and their policies terry? huh
lastword morris wrote: Well it seem sincredibly difficult to get canned up these days SO....WHERE did the two 8/10 year olds on Huntington rd last night get their can of carling???? Thet were both on those really small bikes and riding in the middle of the room drinking out of the cans!!How did they manage to ride in the middle of the room and u saw, where the curtains open ???
Plaggy Terry, Classic Cnuts says...
6:14pm Wed 14 May 08
lastword morris wrote:How did they manage to ride in the middle of the room and u saw, where the curtains open ???
Well it seem sincredibly difficult to get canned up these days SO....WHERE did the two 8/10 year olds on Huntington rd last night get their can of carling???? Thet were both on those really small bikes and riding in the middle of the room drinking out of the cans!!
petethefeet, York says...
5:43pm Wed 14 May 08
Bluebear, Acomb says...
5:40pm Wed 14 May 08
Lamplighter, says...
5:34pm Wed 14 May 08
YorkieMan wrote:I don't think they bother if you're buying the alcohol in with the weekly shop. I get the impression that these people were only buying alcohol, which is probably why they were refused. This is only my opinion though, I don't know for sure, but I do know that common sense is applied in most cases.
Tesco is completely out of order on this one. My 16 year old always accompanies me whenever I do a 'big shop' at Tesco and afterwards we have a coffee together in their cafe. My shopping usually includes beer and wine. What am I supposed to tell him now "Sorry you cannot come shopping with me now so you'll have to stop at home while I struggle with all the bags on my own and have a solitary coffee looking like a 'billy no mates'. Message to Tesco - I'm a big boy now and I can buy alcohol. I can even if I so choose allow my strapping son to help me carry it to the car. Stop me from buying it and someone is going to have one big puddle to clear up when it gets 'accidentally ' dropped at the checkout on a busy Saturday.
Chumpy69, York says...
5:24pm Wed 14 May 08
A87 wrote:What a Joke !!!
i went for a pint after work the other day, on my way home i stopped at tesco to buy a few more cans, i got id'd as always and they still wouldnt serve me because they could smell alcohol on my breath! pathetic!
Why dont they just ban alcohol from supermarkets, as they are making it harder and harder for the public to purchase...
1) If you have kids with you, leave them outside or else you won't be able to purchase alcohol.
2) Don't go into the supermarket smelling of alcohol, and attempt to buy some.. even if you walked because they will refuse to serve you.
3) Make sure you keep ID on you at all times even if you are over 30.(what about a few that don't have any form of ID?)
Chumpy69, York says...
5:23pm Wed 14 May 08
A87 wrote:What a Joke !!!
i went for a pint after work the other day, on my way home i stopped at tesco to buy a few more cans, i got id'd as always and they still wouldnt serve me because they could smell alcohol on my breath! pathetic!
Why dont they just ban alcohol from supermarkets, as they are making it harder and harder for the public to purchase...
1) If you have kids with you, leave them outside or else you won't be able to purchase alcohol.
2) Don't go into the supermarket smelling of alcohol, and attempt to buy some.. even if you walked because they will refuse to serve you.
3) Make sure you keep ID on you at all times even if you are over 30.(what about a few that don't have any form of ID?)
amigo, york says...
4:42pm Wed 14 May 08
YorkieMan, York, UK says...
4:41pm Wed 14 May 08
Message to Tesco - I'm a big boy now and I can buy alcohol. I can even if I so choose allow my strapping son to help me carry it to the car. Stop me from buying it and someone is going to have one big puddle to clear up when it gets 'accidentally ' dropped at the checkout on a busy Saturday.
Flash, York says...
4:40pm Wed 14 May 08
X, At Work says...
4:33pm Wed 14 May 08
A87 wrote:I can see where they are coming from with that one though... but you were possibly legal to drive so they had no excuse really.. sounds like the managers been talking to his staff and they are expecting some test cases!!
i went for a pint after work the other day, on my way home i stopped at tesco to buy a few more cans, i got id'd as always and they still wouldnt serve me because they could smell alcohol on my breath! pathetic!
A87, york says...
4:27pm Wed 14 May 08
X, At Work says...
4:26pm Wed 14 May 08
Is it 5pm yet???
