Science as a way of life
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Category: Creative commons
Posted on: September 21, 2007 4:28 AM, by Selva
This is how hassled ground troops working for large corporations cover their rears - they shoot grandpas and babies. Beebs reports that a Supermarket staff refused to sell alcohol to a white-haired 72-year-old man - because he would not confirm he was over 21.
"I felt like saying 'What do I look like? Are you a fool?'A child taking home his ball! :-)"He picks up the wine and, in the manner of a child taking home his ball, says 'Well, we won't serve you'."
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Comments
I do hope the gentleman in question follows-up and complains to the parent company. (The linked-to article suggests he will.)
If there was really any doubt--such as an obvious false beard--I can understand the (probably overworked and underpaid) clerk asking, but on the face of it (no pun intended) it does seem extremely silly. And that makes me wonder, what would have happened had the old greezer said "No, I'm 3 1/2"? (If challenged, he could point out he's c.3.5 "scores", as in "four score and seven years ago ...".)
Note to USAians and other aliens: I'm not using "greezer" in a derogatory sense!
Posted by: blf | September 21, 2007 10:22 AM
While I'm not 72, I think it would make my day for some clerk to ask me if I was over 21. It's been a LONG time since I've been carded.
Posted by: Romeo Vitelli | September 21, 2007 11:03 AM
Some of those poor clerks are told to card EVERYBODY so nobody can complain they're being picked on. And more of them have no people skills and love throwing their weight around on the pitifully few occasions they get a chance to.
Posted by: The Ridger | September 21, 2007 12:55 PM