People are probably reading this story in disbelief.
But as someone who works in the trade, I do applaud the efforts of the staff. To many it will seem
rediculous to have asked a 70 year old man to confirm that he is over 21, however in todays Britain you have
to abide by policies such as that one in order to maintain your job. For those who are unaware, as a
retailer of alcohol, one slip up could see you getting a criminal record, up to £2500 in fines and up to six
months in prison. Suddenly a policy of politely asking everyone buying alcohol to confirm that they are over
21 does not seem so stupid does it?
Why the man in question made such a fuss is beyond me, he could quite easily just have said "Yes I am", the store team were quite right not to serve him if he wasn't co-operating with the licensing measures in that branch. Whilst it may sound stupid to ask a 70 year old man to confirm he is over 21, asking everyone for I.D. is the only protection us retailers have from those who are using alcohol to further their own political agenda.
As the penalties grow stricter, expect to be asked for I.D a lot more frequently, especially if you are buying cigarettes this October. Don't take a request for I.D. personally, and if you do then please direct all complaints to the Government and not to the staff!
Why the man in question made such a fuss is beyond me, he could quite easily just have said "Yes I am", the store team were quite right not to serve him if he wasn't co-operating with the licensing measures in that branch. Whilst it may sound stupid to ask a 70 year old man to confirm he is over 21, asking everyone for I.D. is the only protection us retailers have from those who are using alcohol to further their own political agenda.
As the penalties grow stricter, expect to be asked for I.D a lot more frequently, especially if you are buying cigarettes this October. Don't take a request for I.D. personally, and if you do then please direct all complaints to the Government and not to the staff!
