13 stores ticketed in underage liquor sting

[TLC]

anon wrote:

Although some stores may not be stringently checking ID's , I think it is more often just one individual clerk that gets distracted or doesn't care. Shutting the place down punishes the owner much more than the clerk. One of the owners interviewed tonight was talking about how she had made a training video for other employees based on the security film of one of her clerks getting caught selling to someone underage. Her store policy was to check ID's and she trained employees on how to recognise fake ID's. It's not always the owner's fault. Personally, I feel the primary blame and harshest penalty should be placed on the underage person buying the booze. A fine and probation for the clerk (and ban them from future employment that involves selling alcohol). Punish the owner if they do not have a strict policy about checking ID's.

I agree with you 100 percent! But today's society likes to put the blame on someone else. Our "new and improved" socialistic government sucks.

[PREVERT]

Shooter McGavin wrote:

<quoted text>
Are you kidding me haha. I worked for Safeway for almost 10 years at union stores and I saw only one employee get canned for selling alcohol to a minor and it was his 3rd offense. You can sell to a minor and get caught and retain your job for a first time offender, at least at a union store when i was there just over a year ago. You are misinformed to say the least. Its not like there is a store that religiously always checks. Keep in mind these cashiers are getting paid in the ballpark of minimum wage, you can't expect perfect service out of all your employees when you are paying them peanuts.
What most people don't realize is that these employees obviously have nothing to gain from the sale of alcohol, at safeway there was next to no training on checking ids, and for fakes, who am I am to call someone a liar who brought proper documentation(fake id). I'm no detective and that wasn't my job to be able to tell if an id was fake, i looked for a valid expiration and correct dob. Most of the time underage kids are getting booze is with a fake id, you want to get angry at somebody get angry at the kids who don't have a concept for human life and the endangerment they place themself in when they choose to drink and drive or drink excessively.
Locking up an employee who is getting minimum wage or demanding he be fined to bankruptcy like some others on here are insinuating is ludicrous. I think if a kid gets caught trying to buy alcohol before he is 21, give him the 250$ or better yet fine his parents, and lock them up, that would solve a lot. Everybody wants to see blood these days, jeez, none of the laws are ever good enough... the blame game continues and we are always trying to make someone out to be an example.

I can not tell you if it was a union store or not. I saw the notice posted up in the employees area while I was working uniformed security (Fancy window dressing) and this was about 2 months ago. It came from corporate in California.

[PREVERT]

Shooter McGavin wrote:

<quoted text>
Are you kidding me haha. I worked for Safeway for almost 10 years at union stores and I saw only one employee get canned for selling alcohol to a minor and it was his 3rd offense. You can sell to a minor and get caught and retain your job for a first time offender, at least at a union store when i was there just over a year ago. You are misinformed to say the least. Its not like there is a store that religiously always checks. Keep in mind these cashiers are getting paid in the ballpark of minimum wage, you can't expect perfect service out of all your employees when you are paying them peanuts.
What most people don't realize is that these employees obviously have nothing to gain from the sale of alcohol, at safeway there was next to no training on checking ids, and for fakes, who am I am to call someone a liar who brought proper documentation(fake id). I'm no detective and that wasn't my job to be able to tell if an id was fake, i looked for a valid expiration and correct dob. Most of the time underage kids are getting booze is with a fake id, you want to get angry at somebody get angry at the kids who don't have a concept for human life and the endangerment they place themself in when they choose to drink and drive or drink excessively.
Locking up an employee who is getting minimum wage or demanding he be fined to bankruptcy like some others on here are insinuating is ludicrous. I think if a kid gets caught trying to buy alcohol before he is 21, give him the 250$ or better yet fine his parents, and lock them up, that would solve a lot. Everybody wants to see blood these days, jeez, none of the laws are ever good enough... the blame game continues and we are always trying to make someone out to be an example.

In these sting operations the kids doing the buying are not allowed to use false ID! Now I have never bought in to the idea that you are responsible to know that the person who is buying the alcohol is of legal age. The state says false ID is not an excuse. My Point is that everyone who works at the stores knows to check Id's. And there is no excuse for that. So far as fake Id's fine the S H I T out of them and their parents plus community service use something like a sliding scale the more money they have the more Community service they have to do. Like pick up trash along the road wearing a sign that says my child bought booze with a fake Id. Also include the child too!

[Da Bishop]

Denver wrote:

<quoted text>
I disagree completely. The businesses are the ones who gain from selling and the businesses have the responsibility. You can blame the clerks in maybe a random event, but 50%???? No way. Most of the businesses that sell alcohol will not turn away a very significant portion of their clients because they happen to be underage. Does anyone actually believe that underage drinkers do NOT account for probably 40% of the revenue for the average liquor vendor?? Get real. MOST of the vendors sell to kids, especially older-looking teens. Same with tobacco. Enforcement? No way. Just like weed, it is not seen as an 'issue' until there is yet another vehicle full of teens killed because of DUI. Anybody remember the rash of fatal teen accidents related to alcohol at the beginning of the summer?? Happens every year at HS graduation time.....
We never learn and it will always be this way BECAUSE we never learn. Remember this: the rules of society are based on what is POPULAR, not safe or mature.

