Asda bans lad, 14 from carrying a bottle for mum

[The Straight Story]

Asda bans lad, 14 from carrying a bottle for mum

By Richard Smith 10/10/2009

A teenager was banned by a supermarket from carrying a bottle of wine for his mother.

Fourteen-year-old Andrew Power's mum Gill gave him the heaviest of two carrier bags to take to the car.

But an Asda cashier told the schoolboy he was not allowed to carry that bag as it contained alcohol.

Gill, 56, said yesterday: "The shopping included a bottle of pinot grigio and with the other bits it filled two bags.

"At the checkout I gave Andrew the one with the wine in because it was heavy and he's a fit young lad.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/10/10/asda-bans-lad-14-from-carrying-a-bottle-for-mum-115875-21736250/

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

1. Umm...

Asda has apologised to retired legal secretary Gill and her son for the cashier's ruling in Poole, Dorset. It said: "We pride ourselves on being a responsible retailer. On this occasion our colleagues were being overly cautious.

How does that constitute a ban, exactly?

[The Straight Story]

2. I think it is used there for single instances (nt)

[Sultana]

3. Gee, Walmart

For those that don't know, ASDA is the UK Walmart. If I remember correctly they are opened 24 hrs a day & the they have the rollbacks w/ the lame smilie face.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

4. When I lived in Colorado back in the early 60s

and I was about 12 years old, I remember being in a supermarket shopping with my mom. I was pushing the basket and she was shopping ahead of me. She asked me to grab a six-pack of Budweiser off the shelf which I did. One of the supermarket clerks came running down the aisle as though he were running the 50 yard dash. He grabbed the six-pack from the basket and put it back on the shelf and told my mother that she had to handle it. He said it was against the law for me to even touch the outside of a bottle or can containing alcohol.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. And now another British supermarket does this - and backs the cashier

Mother is refused wine at Morrisons – in case daughter, 17, drinks it

...
"I told her I was really flattered, but I was the wrong side of 50," she said. But the assistant pointed to her 17-year-old daughter, Emily, and her 18-year-old niece, Annice, who were standing at the end of the checkout chatting.

"She asked: 'Are they with you?' I said they'd come to help me carry the bags back to the car. The assistant said: 'You could be buying the wine for them. It's the policy – I have to see everyone's ID to make sure they are all over 18'."

In vain, Mrs Slater insisted that the wine was for herself and her husband, Peter. But the assistant and then the store manager refused to budge.

Nor was their decision deemed an over-enthusiastic interpretation of company rules. Morrisons' head office last week backed the store – a move that suggests new guidelines, introduced to limit access to alcohol among youngsters, could soon cause chaos if other shops follow Morrisons' lead.
...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/oct/11/morrisons-wine-ban-mother

FWIW, English law says it is fine for a parent to allow any child over five to drink at home. The parent is allowed to buy wine for the 17 year old with a meal in a pub or restuarant, too.

Under five years old

It is illegal to give an alcoholic drink to a child under five except under medical supervision in an emergency.
...
16 or 17 years old

Young people aged 16 or 17 can drink beer, wine or cider with a meal if it is bought by an adult and they are accompanied by an adult. It is illegal for this age group to drink spirits in pubs even with a meal.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/WorriedAbout/DG_10026210

I'd noticed a sign up in a supermarket myself in the past few days saying "if you are in a group, all members of it will be asked for ID if they appear under 25". And I wondered what they'd do with a family. Now I know. :banghead: