to think Tescos new rule about alcohol is pointless?

[HotCrossCervix]

They wouldn't sell me a bottle of Merlot because I had a teenager with me.

1. A 16 year old is highly unlikely to be swigging merlot. If the adult were purchasing booze for said teenager, vodka or barcardi breezers would be more likely.

1. What if I had a toddler or 8 year old with me? Would they have refused to sell me my wine?

1. The rule is completely pointless. All I did was tell the teenager to wait outside for me, then I went to a different till and bought my wine. I could have done exactly the same and then passed it straight over to the teenager to swig illegally.

So. Completely pointless and nobbish.

And is it a real rule? or just the till chap being an arse? and what are the details of the rule? Any child at all? Any child over 10? Anyone with a moody teenager in tow?

I work for Tesco and it's not policy to just refuse for having a teenager with you. You should refuse though if you think an age restricted product is being purchased for an underage drinker.

The more ridiculous rule is the one just introduced by the lottery people. You have to be 16 to purchase, but you need to provide ID if the cashier thinks you look under 21. On the test purchase we would fail for selling lottery to a 20 year old without asking for ID! Lots of 20 year olds look much older IMO so this rule is bonkers and just means we're asking for ID from 30 year olds when you only have to be 16 just so we don't get caught out!

Quite. I'm trying not to think about it too deeply in case my rage comes back.

DD was absolutely disgusted she couldn't age 14ish buy a pair of craft scissors, by the time we'd met up the shop had closed for lunch, so they lost the sale.

I got refused ginger beer in a sweet shop once

I think with the teaspoons thing it's because it's all lumped onto the system as 'cutlery' etc so the till automatically flags up a prompt for anything under this heading. Same thing with U rated DVDs.

@ Four

Probably Harrin but why no discretion to override it?

It flags up for the lags mags at my shop now to (i.e Zoo, nuts etc) says they have to be 18!

"I got refused ginger beer in a sweet shop once" Oh that's ludicrous! What happened? I'm assuming you didn't accept that>

I do override it for spoons etc

Common sense surely?

Well I was 15 and didn't know how to argue the point so I went to the off licence for it instead. Bizarre.

I do wish I'd at least tried to be assertive though.

Stupid phone.

Thinks it's either 12 or 14 so you could have been buying it for a fsn

Plenty of the people dd went to school with could easily pass for 30+ . They're all 18/19.

I thought parents were allowed to let their child have a drink from a certain age anyway. Surely if that's not illegal nor should buying alcohol with them present be

I was refused wine once aged 36. I didn't have my driving licence on me and they would not accept my bank card as ID. Frustratingly they were quite happy that I was over 18 but refused on the grounds they did not believe I was over 25 (I do look young for my age, but not that young).

I have also been IDd in my 30s for buying a trowel and vanilla essence.

DSis was also refused at age 36 and didn't have ID with her. She simply sent her 18 YO DD, who did have ID with her to a till a few aisles along, where she didn't even get IDd .

The refusal to sell wine to parents with teenage DCs with them is totally ridiculous, given that it is legal to drink at home under parental supervision at 5 or over.

Given that many people in their 30s/40s have teenage children, it could be argued that anyone shopping without teenagers has hidden them outside so they can buy them alcohol illegally and there is therefore grounds for refusal.

All I want is common sense application of the law.

I didn't have a driving licence until my early 30's, I certainly would not stroll about the UK with my passport in my back pocket.
Fortunately I was never ID'ed, but this was a while ago, and I have been buying booze in supermarkets/off licences since I was about 13/14

"They sell crap wine, anyhow."

OH is a wine enthusiast and knows a lot about wine. He wouldn't agree with you. Perhaps your local Tesco sells rubbish wine?

It's not 'teenagers' it's if you think.... Think it may be given to someone underage.... That's all. Not 'teenagers' being singled out

it's still a ridiculous aspect of the rule, joules. Why are you so defensive about it?

Please don't shout at the person on the till. They are personally liable for the fine and the store might lose its alcohol licence. If you want to protest, please ask for the manager.

I once got asked for ID when buying Jack Daniels Bbq sauce... Hell of a way to get drunk [boak]

I met ds1 and his gf the bar of an independent cinema a few weeks ago. He is just 18 (though looks older), his gf is 19 in June (she only looks about 14).

I arrived first and bought a cup of tea (I know - quite sad). Ds1 went to the bar and bought a pint of lager and a glass of wine.

I was really surprised, but he wasn't asked for ID.

There's just no consistency!

Though I was asked for ID in Sainsbury's when I was about 44. I just laughed and said I have teenage children. I think the checkout assistant was just trying to flatter a middle aged woman .

I started going clubbing when I was 15 and looked about 12. It's a good job they didn't ask for ID all those decade ago. I didn't get a passport and driving license till I was 23.

I don't understand accepting bank cards for ID. I used to pinch my mums credit card when I was 13. Not to pay for ciggies but to use as ID.

I had a diners' club card at age 16, technically it's a charge card not a credit card but still.

I once got IDed for a plastic spatula for applying poly filler.

Though my personal favourite was the time I got IDed for wanting to buy a J2O- you know, the mixed fruit drink.

I was also out clubbing from 15, in those days it was much easier to blag it if you did get asked.

Our local Tesco is quite happy to sell me alcohol (even alcopops) with DD standing by me. However, she is 18 and, despite having ID, is unable to purchase alcohol when wearing her school uniform
This means that if she wants to buy some for a Friday night party she has to change in the school toilets before going. We live in a rural area, so the journey would be annoying otherwise and, anyway, she doesn't take her car to parties for obvious reasons.

Perhaps this needs to be a pre-requisite of being an MP: get them to serve on a till, so that they can be in the position of one who has to enforce box-ticking rules. (Top-down management from behind a desk in Whitehall springs to mind.)

It would also give them some experience of the real world, and they might have more respect for customers when it comes to "expenses".

(I think MP's should do five years' real work before entering politics, preferably some of it on minimum wage, but that's another debate.)