[Mr Aleks]

Originally Posted by jambutty

It turned out that I had reason to go into Blackburn this morning so on the way back I dropped into Asda at Grimshaw Park in Blackburn with my camera in my pocket, with a view to taking a picture of the blue notice.

At each checkout desk (not the self service ones) in front of and behind each checkout person is a Perspex screen. In front of the scanning machine there was large notice stating that alcohol would not be served to under 21’s and a small paper notice next to it was something about ID’s but both were on the side towards the checkout girl. Thus the customer at that checkout would not be able to see it. However the notice on the screen behind her the same blue notice was on the outside where customers in the next checkout point could see it.

That was last Friday. Today the blue notices have gone, but you can see the glue on the screens were they were. Instead, in front of the checkout person there is now a small notice explaining the booze buying rule. But it isn’t easily visible to the customer at that checkout. There is nothing on the other screen. At the end of each checkout bay there is a notice low down below the level of the table where you put your goods, that goes on about ID and under 21’s. It isn’t easily visible though. The colour contrast between the background and the text is poor. Whether it has been there all the time or not I do not know, but I never noticed it before.

I didn’t see any posters like those provided by WillowTheWhisp or any other type displayed anywhere. Even the under 18’s notice at the tobacco kiosk was gone.

I would suggest that the young man who was refused service last Friday, quite rightly complained to the manager. Whether he got his booze or not I don’t know but his complaint must have had some effect because the blue notices have been taken down and replaced with those small ones I mentioned earlier.

So I sent for the manager and asked him what happened to the blue notices.
“We took them down sir, because they did not convey the right message” he replied.
“Was that because my grandson complained last Friday, that in spite of producing ID to show that he was 19 he was unable to buy a bottle of scotch as a Xmas present for me?” I could see from his face that I had struck home but he mumbled something about company policy.
“Could I have one of those blue notices to settle a difference of opinion?”
“Sorry sir they have been destroyed.”

I shrugged my shoulders, said goodbye and left, as there was no point in pursuing the issue.

I should add that the young man was not my grandson, I just said so to establish my right to ask the question.

My point is, has been and always will be that it is the elected government that makes the laws of the land, not a business. I accept that Asda was trying to protect itself from accusations of selling booze to under age kids, but it has no right to pitch the age at 21.

If a notice stating something like “If you look to be UNDER 18 we will require ID to prove that you are not” was published not only would that conform with the law but would also cover Asda.

You sad old twit have you not got anything better to do than just moan?

What a shame id have loved to see these signs you say were there but now are not. Strange that isnt it JB

And he would have been laughing at you as you walked away back to your PC to look at something to moan at