To have called him a jobs worth?

[DreamInLavender]

I had just finished work this afternoon and got DS from nursery. I went into my local supermarket who I'm a regular at and generally have a good experience there.

DS was sitting in the trolley. I bought some alcohol.. ''Sorry, can't serve you that'' I asked why not, I have ID if you need it. The woman said ''Yes but does the person you're with?'' I asked if that was a joke and she said no, with a very straight face. I said fine then and the alcohol was put aside.

I then go to the kiosk for my lottery ticket for Friday. The man there asked for ID, so I provided it He then said he couldn't remember what the cut off point is, as in the younger year to make me old enough to buy a ticket, so said he'd have to wait for his manager to confirm who's on lunch. I said ''Forget it jobsworth'' and left.

Was I really that unreasonable? I still feel quite annoyed at the sheer stupidity!

Lack of common sense regarding the toddler and booze.
The lottery incident is a whole something else.

I do find the age thing slightly weird, considering in the UK it's 16 to buy lottery tickets, isn't it? Meaning that people born in 2004 could buy a ticket, so unless you're super close to that, it'd just be subtracting 16 from 20 to figure out the year?

I don't see how they're a 'jobsworth' for simply adhering to the law.

The fact they were incapable of determining whether you met the criterion for a legal sale suggests they're incompetent or inadequately trained, but 'jobsworth'? No.

There’s no need to be rude to people so I say YABU.

Calling someone a jobsworth is not, IMO, 'incredibly rude'.

Calling them a useless cunt is pretty rude, but jobsworth is pretty mild

OP yanbu. If someone can't work out if you're old enough to buy a lottery ticket from your I'd then they shouldn't be solo at the lottery desk. They're not skilled enough for the job, and the manager is a useless cunt not doing their job properly to place the staff member there. I'd be confident guessing the person in question is on minimum wage and the manager decided to cut a corner rather than putting someone more skilled and possibly more highly paid there instead

Out of interest, how old are you?

The alcohol with the toddler is ridiculous. That supermarket needs naming and shaming, the staff training is clearly not up to scratch

How old are you OP? Do you just look really young?

I get IDd for alcohol all the time and in big supermarkets with Think25 for age restricted goods I've been ID'd for lottery, scratchcards and even medicine.
They can't be too careful.

Although, saying that, I've had DD with me when buying alcohol during my weekly shop and haven't ever been refused.

Next time, take the child out of the trolley, flip the trolley, knock over all the shit on the counter, scream at the kiosk person and leave with the child. Obvs.

Most of the posters going on and on about disability. And what if he didn't? End of the day, if that's part of your job (sell lottery tickets) you should be able to work out someones age. I'm no great at maths so at my work we had a piece of paper behind the tills stating a date by which a person would have been born to be 18.
About 10 years ago I was buying a bottle of alcohol and because 1 of my mates didn't have an id on them she didn't sell it to me even tho it was me trying to buy it. That was in morrisons

Anyone who uses the term "jobsworth" is a grade A arsehole

I'm guessing for the wine, they're on the lookout for mystery shoppers

There have been several threads almost identical to this over the last few weeks and plenty of retail staff have commented about being fined, being caught out.

Most of the posters going on and on about disability. And what if he didn't?

Not the really the point. He may not have done.

But by the sounds of it, theres a good chance there was, given op wasnt born in 2004. Which is the year, that the cut off currently is.

Why would you risk making someone, struggling, feel like shit?

If there was something that pointed to someone, possibly being physically disabled, would you still think it was ok to talk to someone like that?

Let's be honest, the term jobsworth is designed to embarss and belittle people.

I am quite amazed that so many people think this is fine. Seems we still have a long way to go when thinking about hidden disabilities.

The alcohol situationnlnwas ridiculous and has happened to me before.

You were needlessly rude to the other assistant though.

Batshit really. Both situations.

Yes I know that checkout operators have to be really careful but refusing a parent just because they have a young child with them is ridiculous. Last time I did my Think25 training it wasn't illegal to sell alcohol to parents.

As for the lottery situation I don't even know where to start

I mean you need to be born on or before 12/3/2004 to buy a ticket. I worked in a small supermarket a decade ago and there was a little note that flashed up “when checking ID customer must have DOB on or before x date.”
I think YABU to be so rude to the chap but I would be complaining to the manager. If someone doesn’t know what the date is they need to be looking at then they need to be off the kiosk. No excuses.

Agree with you @TreeTopTim, I mean if you’re popping in with your tweens and they’re picking out a Bacardi breezer (if they even still exist) it’s much different to grabbing a bottle of Merlot with your four year old.

Are you near the year of being just legal for the lottery?

No. People born in 2004

Sorry that should say people born in 2004 are okay for lottery tickets now. I was born in the 90s

You were rude.

Well you were rude but even if he applied 18 to the lottery surely you are still more than old enough to buy it if born in 90s?

What cut offs does he think there are after 18

If you are working with money and cant do simple math then you really shouldn't be there

You were rude to the second person after the first person annoyed you, so no that is not ok

Yikes! Someone in that store or company has been in trouble recently for selling to people underage and they’ve now “retrained” their staff and in doing so scared them shitless. Happened when I worked in retail about 10 years ago.

YANBU by the way but they’ve had the wind put up them.

If he can’t do basic maths he is in the wrong job. Our local Waitrose would go out of business given the number of parents (with children) who stock up on booze regularly were prevented from purchasing their weekly cases of Prosecco. It sounds like they have recently had their knuckles rapped. I would complain

Was it Tesco? They really train their staff to be very overzealous with this - I have seen cashiers refuse to sell to people with toddlers with them etc. Tried to stop my pregnant friend buying beer for her husband. Before anyone jumps on me I know the consequences etc, I was a cashier not too long ago.

A chap in our local Morrison's wouldn't sell me beer (for my husband) because I was pregnant. His argument was that I couldn't drink it so I might be buying it for someone underage. The woman sat behind him in the next till turned around and told him off for being stupid - he put it through.

Same chap also i'd me for alcohol free shandy.

YANBU, OP! Even if they use the 25 age as a limiter!

Alcohol sales makes me think that that person, or the shop, has recently been caught selling to underage customers. But with ID and a toddler there is no reason whatsoever to be refused.

There is absolutely ZERO reason for a member of staff to be on that counter if they don't know ro have a note of the age dates required. Wait for my manager to come off lunch is a ludicrous response, probably made by an untrained member of staff!

The store/manager has a repsonsibilty to staff and customer alike. If a staff member has problems with dates / math then they shouldn't be on that counter without back up, reminders, clear guidance!

I'd try the store manager, or Twitter if you are still feeling pissed off!

Yikes! Someone in that store or company has been in trouble recently for selling to people underage and they’ve now “retrained” their staff and in doing so scared them shitless. Happened when I worked in retail about 10 years ago

They dont even have to be underage. You can be fired or disciplined for serving 19/20 year olds. They test the think 21/25 policy is being applied correctly.

However no "retraining" covers being handed ID and not being bothered to work out. That's not fear of serving an underager. That's just laziness.