Page 11 | To think that the rules are RIDICULOUS and infantilising?

PurpleButterflyWings · 10/07/2023 19:13

Of COURSE YABU @OhBling . This kind of stuff is not to be sold to 13 year old CHILDREN! Even if they ARE 'tall for their age..........' 🙄

Inwiththenew · 10/07/2023 19:17

I wouldn’t give my kid monster (because it’s full of nasty chemicals) but I agree absolutely with your sentiment. My son wanted to see a 14 film with me, and he was 12 at the time and we weren’t allowed in the cinema. I totally think that that is my call. All this trans sex and shit that they get to learn at school ffs and I’m not allowed to decide if my child can watch anime! It’s maddening for sure.

Noodles1234 · 10/07/2023 19:19

It is illegal for shops to sell energy drinks to a child now. So if the shop realises you will hand it over they need to show due diligence and refuse the sale.

Secondary schools have huge issues with kids drinking these in or outside school, they are either hyper or crash out.

Maybe your child is 17, but I would have a think about not buying these for them and encourage alternative healthier drinks.

https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2019/07/23/uk-government-bans-sale-of-energy-drinks-to-u16s

UK bans sale of energy drinks to U16s

The UK government has confirmed it will ban the sale of energy drinks to children under 16.

https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2019/07/23/uk-government-bans-sale-of-energy-drinks-to-u16s

suzanneinfo · 10/07/2023 19:28

Hope you were nice to cashier. We regularly get mystery shopped and can get disciplined or even fined for selling age restricted products. What you were doing was a proxy purchase and no different to your son being served.

J3001 · 10/07/2023 19:28

There is age restrictions on these drinks has been for a couple of years

HerRoyalGoddess · 10/07/2023 19:32

As soon as I saw the title I knew this was about energy drinks.

Yes you are being unreasonable and I can say that as someone who works in retail you are judged if you buy your kids energy drinks, there's a reason you have to be 16 to buy them.

Bournetilly · 10/07/2023 19:37

YANBU but why didn’t you just say it was for you?

MysteryBelle · 10/07/2023 19:39

Personally I think it’s irresponsible for companies to make these types of super caffeinated drinks and irresponsible for the retailers to carry them. It is not smart for adults to drink them, they can cause all sorts of problems, some you don’t want to have. Seeing these monster drinks, and they are monster like in their harmful effects, lined up near the counter makes us think they’re not harmful, well they are. There is something disingenuous for retailers to pretend they care about enforcing regulations on something that if they really had integrity would not be carrying the drinks in the first place. Marketing and making $ do not care about children or adults.

I do share the op’s sentiment as a pp said, and bristle at being told what to do. Just keep in mind that in this particular case, it’s not wise to give these to our kids or to drink them ourselves.

KPops22 · 10/07/2023 19:50

I was refused more than 2 packs of Imodium from Morrisons yesterday 🙄

purplebunny2012 · 10/07/2023 19:57

YABVU, same as cigarettes and alcohol, the cashier would have broken the law in selling to an adult to give to a minor.
You may not agree with the law, but it has been made illegal to sell energy drinks to under 16s, or adults buying for them

purplebunny2012 · 10/07/2023 20:02

OhBling · 09/07/2023 21:49

It's not, in fact, illegal, just like it's not actually illegal for a parent to allow a child to drink some alcohol. There are recommendations and guidelines, as with alcohol. All of which seem like a good idea to me.

My issue is that co-op decided to make it a rule. That was my irritation.

Clearly, lots of you agree with co-op. Fair enough. I still think it's ridiculous and a but pointless- all of the people who agree with the rule would never allow their children to have it. The rest of us will just buy it elsewhere. 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

But it's not just Co-op, it's all retailers as it's the law.

purplebunny2012 · 10/07/2023 20:06

Dogsitterwoes · 09/07/2023 18:55

It's not against the law for minors to buy or drink them, posters are incorrect on that.

It's likely to be introduced as a law in future, and a lot of retailers have decided to make their own rule on it, which they are entitled to. If the Coop has that rule, then the man would have been risking his job to serve you

Personally I think there's far worse things to worry about than some caffeine.

I stand corrected, then. Buy I've yet to find a retailer that will sell energy drinks to a minor, so it may as well be law

PurpleButterflyWings · 10/07/2023 20:06

J3001 · 10/07/2023 19:28

There is age restrictions on these drinks has been for a couple of years

More like 4 years actually.

WalkingOnTheCracks · 10/07/2023 20:10

Groccery shopping. Daughter and her boyfriend - 20 and 19 - were packing the bags as I got out my wallet. The light's flashing so the Waitrose partner comes over to press the 'you can buy alcohol' button.

As she arrives, my daughter says, "Can we give you something towards all this?"

The Waitrose lady clocks this, and asks them for ID. My daughter shows hers. Her boyfriend doesn't have his with him, but he tells her he's 19.

"I don't think she can take your word for it, Jack," I say. "She has to see ID."

The Waitrose lady says that she can't sell us the alcohol because it might be for him.

I say, "I'm paying for it. He's just standing there."

"But the young lady offered to pay for it."

"And I'm not going to let her."

"Still, you might be buying it for him."

"Would you be taking this position if he were three?"

"No."

"Ten?"

"No."

"Fourteen."

"Probably."

"Then he's ten. He's very tall for his age."

"He's already said he's nineteen."

"Do you believe that?"

"Yes. No. I mean....it doesn't matter what I believe..."

"Then he's ten, and it doesn't matter whether you believe it or not."

In the end, they had to go out to the car park while I paid, then come back to fetch the bags.