X, At Work says...
4:24pm Wed 14 May 08
I can go into Tesco and be refused beer because I have my 4 yr old with me, I can walk out of Tesco and into the Flying Legends who will happily sell me the beer and provide me with a safe area to allow my children to play.
There has to be more to this story than is being published, perhaps the sales person know the people involved, perhaps they were talking about him having the beer, perhaps he put the beer on the till. he had no ID so was never going to get served.
the picture shows them as A model family :-)
lastword morris, Haxby Rd says...
4:23pm Wed 14 May 08
TE wrote:sorry to be dim but I dont quite understand..can you simplify (Gin damage you know)
That's why you're only 80% (8/10ths)you left the bike. ;-)
lastword morris, Haxby Rd says...
4:20pm Wed 14 May 08
TE, York says...
4:19pm Wed 14 May 08
;-)
AdmiralN, York Centre says...
4:18pm Wed 14 May 08
Just ask the highway patrol officers or state troopers!
Ok i appreciate yours & ex-yorkists point, but you are in the USA, the laws that you abide to are not applicable here. UK has its own laws!!
lastword morris, Haxby Rd says...
4:14pm Wed 14 May 08
TE, York says...
4:11pm Wed 14 May 08
lastword morris, Haxby Rd says...
4:09pm Wed 14 May 08
TE, York says...
4:06pm Wed 14 May 08
lastword morris wrote:Haxby of course!
Well it seem sincredibly difficult to get canned up these days SO....WHERE did the two 8/10 year olds on Huntington rd last night get their can of carling???? Thet were both on those really small bikes and riding in the middle of the room drinking out of the cans!!
lastword morris, Haxby Rd says...
4:04pm Wed 14 May 08
TE, York says...
4:04pm Wed 14 May 08
Mr_Soul, says...
3:57pm Wed 14 May 08
I don't know why anyone shops at Tesco anyway. It's the worst of all the big chains.
I certainly won't shop there ever again after reading this ridiculous story.
tonesview, york says...
3:37pm Wed 14 May 08
Nobody 's hurt. Fact is, they will
probably have gone to Asda, left the kid in the car and got it there
anyway.Whilst supermarkets sell alcohol, it will be impossible to police.
akuma, everywhere says...
3:37pm Wed 14 May 08
Peachy. The problem has been caused by this unreasonable policy. Even if this lady was puchasing alcohol for an under-age son to sup on the street, then next time she'll simply tell him to wait outside.
Maybe, but I'd rather they try than simply turn a blind eye to it as people will try to find ways around it.
These "customers" had driven their to rightfully purchase a legal product.
A licence permises can refuse to serve who they want, for any reason they want, any time they want. The customer has no legal entitlement or rights.
As for kids drinking on the street? So far as I can determine, it's not illegal so long as a local restriction is not in force and that their money has not been involved.
Clearly street drinking is not an issue where you live as if it was, you'd not have that opinion.
platform 9, york says...
3:36pm Wed 14 May 08
Cruddass is a muppett, says...
3:34pm Wed 14 May 08
julie wrote:As long as the signwriter could spell better than you, that would be funny.
CAN SEE EVERY 1 LEAVING THERE KIDS OUTSIDE TESCO WHEN THEY WANT TO BUY ALOCHOL OR TESCO CAN ALWAYS PUT A SIGN OUTSIDE ...LEAVE UNDER AGE KIDS HERE LOL
petethefeet, York says...
3:33pm Wed 14 May 08
Cruddass is a muppett, says...
3:32pm Wed 14 May 08
David, York says...
3:30pm Wed 14 May 08
petethefeet, York says...
3:29pm Wed 14 May 08
Peachy4 wrote:Peachy. The problem has been caused by this unreasonable policy. Even if this lady was puchasing alcohol for an under-age son to sup on the street, then next time she'll simply tell him to wait outside. These "customers" had driven their to rightfully purchase a legal product.
Even is Tesco were in the wrong why then should they be subject to this person being abusive to the staff (who are only doing the job they are told to do)by telling them to get stuffed. And personally all you moaning about Tesco would be the first to complain if a gang of drunken yobs started shouting and being abusive towards you while drinking alcohol bought by stupid parents !!!
