AIBU to think this Supermarket is judging my parenting?

[Doingmybestmum]

AIBU? Standing in a queue in Tesco with (home from uni) DD chatting to me. I was clutching a much anticipated bottle of Pimms, with accompanying lemonade, strawberries, mint etc... goodies going through when charmless checkoutee asks for age of said 21 year old DD and ID for her or she would not be able to sell me the Pimms. I calmly explained that I (substantially over 21) am buying said alcoholic beverage with my money and a) DD is only standing next to me b) its my money c) DD is over 21 and d) what on earth... the manager was called and I was allowed to purchase. AIBU to think that this is ridiculous - I understand that adults must not buy alcohol for underage children, but if you were - would it be Pimms, and would you have the "child" standing next to you?

Ha ha! That's insane. I was in asda earlier & bought a bottle of red wine with 3 yo ds. No one asked for his ID. There is no law about buying alcohol whilst accompanied by children.

Jobsworthy...

But she may have thought dd was underage and you were buying it for her to consume, however a parent is allowed to give their child alcohol in their own home when supervised so..

I don't imagine the checkout person had a view about your parenting. She was just trying to apply the rules, give her a break.

I had the same issue but with a mini bottle of wine for my coq au vin. I left all my shopping at the till and went elsewhere.
Tescos do seem to be particularly keen to prevent under 18s getting alcohol.
Surely they must know that most kids steal booze or stand outside while the adult purchases alcohol for them. Someone doing their weekly shop and a bottle of gin pimms probably isn't going to be sharing it with anyone else

It's just the supermarkets policy, they will have had training telling them what to do. Nothing to do with you personally just their policy.

The consequences for not following their training is harsh, she/he was just doing their job.

It's a tricky one. I work in a supermarket and wouldn't have id'd you for that.

However, if you'd bought a load of al coops, maybe? But probably not...

There was a similar story a while back ...

There is no law about buying alcohol whilst accompanied by children.

No. But there is a law about serving someone who will sell the alcohol to anyone underage. And that law is exacted on the cashier as well as the store. It is quite a stretch, but UK law is littered with bonkers decisions, so it's not fair to blame the cashier.

www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/licensing_of_alcohol/#delivering

A person who works on relevant premises in any capacity commits an offence if he knowingly delivers to a child under 18 alcohol sold on the premises, or supplied on the premises (in the case of a club). Similar offences are committed by a person who knowingly allows anybody else to deliver the alcohol.

It's what we wanted.

Apparently.

There is a law about buying alcohol for underage teenagers

How can this law be enforced when you are in a supermarket buying alcohol for yourself but your child is with you? Surely even if the dd was 15, the OP should be allowed to buy alcohol.

If OP was covertly trying to buy alcohol for minors then I doubt she'd bring said minor to the checkout with her whilst she paid for it. Some staff are a bit overly cautious due to fines etc but at least the manager sorted it for you.

Also I don't think any under 18s who are planning an illegal bender would be drinking Pimms with lemonade - more like 20/20, White Lightning or for a more up market evening WKDs! Ah, youth, how I miss you

Nope. It is NOT against the law to buy alcohol whilst accompanied by a minor... but retailers may choose not to serve you if they think the alcohol is being bought for the minor. Though many make that same mistake, Julia, and apply it as though it is, indeed, law!

www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-facts/alcohol-and-the-law/the-law-on-alcohol-and-under-18s/

So yes, OP, you were being judged ... and the checkout person found you guilty! Of course, that may not be her fault, it could be that store's policy... but it still is NOT the law!

This has happened quite a few times, of course they must prevent alcohol being sold to under age kids but why should someone be prevented buying alcohol because they have their child with them.

Supermarket workers have to ask for id if the person you are with looks underage.

What. So you can't go shopping with teenage DC and buy alcohol? Ehhhhhh?

If OP was covertly trying to buy alcohol for minors then I doubt she'd bring said minor to the checkout with her whilst she paid for it.

If she was working for those who police the laws on selling alcohol she would probably do exactly that.

I've had this a couple of times before when with a younger Dsis - they're just doing their job, it's not based on judgements of you. Kind of silly though, I agree - especially as both times I just went to a different checkout without Dsis!

Bur as Pps have said the penalty for the cashier can be very severe!

When I worked in Tesco I was keenly aware that I would get a fine if I put through a transaction that actually supplied someone underage with alcohol. We were expressly told to check ID for teens/ young adults that were with older adults. Yes it's annoying but I did it because I couldn't afford a ridiculous fine.

If she was working for those who police the laws on selling alcohol she would probably do exactly that

Dont these sort of operations send in under age children though, not legally aged to buy alcohol adults? Its not against the law to buy alcohol and have a teenager with you.

I was in supermarket years ago with DS, then aged about 3. I was buying wine, and he said loudly, "But mummy I DON'T like WINE." Fair enough, although it did rather sound like he was force fed it along with his broccoli.

Perhaps I should have been refused service?? Bloody glad I wasn't.

Find another supermarket. It's amazing that some supermarkets (for example, Waitrose) don't do all this crap and yet the licensing authorities don't turn up to charge anyone.

The legal theory that someone selling alcohol in this situation must confirm that it isn't for someone underage is nonsense, the offence (Licensing Act 2003, S.147(1) is "knowingly allows the sale of alcohol on relevant premises to an individual aged under 18.", my emphasis, and that's a hugely higher bar than "might be confronted with a situation in which it might possibly the case that".

I was keenly aware that I would get a fine if I put through a transaction that actually supplied someone underage with alcohol.

You were told wrong.

The test is "knowingly".

she was just doing her job - if someone sells alcohol which looks like it could be being purchases for someone under age then it is classed as the employees fault.

Police and trading standards frequently target shops as a test. In Sainsburys it is a challenge 25 policy!

SoupDragon that's true, but if questioned by the cashier the people "undercover" have to say, yes it's for the minor (they are not allowed to lie, not sure why).