I see.

So what you're saying is that in Colorado, enforcement is lax, businesses are lax and the fines are miniscule?

Makes CT look like its super efficient. All we do is fine the clerk $500 and a citation ($750 if its for cigarettes), suspend the license for about three days (or longer depending on the violation. Booze or cigs, its still the same), but not punish the person acquiring the items, just the person selling.

Also, here they card everyone under the age of 28. No exceptions.

[Shooter McGavin]

Da Bishop wrote:

<quoted text>I see.
So what you're saying is that in Colorado, enforcement is lax, businesses are lax and the fines are miniscule?
Makes CT look like its super efficient. All we do is fine the clerk $500 and a citation ($750 if its for cigarettes), suspend the license for about three days (or longer depending on the violation. Booze or cigs, its still the same), but not punish the person acquiring the items, just the person selling.
Also, here they card everyone under the age of 28. No exceptions.

Wow, how naive are you, here in conneticiut everyone gets carded under 28 because we impose a 500$ fine. Come on give me a break... If you want a crimeless state it exists in CT. haha.

[Shooter McGavin]

PREVERT wrote:

<quoted text>In these sting operations the kids doing the buying are not allowed to use false ID! Now I have never bought in to the idea that you are responsible to know that the person who is buying the alcohol is of legal age. The state says false ID is not an excuse. My Point is that everyone who works at the stores knows to check Id's. And there is no excuse for that. So far as fake Id's fine the S H I T out of them and their parents plus community service use something like a sliding scale the more money they have the more Community service they have to do. Like pick up trash along the road wearing a sign that says my child bought booze with a fake Id. Also include the child too!

Agreed as far as checking on an id, there is no excuse as a cashier not to ask at all, if there is any doubt. But most of the time the clerks do ask and the kids will present a fake and when people want to fry those clerks thats where I'm not cosher anymore. I think making the kids who try to buy booze make them do something degrading in public eye would be more than fitting. I'm sure they would be a lot more hesitant to try if they knew they would be cleaning up there highschool in a pink tight out fit with your slogan on it.

[Da Bishop]

Shooter McGavin wrote:

<quoted text>
Wow, how naive are you, here in conneticiut everyone gets carded under 28 because we impose a 500$ fine. Come on give me a break... If you want a crimeless state it exists in CT. haha.

Hey, I don't make the laws, the spineless state legislature makes the laws. Never said I was naive.

Besides, we're not exactly a crimeless state. Haven't you been reading the national news? We've had a triple homicide here last month.

At least we don't have that nutjob Ward Churchill. We leave the mentally unbalanced higher education dictators to states like Colorado.

[John M]

Yeah, this makes a whole bunch of freakin' sense.

If you talk to a minor about sex on-line, you will have to go to prison. At the very least, years of probation. Then you will have no access to any minors, not even your own children. Also, have to attend sex offender treatment, take polygraphs, at minimum, every 6 months and register as a sex offender for at least 10 years after prison &/or probation is over.

And that is without even touching anyone.

Here, these jerks could conceivably be charged with attempted murder. Yet they are only ticketed.

We need to start putting our judicial system on trial and the sentence those "responsible" to death.

[Stephanie R]

John M wrote:

Yeah, this makes a whole bunch of freakin' sense.
If you talk to a minor about sex on-line, you will have to go to prison. At the very least, years of probation. Then you will have no access to any minors, not even your own children. Also, have to attend sex offender treatment, take polygraphs, at minimum, every 6 months and register as a sex offender for at least 10 years after prison &/or probation is over.
And that is without even touching anyone.
Here, these jerks could conceivably be charged with attempted murder. Yet they are only ticketed.
We need to start putting our judicial system on trial and the sentence those "responsible" to death.

I just have to thank you for those words, as I agree with you 100%
The judicial system really needs a swift kick in the shorts (or whatever they have on) to help them realize they need to make stiffer punishments.

[I love NY]

Da Bishop wrote:

<quoted text>Hey, I don't make the laws, the spineless state legislature makes the laws. Never said I was naive.
Besides, we're not exactly a crimeless state. Haven't you been reading the national news? We've had a triple homicide here last month.
At least we don't have that nutjob Ward Churchill. We leave the mentally unbalanced higher education dictators to states like Colorado.

I lived in both states.....give me Connecticut any day! Couldn't wait to get out of Colorado....see why?

