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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be fecked off with the supermarket checkout woman

150 replies

Remotew · 17/06/2009 21:36

We were in a well known supermarket. I bought the weekly shop and DD (15) was trying to buy 2 DVD's on her own cash card one was a cert 15. DD was 15 a month ago so was excited to be buying a 15 DVD with her own cash card but the check out woman asked her for ID!!!

At 15 she hasn't thought about getting ID. I was packing my shopping, £40 worth I should add, and minding my own business then saw DD produce a European Health Ins card with her name and dob on it but this flipping woman (she was an aussie juding by her accent) said she needed photo ID. I then intervened and said I was her mum she is 15 and this is ridiculous. I will pay for the DVD and she tried to tell me she was breaking the law by selling it to me.

She did let me buy it on my card, if not I would have kicked up a stink and she knew it. AIBU to be fecked off. The shape of things to come!! This should be stopped now.

OP posts:
Thunderduck · 17/06/2009 22:22

YABU.

ravenAK · 17/06/2009 22:23

It's all so we gratefully accept compulsory ID cards in a few years y'know.

To be fair, the shop do not have to sell you or your dd anything.

They can refuse to sell you an onion or a packet of Blu-tack if they like.

Your redress is to shop elsewhere...

One thing is that the cashier does have to ID anyone she believes might be underage to buy a given product, & having done so, refuse to sell it if no ID is forthcoming.

Your willingness to vouch for dd is worth jack & quite rightly so - no doubt you are a responsible, law-abiding citizen, but I'm a teacher, I run residential trips & I've taken quite a few bottles of vodka off 13 year olds whose mums packed it for them .

Not all parents are trustworthy - the checkout lady was doing her job.

Original poster
Remotew · 17/06/2009 22:24

OMG I was with her and I am her mum, she is 15 so old enough to buy it. Why can no-one agree that we should not have been subjected to this ridicule at the check out counter.

How would you lovely young ladies feel if you wanted to buy a nice bottle of pinot, to be asked for your passport (or other photo ID) when you are over 18 and with your mum who vouched for you and she was told her word wasn't good enough.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 17/06/2009 22:25

YABU. The check out lady was following the law.

There have been many cases in the papers recently where the police use under age children to test shop keepers wrt selling items to underage children.

[guffaw] @ "police State" though.

Ivykaty44 · 17/06/2009 22:26

I would be soooo very balrdy delighted if the check out girl asked me for ID

I have my drivers licence in my handbag so would be able to produce ID that states I am far to old an old bag to be questioned.

hocuspontas · 17/06/2009 22:27

There are so many things in the word to be annoyed about and this ain't one of them.

Are you sure you're not making this up? What's £40 worth of shopping got to do with anything? Your daughter was asked for ID. You should be grateful.

SoupDragon · 17/06/2009 22:27

Personally I'd be flattered.

Having said that, if I needed to buy an age-restricted item and needed photo ID to prove my age, I wouldn't be bleating about the fact that they wouldn't sell it to me without that ID.

ThePhantomPlopper · 17/06/2009 22:27

What on Earth have the Tories got to do with this?

I'm am ALWAYS asked for ID, I was asked for ID for a pair of fecking scissors last week, I show it and move on.

pooka · 17/06/2009 22:28

I'd think that I should remember to take ID with me next time. While being rather chuffed to be mistaken for an under 18 year old. I generally do have my photo driving license with me. Your dd can get a photo ID card as someone has already said.

Why is the fact that your dd (who was 15 a month ago) had already seen the film in the cinema relevant? And how would the shop assistant know this?

Ivykaty44 · 17/06/2009 22:28

The council also employ 15 years olds to go "shopping" at different places to see whether shop assistants will illegally seel them products that they shouldn't.

The up shot is the shop assistant will lose her/his job.

BitOfFun · 17/06/2009 22:30

YANBU, it would piss me off too. And absolutely it is about softening us up for ID cards.

< slaps copy of Socialist Worker down, pulls on anti-CS spray vinegar-soaked kerchief >

Nahui · 17/06/2009 22:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Remotew · 17/06/2009 22:34

No this is not made up. I suggest you all go out and get photo ID for your kids now in case they want to get onto the over 10's ride in a theme park or something similar because you as a parent vouching for them means 'jack shit'.

You could after all be giving said 10 year olds bottles of vodka.

OP posts:
ThePhantomPlopper · 17/06/2009 22:39

Jeez.

How hard is it to flash some ID FFS. Go and get a citizen card.

You both need to get used to it. ITS THE LAW.

Nahui · 17/06/2009 22:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

HerBeatitudeLittleBella · 17/06/2009 22:41

oh yes all these things are here to protect you.

We all need the kindly state and the supermarkets to protect us from ourselves and each other.

Thank goodness for them. I would be scared without them.

ThePhantomPlopper · 17/06/2009 22:41

Well said Nahui.

SlartyBartFast · 17/06/2009 22:44

so how did you dd feel during the whole scenario?
it had to happen i spose. a shame it was upsetting as she was so happy to be able to buy a 15.
get her some id.

ravenAK · 17/06/2009 22:44

'you as a parent vouching for them means 'jack shit'.

You could after all be giving said 10 year olds bottles of vodka.'

That's right.

Glad the penny has finally dropped.

Original poster
Remotew · 17/06/2009 22:45

Bitoffun, Thank you.

I am beginning to realise from this thread that at my age I am on a different planetplain to the rest of mn. I can remember when a law abiding citizens word counted for something. Or when we were asked if we were 18 and said yes we were believed, especially if mum was with us.

Can anyone suggest a site that I might fit into?

Also for the person that asked why politics was revelant, god help you.

OP posts:
Nahui · 17/06/2009 22:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Ivykaty44 · 17/06/2009 22:46

No I will not get photo id for my dd and if the shop will not sell her a bottle of vodka so she can drown her sorrow then I will be pleased that instead.

I would not be pleased if my dd went to the shop to buy a bottle of vodka and the woman in the next que vouched for her as a mum and the assistant then sold her a bottle of vodka - in fact I would be very pissed of with the vouching system to be allowed and would insist proper ID was required when buy illegal substances.

ThePhantomPlopper · 17/06/2009 22:47

I can suggest a fabulous site.

Looney Lounge.

Tis fabulous other there, don't worry you don't ID to register, they'll just take your word for it.

BitOfFun · 17/06/2009 22:49

< pokes tongue out >

HerBeatitudeLittleBella · 17/06/2009 22:52

oh yes it's much more looney to expect common sense than to meekly accept ID cards by the back door.

I'm 43 and I could be asked to produced ID to buy wine. That's ID carding by the back door, but of course I'm a looney to notice that.

It's no coincidence that they start ID demanding from teens. Catch them while they're young, bring them up to expect to produce ID wherever they go, and they won't question it.

Sleep on.