Instant Idiot . . . just add champagne

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I got stuck working New Year's Eve until almost closing - bleh. Needless to say, any holiday really brings the "cream of humanity" out of the woodwork.

And, naturally with the ALE and local law enforcement on the lookout for drunks behind the wheel/trying to buy alcohol/basically being a nuisance, we were having to be a bit more vigilant in checking ID's.

One such law is of course, if there's a group and any of them look under 40, you gotta ask for EVERYONE's ID, even if only one is paying for the beverages.

Had three twentysomething yahoos come through the line with 4 bottles of champagne. Two of them look right around 20ish, other guy looked like he was in his early 20's. Needless to say, I had to check all 3 guy's ID's.

Guy who was paying had his ID. I then asked the other two with him if they had theirs. Neither one did.

So, I swoop up the bottles and start to put them under the counter and explained that I couldn't sell to them if they didn't have ID.

They start throwing a fit in pure SC fashion. "This is bullshit! I'm the one buying the stuff," Yahoo #1 screeches.

Other two dumbarses start chiming in "She just wants to be a bitch. We'll just go to WalMart."

I smiled and explained "It's the law." I had already tucked the bottles under the counter when they started their whining.

They were still complaining loudly as they went out the door. CSM was watching them as well.

Meanwhile, the line starts backing up and I go on to the next one.

About 30 minutes later, the CSM asked me if I had seen one of them try to sneak back in. I hadn't, for I was tied up with trying to check out the endless line of customers, so I asked when this was.

Just a few minutes earlier. Morons hadn't even made good on their threat to go to WM, as they'd been turned down there too if they were on their game as we were. Apparently one of them came back in, only to be refused by another cashier and shooed out the door, minus the bubbly.

We kept watch the rest of the evening, but they didn't try to come back in after that.

DGoddess 1
Jerks 0

[LostMyMind]

Wow, talk about stupid. You would think they would learn to only have one person come in and buy the liquor and the rest stay in the car.

[Becks]

Ah, but that would require logical thinking.

[Auto]

It's been years since I've had to ID customers so I never had to ask a group for ID if one of them looked underage.

How does the policy actually work? Do you keep a mother from buying a bottle of wine because she's got a small child with her? (A silly example, I know.) I'm old enough to buy booze -- if my much younger brother is along, will the store refuse to sell to me?

I understand the point of the policy. I'm just curious how it actually works in practice.

[reformedwaitress]

I'm old enough to buy booze -- if my much younger brother is along, will the store refuse to sell to me?

I could be wrong, but as far as I know, if you are *going through the line together* the answer to that question is yes.

[cheese]

I think the general rule (in the UK anywya, or so my store tells me) is to ID whoever looks as though they are going to consume the alcohol. So if it is a mum and a young child and the alcohol is clearly for the mum then its fine, however if you are there with say a brother and it looks as though you are buying the alcohol for them or you are going to share it, then to ID them. Because buying alcohol for someone underage is just as illegal as them trying to buy it themselves. If not everyone in the group has ID, I'll normally ask a supervisor if they want to authorise the sale anyway, then if it is any sort of sting, then they can take the blame. I don't get why people can't see its just much less hassle just to send in the over age person and leave the others in the car or at home!

[Jack7957]

When I worked at the grocery store, it was near two colleges so on Friday nights we'd get the group of people coming in, head over to the beer aisle, make their selections, then one person would bring it up to the register, while the others would either pretend they weren't with them while they bought the chips, or head out to the vehicle. Depending on my mood, which was usually bad by Friday evenings, I would point out that I needed all the ID's from everyone I saw them come in with in order to sell them the beer. They usually answered with "what people?" I'd then give descriptions or point out the other people they came in with, which would result in them leaving without their beer.

[XCashier]

I don't get why people can't see its just much less hassle just to send in the over age person and leave the others in the car or at home!

Probably the same reason so many of them "forget" their IDs: Sucky Customers have zero common sense! It's bloody frustrating, but it is an unfortunate fact of life.

[Jester]

I don't get why people can't see its just much less hassle just to send in the over age person and leave the others in the car or at home!

That is exactly how we worked it in college. We would find one of the few 21+ people who lived in the dorm, bribe them with the promise of a six pack, and then send them and one of the few people with a car to the store for the purchase. The driver would stay in the car, and the designated buyer would go in, with our money, make our purchases, plus his sixpack (or whatever), come back to the car, they would drive back to the dorm, and everyone (drinking underagers, legal guy who got free booze, and sales clerk concerned about his job) would all be happy.