[FOR MY SON]

PeachesMcGee wrote:

<quoted text>
I am so sorry for your loss. Please accept my condolences. I believe I remember this story too.

yhank you! it was 7-25-2007! in a field in golden!my heart aches every day!Jacob Payte was my son!

[FOR MY SON]

PREVERT wrote:

<quoted text>So you blame the businesses you can not be real on this! I want you to take some time and think this out. Lets say you are right and a store is making money by selling to under age people. We will say the store gets 100 people a day and 10% are underage so the store has sold to 10 kids and the profit was $50 from the total combined sale! I do not remember what the total cost for a liquor license is years ago it was about $10,000 (Note this is a total cost Lawyers,signs and hearings)Now the owner is going to risk that for a extra $50.00! Even on one offense they license can be pulled. Once suspended you have to go back through a real hassle just to get it back. Maybe increase the fine to $500.00. This is the fine to the person who sold the alcohol not the store! I know of companies who hire people between ages of 21 to 25 to go out and buy alcohol to see if there ID was check. Safeway is so strict that you will be fired on the spot if you even sale Cigarettes to a monor. The same applies to alcohol!

if they were to loose their liquor licens then they would been more carefull about who they sell to! thats their lives and then it matters!

[FOR MY SON]

TLC wrote:

<quoted text>I agree with you 100 percent! But today's society likes to put the blame on someone else. Our "new and improved" socialistic government sucks.

well if they are minors and it is a crime for them to buy it then yea i guess it would be someone els fault!

[From Denver]

PREVERT wrote:

<quoted text>So you blame the businesses you can not be real on this! I want you to take some time and think this out. Lets say you are right and a store is making money by selling to under age people. We will say the store gets 100 people a day and 10% are underage so the store has sold to 10 kids and the profit was $50 from the total combined sale! I do not remember what the total cost for a liquor license is years ago it was about $10,000 (Note this is a total cost Lawyers,signs and hearings)Now the owner is going to risk that for a extra $50.00! Even on one offense they license can be pulled. Once suspended you have to go back through a real hassle just to get it back. Maybe increase the fine to $500.00. This is the fine to the person who sold the alcohol not the store! I know of companies who hire people between ages of 21 to 25 to go out and buy alcohol to see if there ID was check. Safeway is so strict that you will be fired on the spot if you even sale Cigarettes to a monor. The same applies to alcohol!

10%?!?!?!?!? GET REAL!!!!!!!! More like FORTY percent of the average liquor business is underage sales! Safeway!!!! HA HA!!!! They sell beer and wine. So what. Safeway does not make the majority of their money selling liquor. They do not even count in this discussion.

[Hear]

phineas T wrote:

<quoted text>
Stinky's an idiot. Read his other comments.

He's not an idiot, thats completely true. It doesn't matter what anybody does to stop minors from drinking... they will find a way. It's guarenteed.

[Ryan]

Jimmie C wrote:

There's no excuse for this. Just throw the book at them! There's no reason not to shut'em down.

Yes there is. If 1 sheep gets killed by a wolf, should all wolves be killed? minors are going to get alcohol 1 way or another, so just deal with it. anyways, is it not better that they drink underage than do hard drugs such as coke or ex? Your crucade is just anger, not logic, so cool ur jets and actualy think about what ur saying.

[BTDT]

Shooter McGavin wrote:

<quoted text>
Are you kidding me haha. I worked for Safeway for almost 10 years at union stores and I saw only one employee get canned for selling alcohol to a minor and it was his 3rd offense. You can sell to a minor and get caught and retain your job for a first time offender, at least at a union store when i was there just over a year ago. You are misinformed to say the least. Its not like there is a store that religiously always checks. Keep in mind these cashiers are getting paid in the ballpark of minimum wage, you can't expect perfect service out of all your employees when you are paying them peanuts.
What most people don't realize is that these employees obviously have nothing to gain from the sale of alcohol, at safeway there was next to no training on checking ids, and for fakes, who am I am to call someone a liar who brought proper documentation(fake id). I'm no detective and that wasn't my job to be able to tell if an id was fake, i looked for a valid expiration and correct dob. Most of the time underage kids are getting booze is with a fake id, you want to get angry at somebody get angry at the kids who don't have a concept for human life and the endangerment they place themself in when they choose to drink and drive or drink excessively.
Locking up an employee who is getting minimum wage or demanding he be fined to bankruptcy like some others on here are insinuating is ludicrous. I think if a kid gets caught trying to buy alcohol before he is 21, give him the 250$ or better yet fine his parents, and lock them up, that would solve a lot. Everybody wants to see blood these days, jeez, none of the laws are ever good enough... the blame game continues and we are always trying to make someone out to be an example.

You're an f'n idiot...anyone getting paid minimum wage can check an ID. It doesn't take a college degree.Just do your f'n job you lazy ba$tards! Common f'n sense!

[Natural Gas]

McLovin.

[foper]

I hate liquor