ANonnyMice · 10/07/2023 20:19

OhBling · 10/07/2023 12:47

Don't worry, I'm not giving him Monster for ADHD. I just made the point that we are less stressed about SOME caffeine than other people are, and yes, we will absolutely be speaking to a doctor when we get our assessment in a few months time! We can't wait! Although maybe he doesn't have ADHD but rather has been permanently damaged by being allowed to try Monster 3 or 4 times!?

I can't remember who did a deep dive on my posting history (bizarre) but yes, I fudge my children's ages on here regularly! Genders too. Also, my age, DH's age, and the number, gender and age of my siblings! I thought everyone did that for privacy reasons?

Thanks for everyone's responses. Notwithstanding your views, I feel pretty confident I'm not a terrible parent and I'm actually quite proud of how we've supported DS over the last few years, but it's been interesting to read and food for thought.

I have a 14 year old DD who has diagnosed ADHD - and the odd half can of diet Red Bull now and then has actually been pretty effective in calming things down when she's bouncing off the walls.

So I voted that you are definitely not being unreasonable.

CM1897 · 10/07/2023 20:22

OhBling · 09/07/2023 18:37

Was just in a Co Op buying a few bits. DS negotiated with me that I'd buy him a Monster, and he'd drink half (they are such huge tins it drives me mad)....

... the man in co op would not sell it to me because I was going to give it to a child.

FFS. I'm an adult. He is my child. I can decide what he can and can't have. And caffeine is NOT illegal for children.

I'm also fully aware that lots of people will say I AM BU because no child should ever drink anything except fresh water, preferably from your local stream.... But I'm extremely annoyed. These rules are ridiculous.

Is it worth the member of staff losing their job so you can please your son?

MysteryBelle · 10/07/2023 20:23

WalkingOnTheCracks · 10/07/2023 20:10

Groccery shopping. Daughter and her boyfriend - 20 and 19 - were packing the bags as I got out my wallet. The light's flashing so the Waitrose partner comes over to press the 'you can buy alcohol' button.

As she arrives, my daughter says, "Can we give you something towards all this?"

The Waitrose lady clocks this, and asks them for ID. My daughter shows hers. Her boyfriend doesn't have his with him, but he tells her he's 19.

"I don't think she can take your word for it, Jack," I say. "She has to see ID."

The Waitrose lady says that she can't sell us the alcohol because it might be for him.

I say, "I'm paying for it. He's just standing there."

"But the young lady offered to pay for it."

"And I'm not going to let her."

"Still, you might be buying it for him."

"Would you be taking this position if he were three?"

"No."

"Ten?"

"No."

"Fourteen."

"Probably."

"Then he's ten. He's very tall for his age."

"He's already said he's nineteen."

"Do you believe that?"

"Yes. No. I mean....it doesn't matter what I believe..."

"Then he's ten, and it doesn't matter whether you believe it or not."

In the end, they had to go out to the car park while I paid, then come back to fetch the bags.

This is excellent 😂 I want you on my team whenever there’s a prickly situation like this. Are you a debater by profession I wonder? 😅

FuppingEll · 10/07/2023 20:24

purplebunny2012 · 10/07/2023 20:06

I stand corrected, then. Buy I've yet to find a retailer that will sell energy drinks to a minor, so it may as well be law

Show quote history

How many have you tried? All of the kids around here know who will sell monster to those under 16. The shop across the road from my kids school makes a killing selling them to teens.

Carpediemmakeitcount · 10/07/2023 20:33

OssiPup · 10/07/2023 18:49

OP regarding the Monster, it doesn’t sound like you give your dc this daily for breakfast so I can’t see what the fuss is about. Seems like everyone has assumed you feed your dc absolute rubbish all the time. ‘Bad’ food choices every so often are unlikely to cause harm, and the amount of caffeine in 1/2 a can of monster is unlikely to land your dc in A&E. if everyone who is berating you can honestly say they have never allowed their dc to eat unhealthy foods as a treat then fair enough, they’re entitled to their views, but I suspect they’ve all had ready meals/takeaways, sweets, birthday cake etc, all of which are packed with sugar and additives. So please don’t go away feeling like you’re a bad parent. 😊

I think it's because they have put an age on these drinks at 18 you can smoke, drink alcohol and monster drinks. Would you give your child a drop of whisky or a drag on a cigarette? I don't think you would.

mrsDracoMalfoy · 10/07/2023 20:35

How old is he? Coz if he's under 16 this will be called an poxy sale and the store could be prosecuted if they sell it to you to give to someone they believe to be underage.
Let's say the staff member considered you could be a 'mystery shopper' or "detective' and they sold you this drink. You then report him and he loses his job.
He was literally just doing his job. Monster drinks have an legal age limit.

roarrfeckingroar · 10/07/2023 20:39

No child should be drinking monster or any other energy drinks. Why TF would you buy it for him?!

Vynalbob · 10/07/2023 20:45

I agree with you.... however I'm not going to make it overtly obvious to a checkout person.

I went into a local co-op spouting that as a member me and OH could get 2x meal deals for £7 instead of £8

Cost £17+ why ? we accidentally picked up the only flavour wraps that weren't in the deal (same fridge same shelf... everything else was included).
😡😡😡

Beety3ly · 10/07/2023 20:47

I had this in coop over a scratchcard. My daughter asked me to get one....she liked scratching them off. I was told I couldn't get it as I was buying for her?!

BlueMongoose · 10/07/2023 20:48

Is this a company rule?
If the shop has rules, which it is totally entitled to, the staff have to follow them.
If you don't like it, shop elsewhere.

Sparkleshine21 · 10/07/2023 20:59

Yeah sorry I agree with the majority here. Anyone I know who drinks that stuff gets addicted and ends up knackered all the time and overweight. Plus it’s just gross, have you smelt it? Grim.