The trouble with living in Nanny's "paradise" is that not only does Nanny lack any common sense whatsoever, but her "charges" also show alarming signs of following her down the path to dimwittedness.Take for example the case of Jack Archer who went to his local Morrisons in Acomb York, to buy a bottle of sherry.
The 18 year old checkout girl asked him for proof that he was over 18.
Fair enough, Nanny can't have under age drinking on the streets of Britain...can she?
The only problem being, is that Jack is a sprightly 87!
Seemingly the good people of Morrisons have been caught out selling booze to under 18's. Therefore, as with all Nanny nonsense, instead of applying a little common sense and extra vigilance for "high risk" cases; Nanny is applying her "one size fits all" rigid rule for all customers.
Needless to say, it makes Nanny look rather stupid...but then again she is!
Mr Archer, a former Lord Mayor of York, said:
"I don't think I look my age,
but they must have known I'm not under 18 it's just silly.
The girl said she had to ask how old I was.
I was totally stumped and just said, I'm over 80 - will that do?
I don't blame the individual staff
because they are just obeying instructions.
I should think they get a few complaints, though."
The same thing happened to Don Parlabean, who is chairman of York Older People's Assembly. However, he is only 70 so Morrisons may be forgiven for thinking that he was under 18.
A spokeswoman for Morrisons gave a long winded scripted statement, which demonstrates that we are becoming a nation of unthinking jobsworths.
Quote:
"Store staff are trained to be highly vigilant in the sale of alcohol
and the detection of potential under-age purchases.
The question is not being asked to cause offence
and no disrespect is intended.
We simply wish to make sure that we satisfy
our moral and legal obligations with regard to the sale of alcohol.
As a member of the Retail Alcohol Standards Group,
we take our responsibility with regard to selling alcohol
very seriously and have procedures in place designed
to ensure that we meet all legal requirements."
You may wonder why your food bills are so high, well, the supermarkets have to employ people to write shit like that!
Hmm. Very American. In some states they do this all the time. The fines are so huge (hundreds of thousands of dollars) for owners, retail clerks and door men that they take the view of 'be seen to check *everybody*'. Watching their own butts in other words.
ReplyDeleteI went to a friend's wedding in Savannah and the groom's grandfather (looked at least 70) was asked for proof that he was over 21. He had to go back to the hotel for his passport!
Still, over here you can't blame the retail staff. They have probably just had enough of being assaulted by the forces of nanny! Anything for a quiet life I suppose...
I am all in favour of SENSIBLE measures to deter purchasing and drinking alcohol by those under the legal age. HOWEVER, it it must have been obvious, even to a brain dead moron, that both Mr Archer and Mr Parlabean were well over 18 years of age. Then again, Nanny and the jobsworths working so eagerly for her ARE brain dead morons!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDelete" Hmm. Very American. In some states they do this all the time. "
Ah yes, America. Land of those who think they are free ...
So we free up the licencing laws, 'clamp down' on a supposed underage drinking 'epidemic' as an alternative to encouraging social morality and in the next breath introduce giant casinos for no purpose I can fathom.
Well, no purpose I can fathom unless it is an attempt to prepare more 'service workers' for the higher earning jobs like those gamblers in the City and the Banks hold down. Presumably Nanny hopes they take more financial winnings from the rest of the world now that any pretence of manufacturing anything or being a 'force' elsewhere is rapidly becoming an undefendable concept.
I have an idea.
ID cards are too easy to lose but in the new regime of age checking they might finally have a purpose. But better - why not have one's year of birth tattoos as a bar-code on one's forehead. It should be relatively inexpensive to read and interpret the bar-code at most tills. The software should be realtively low cost and high benefit.
Better still a few re-worked CCTV cameras could read the code when people try to access, for example, a super casino and they could be barred (pun intended) at the door.
This idea would, of course, legitimise the hoodie ban or, more realistically, make them inconvenient when entering any premises that would bar you without knowing your age.
Ok, so hoodie up walking the streets would not be such a clear benefit to Nanny but then Nanny does not care too much since most people have to enter buildings from time to time.
Right, I think a company should be formed for nationwide forehead tattooing. Anyone want to put up a stake and take a share in the business? Perhaps we could get David Beckham to front the introductory campaign. He's keen on tattoos and will be ina a perfect position to open up the US market as well!
Love the site, but Too much to young was the specials not madness!
ReplyDeleteOh dear Nobby, sorry...you are of course quite right...mea culpa:)
ReplyDeleteA classic. Last Xmas my wife and I went on a shopping trip in Wimbledon with my Mum. We stopped for some refreshment in a coffee shop, I think it was Costa Coffee, and the young man asked my Mum to remove her hat! Apparently there was a danger of people wearing hats 'causing trouble'! Now my Mum is 5 foot nothing and 89 years old! Oh my God, laugh or cry?
ReplyDelete