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Age-related sales - nikki (18th Aug 2008 - 13:21:22) Working for a retail outlet that sells age-related products (alcohol, cigarettes, lighters, medicines,glues,magazines, cigarette papers & filters) I am still amazed at the torrent of abuse we get from young people upon asking them for I.D. For instance, it is apparent many people are still not aware that the law changed last October with relation to the sale of Cigarettes and that you have to be 18 to buy them, not 16. Most places now operate a challenge 21 policy...if you look 21 or under you will be asked for I.D. (passport,photocard driving licence or a passcard). During the past few weeks at work i've had : "oh for $&%! sake I'm 21 and you served me last month" "I drive!" (yeah but you have to be 17 to drive) "No I haven't got any I.D but my mate has,you can serve him instead" (errr no I can't) "Get so and so (meaning another assistant) as they saw my ID yesterday/last week/month" and the best one of all: "oh for $&%! sake you are joking you dozey cow" -no I'm not joking..a minimum £80 on the spot fine is no laughing matter, nor is losing my job or the worst case scenario going to court to receive a large fine or/and a custodial sentence (it is known to happen!). http://url.co.uk/ovgp1 So, if you have a son/daughter 21 or under remind them before they go for a night out to take some I.D with them. Also, I have customers asking why they can't buy a Stella/Fosters etc tin separately ..and why do they only come in packs of 4, well this is to help combat binge drinking. I think most outlets have adopted this now.

Re: Age-related sales - barbara (18th Aug 2008 - 13:58:23) sorry to hear that you are taking flak. I know that where you work is not that well paid and that seems extra stress to be sworn at. I had a job some 20 years back serving the public, and a customer threatened me because I refused him a Bank Loan. Luckily there was a screen up, but with name badges they can easily find you.! Surely these young people in Liphook must either be at school or college at that age, in which case their parents are giving them too much money! When I was young I could not afford either cigarettes or alcohol. Do you know whether any of these young`people have homes in Liphook?, Perhaps some of the younger members of staff have knowledge of who they are if they are local. Can you ban them for swearing at you?

Re: Age-related sales - nikki (18th Aug 2008 - 14:55:33) Retail as an industry isn't well paid unless you're at the very top, but that isn't my gripe ( i'm lucky enough to look forward to going to work and enjoy it a lot). Being sworn at, shouted at is something everyone, I think, who works in retail is used to. The only time i've experienced aggression at work (by customers) is when asking for I.D. One can take the swear words and verbal abuse ..it's forgotten as soon as it happens..and I'd rather go home having learnt a new swear word than be £80 out of pocket or indeed out of a job. At the end of the day it's the person jumping up and down because he/she can't get his cigs that looks the fool.

Re: Age-related sales - Sue W (19th Aug 2008 - 09:51:43) This problem streatches far and wide, and there are cases where some very odd decisions have been made by retail outlets. A gentleman recently told me that he was in a large local store, who refused to serve 2 people with two bottles of drink. the explanation was that they were restricting sales to curb binge drinking!. (aparantly these people were neither young looking or behaving badly) They asked where else they could obtain some and was recommended another outlet. So what was the point of refusing them!!. I do sympathise with some of those 16-17 year olds, who were smoking legally, and now find themselves hoocked on a drug that has been withdrawn from them and no alternatives, except sticking on a patch, which may help their health, but not the habbit!

Re: Age-related sales - Eneida (19th Aug 2008 - 12:30:56) Whilst I fully sympathise with Nikki....being sworn at is certainly not pleasant...I totally disagree with all these further 'nanny knows what's best for you' laws!!! Prohibiting a product only makes is more 'desirable' in the eyes of many, especially the young. Study history and you will see that Prohibition in the US just led to an enormous increase in underworld crime and not less alcoholic consumption. The Government should butt out of interfering with peoples lives and encourage instead responsible thinking....if you want to become an alcoholic smoker and spoil your own health that's up to you and you will have to live with the outcome. It won't seem so very clever and glamorous then will it ? Eneida

Re: Age-related sales - nikki (19th Aug 2008 - 16:57:03) Trouble is without these laws ,rules and regulations, our community would suffer..the recent trouble in the Midhurst Road and village green wouldn't be so isolated...it would be far far worse.

Re: Age-related sales - Eneida (19th Aug 2008 - 19:39:23) Well Nikki things wouldn't be far worse if, instead of making more and more restrictive laws to try and curb bad behaviour, they looked at the situation from the opposite point of view and made the punishment for drunken behaviour and the enforcing of it much more draconian!!! Build more prisons, punish criminals properly, get many more policemen on the beat instead of filling in forms at the station, re-instate a Police Station or Police house in every town and village....that sort of thing. We had all this before, don't tell me it can't be done again. As it stands at the moment, perfectly law abiding citizens will be stopped from buying a bottle of alcohol or whatever, just because some can't behave themselves. This government has totally lost the plot IMO and we are allowing them to get away with it.... Do you think it will really stop with alcohol and cigarettes....just you wait, it won't be long before a plump looking young person will be told they can't buy a bag of chips or a chocolate bar because of some luny Government scheme to tackle obesity!!! Eneida Eneida

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