As for kids drinking on the street? So far as I can determine, it's not illegal so long as a local restriction is not in force and that their money has not been involved. Bonkers maybe, but that's the law. As usual, the police can be economic with the truth. In many cases this is understandable but when it spills over and manifests itself in a stupid policy like that conceived by Tesco then it's understandable that people get angry.
akuma, everywhere says...
3:26pm Wed 14 May 08
all you moaning about Tesco would be the first to complain if a gang of drunken yobs started shouting and being abusive towards you while drinking alcohol bought by stupid parents !!!
So very true!
Bring on the NIMBY's to deny it though!!!
julie, YORK says...
3:25pm Wed 14 May 08
Peachy4, york says...
3:23pm Wed 14 May 08
And personally all you moaning about Tesco would be the first to complain if a gang of drunken yobs started shouting and being abusive towards you while drinking alcohol bought by stupid parents !!!
akuma, everywhere says...
3:19pm Wed 14 May 08
petethefeet wrote:But if they suspect that "eslewhere" is on the street, then they should refuse to serve, 18+ or not.
akuma wrote: Nope still agree with Tesco. As a barman, I have to constantly refuse to serve people who are 18+ as I know they are buying for under age people that out sat of of my sight. OK, I recon now and again I'll get it wrong, but over all I think its worth erring on the site of caution.Pubs are different. The issue is supermarket sales - for consumption elsewhere.
Diogenes, College Station, Texas says...
3:16pm Wed 14 May 08
tonesview wrote:Just giving another perspective!
highway patrol officers, state troopers ???? WTF Where am I ????
Redr, york says...
3:13pm Wed 14 May 08
petethefeet, York says...
3:12pm Wed 14 May 08
akuma wrote:Pubs are different. The issue is supermarket sales - for consumption elsewhere.
Nope still agree with Tesco. As a barman, I have to constantly refuse to serve people who are 18+ as I know they are buying for under age people that out sat of of my sight. OK, I recon now and again I'll get it wrong, but over all I think its worth erring on the site of caution.
Jef, Yorkshire says...
3:11pm Wed 14 May 08
akuma wrote:But children over 5 are allowed to drink in the home with their parents. Its just illegal in pubs and public places.
Nope still agree with Tesco. As a barman, I have to constantly refuse to serve people who are 18+ as I know they are buying for under age people that out sat of of my sight. OK, I recon now and again I'll get it wrong, but over all I think its worth erring on the site of caution.
tonesview, york says...
3:09pm Wed 14 May 08
Where am I ????
akuma, everywhere says...
3:07pm Wed 14 May 08
As a barman, I have to constantly refuse to serve people who are 18+ as I know they are buying for under age people that out sat of of my sight.
OK, I recon now and again I'll get it wrong, but over all I think its worth erring on the site of caution.
Jef, Yorkshire says...
2:58pm Wed 14 May 08
bored wrote:A parent is allowed too buy alcohol for children over 5 to be consumed in the home just not in pubs or public places.
petethefeet wrote:No, purchasing on behalf of a minor is not legal, and never has been. I doesnt matter if you sell it to them/give it to them for free etc because the principle is the same. Alcohol from a licenced premesis when served with a meal is correct and has been for quite some time.bored wrote:Check your facts. The law regarding 18 is only about purchasing alcohol. Only if the child is under 5 can you be prosecuted for giving them alcohol Are you aware that, since about 2003, an adult is allowed to purchse alsohol for a 16/17 year old in a restaurant?petethefeet wrote: This is totally rubbish. Even if her son is under-age, she is legally allowed to buy alcohol for his consumption so long as she doesn't sell it to him. The law might be a ****, but a parent can give alcohol to any child of 5 or over. Not that I'm suggesting that they do.errrm no pete, I think you will find that if you did this the long arm of the law would be quite happy to slap a nice fine on you. It is not legal for a minor to buy alcohol, or for an adult to purchase it for them.
bisley, York says...
11:47am Fri 16 May 08
Oh and it makes me laugh about the zero tolerance zones. Walmgate had been one for ages when I had lived there and people sat night after night drinking alcohol on the seats out side the One-Stop and despite residents repeatedly complaining to oour community officers and our street environment officer nothing was EVER done.