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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this is ridiculous and petty?

67 replies

bellabreeze · 30/09/2012 22:56

My local co-op wont serve me alcohol while im with my 12 year old now.. tonight I went there just me and my 12 year old daughter and my youngest and he wouldn't serve me because I was with her. First he asked me for Id (I am 31) and then he said does she have any id? (Talking about my daughter) I said no she is 12 he said he can't serve me then and I said you must be joking she's my daughter the drink isnt for her obviously and he said sorry I would if I could etc. A similar thing happened there before when I had my 8 children with me and the woman on the till said I am going to have to ask for I.d for you (talking about my 12 year old daughter) but I was like she's my daughter blah blah and she accepted that and it was ok. This seems so stupid??? the time when the woman said it was ok was when I went to the till with my weekly shop but today I only had a few things so went to the 10 items or less or whatever it is. I was annoyed

OP posts:
ExitPursuedByJKR · 30/09/2012 22:58

I'd be livid if anywhere refused to serve me alcohol.

8 children? Gosh, you have your hands full.

Floggingmolly · 30/09/2012 22:58

Is it necessary to bring your eight children with you to buy alcohol? Hmm

squeakytoy · 30/09/2012 22:59

31 with 8 children.. no fucking wonder you need a drink...

WorraLiberty · 30/09/2012 22:59

Fucking hell with 8 children I'm surprised you don't get alcohol supplied on the NHS! Grin

YABU though

I've read something similar in the newspaper a few months ago

Madness

WorraLiberty · 30/09/2012 23:00

Fuck I meant YANBU

I'm still wincing at the 8 children

SPsFanjoHarboursDeadCatsAgain · 30/09/2012 23:02

It is stupid! I have been ID'd for calpol before. I was 20 at the time.

I have also had my 13 year old brother with me and they have asked him for ID.

One tome my brother who was 16 came with me. I was 21 to get some wine for mum. He wasn't ID'd but I was!

OrangeLily · 30/09/2012 23:05

This happened to DH at co-op on Friday, he had DSIL with him who is 18 but doesn't drink. They told him they couldn't serve anyone with kids with them at all. ( I assume referring to DSIL as she does look young). I assume this means you can't buy wine with your weekly shop?!?

Original poster
bellabreeze · 30/09/2012 23:09

Yep hands are very, very full and I don't usually have a problem in other shops but these types of things have happened a few times. When I was younger my older brother sent me to the garage with a signed note from him to get him some fags haha

OP posts:
freddiefrog · 30/09/2012 23:09

I've been IDed a couple of times for wine, first time I had my driving licence with me, 2nd time I'd bunged a tender in my pocked and walked to the shop so I had nothing. I'm 36 and look it so was not amused.

It's not actually illegal to sell alcohol to someone if they're accompanied with someone under age unless you suspect they are buying it for someone under age (so someone doing their weekly shop with their 10 year old with them should be fine)

freddiefrog · 30/09/2012 23:10

Ooops, that should say I bunged a tenner in my pocket

EmmaNemms · 30/09/2012 23:10

This happened to a friend of mine; he was with his daughter of about 16, buying a bottle of Merlot for Sunday lunch. A supervisor came over and refused to serve him for the same reason. He bought the rest of his stuff, took it back to the car, left his daughter outside and went back in to get his wine. The supervisor chased him through the store, shouting, 'I know you, you're trying to buy wine for a minor...!'

I know they have their policies but these seems wholly out of proportion.

5Foot5 · 30/09/2012 23:13

YANBU - totally f*ing ridiculous

It is unclear though whether the person behind the till is just obliged to follow a totaly daft management policy or risk losing their job or whether they are being a bit stupid and are unable to understand and use their common sense about when the policy is meant to be applied and when it is not.

shesariver · 30/09/2012 23:13

Is it necessary to bring your eight children with you to buy alcohol?

Well if you have no childcare then I assume you would have to take all of them with you, and buying alcohol is perfectly legal! Hmm

Ive heard this a lot about the co-op actually, completely mad really, effectively barring parents from buying alcohol if they have their children with them.

BackforGood · 30/09/2012 23:16

I must be really old and responsible looking then, as I went and bought 8 cans of cider today - just the cider, nothing with which to soak it up Wink with my 16 yr old, 13yr old, and 11 yr old, and no-one questioned me at all.

5Foot5 · 30/09/2012 23:16

EmmaNemms I am appalled! I do hope your friend wrote a letter of complaint to the store manager about the bizarre and neurotic behaviour of their supervisor.

StaceymReadyForNumber3 · 30/09/2012 23:16

This is ridiculous, don't they know when young people ask others to buy them alcohol they don't go in the shop with them?!

I've never bought alcohol for young people but a lot of my friends used to do this. I just used to walk in and buy it myself from 13, was never id'd until I turned 18 Hmm

marriedinwhite · 30/09/2012 23:18

I have fantasies about being asked for ID. Sometimes the person at the counter has to call the supervisor because they are under 18 and I joke and say I quite understand they had to check I was old enough. They never get the joke though.

Sounds absurd. I have teenage children and sometimes they are with me when I buy a bottle of wine. I have been questioned.

RobynRidingHood · 30/09/2012 23:18

That is a common practice in the co-op. No idea why.

squeakytoy · 30/09/2012 23:18

I am still Shock that you have EIGHT children... at the age of 31...

Devora · 30/09/2012 23:20

Floggingmolly, is there anything actually wrong with buying alcohol when with your children? Or is it just eight children you object to - is there a borderline over which you have Too Many Children To Buy Firewater?

Devora · 30/09/2012 23:21

My gran had eight children in her early thirties. She didn't stop there, either Grin

Devora · 30/09/2012 23:21

And I expect they were with her when she did her shopping. Possibly including alcohol.

shesariver · 30/09/2012 23:24

devora Grin

Floggingmolly · 30/09/2012 23:25

I'm just struggling with the idea of trooping eight children down to the off licence to buy booze. Why does it have to be a family outing?

thenightsky · 30/09/2012 23:26

Madness!