Self check out at grocery stores - under 21 using it to get alcohol

[Liberal_in_LA]

apparently checking out alcohol triggers an alert to check ID but about 1 in 5 is getting away with it. According to report I heard on radio this morning.

Unexpected results of self checkout!

[Drale]

1. At my Local grocery

You have to pay for alcohol in the section where it is kept, so theres no way to use the self check out but there was a crazy religious group who were trying to ban the self check outs in town because kids where using them to buy condoms, which I think is a good reason to have them. How many kids don't buy condoms because its embarrassing?

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. is there an age requirement for condoms? If not, they should be allowed to be sold at self checkout

[Drale]

7. Not that I know of theres not an age requirement

but you know those crazy religious sects, they know how everyone should live better then said person does. They did not get the self check outs banned, and I'm pretty sure they are still not allowed at village meetings because the board was tired of their crazy law ideas.

[Shagbark Hickory]

11. I could've sworn there used to be. They used to keep them locked up behind the pharmacists counter.

Now they're easy to get.

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. They are one of the most stolen items... embarrassment probably

[Shagbark Hickory]

23. Makes sense to keep them behind the counter then. I guess that's the reason.

[Control-Z]

25. No. They should be free

in the first place. Young men who take the initiative to use condoms should be applauded. Their student status (no job, no income) should not be the reason for an unwanted pregnancy nor should embarrassment. If anyone needs free condoms and other free birth control, it is teenagers.

[Shagbark Hickory]

44. I guess from the title of that post you'd think I mean they STILL should be. But

if you read the entire sub thread you'd see I was referring to how they used to be kept behind the counter, not that they still should be.

[gkhouston]

19. Some places still have them locking cases near the pharmacy, but the cases

are only locked in the evenings/weekends when the store is lightly staffed. I bought some today and was surprised the case was unlocked.

[grilled onions]

28. Service stations used to have them

in vending machines in the rest room. Station owners were not involved, boys did not feel embarrassed about their purchase and many girls slept a little better if a night went a little too far! Do they still carry them? In the sixties ladies rooms never carried them. Too bad because it was not always easy for girls to get the pill during that time.

[Erose999]

46. Some gas station do, but those condoms are the cheap off brand ones. I wouldn't trust them.

[WinkyDink]

49. What grocery chain sells condoms? Drugstores do.

[Tesha]

61. What grocery chain doesn't? At least here in New England. (NT)

[Frank Cannon]

62. I see them in grocery stores all the time.

Often at the front checkout, where all the other "impulse items" are.

[BeeBee]

58. self-delete

[Shagbark Hickory]

10. Um I think it's more embarassing for adults. :-)

[Drale]

12. I don't know teens are already embarrassed enough

add to that sex and it gets worst, but it is embarrassing all around I'll give you that.

[Shagbark Hickory]

22. Buying condoms as a teenage boy was not embarrasing in the least. But was afraid I'd get yelled at

or something. Scolded for buying a prohibited item.

[themadstork]

57. I don't think it's embarrassing

Just another health product. Is it embarrassing to buy a laxative? Tampon? Hemorrhoid cream? Toilet paper? Adult diapers?


"oh my god the cashier is going to realize I have a penis."

[Sonoman]

21. Especially when the clerk asks, "What size?".

Back in the 60s, I had friends who worked in a pharmacy near Houston who would do just that.

Sonoman

[Manifestor_of_Light]

33. There's a classic scene in the movie "Summer of '42"

at the drugstore where the kid asks for condoms and he says "They're for my brother".

My dad saw that scene on the TV and he was quite amused. He grew up in the day when they were behind the counter. Born in 1911.

:rofl:

[EFerrari]

32. I always thought it was embarrassing but managed to get over it when

my son turned 16. lol

[LisaL]

3. These stores can lose their liquor licenses if this is the case.

As they should if they let minors buy alcohol.

[Paradoxical]

4. Who cares?

They will find a way to get alcohol.

[Dead_Parrot]

5. Hmmm

'Unexpected' is the new 'Blindingly obvious'
;)

Next up: Kids use false IDs to get into bars. "Who knew?" says barman.

[Terry in Austin]

6. UHHHM - I'm gonna tell!

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you. Well, I'm glad to hear at least something about those things work!

B-)

[maxsolomon]

8. Lower the drankin' age back to 18.

Kids will never stop finding the weaknesses in the system.

Look at Europe. Look at Canada. The world will not end.

[KharmaTrain]

34. Insuarnce Lobby Will Never Go For It

About 30 plus years ago the drinking age in this state was 19 for beer and wine and those who wanted something harder could head about 50 miles north to the state line. The number of serious car accidents...especially around the stateline area soared. It was the insurance companies that pushed for drinking ages to go back to 21+...

[comrade snarky]

9. Damnit!

When I was young we had to go out to the little liqueur store with the drive through window that sold to anyone. Rotten kids!

Did I mention it was uphill? Both ways!

[Shagbark Hickory]

14. We used to go into the seedy parts of town to buy it thinking they wouldn't check the ids.

We were right.

[Journeyman]

15. The grocery store I frequent has electronic alarms on all the alcohol bottles. . .

much like the tags on clothes, they need to be removed before the bottle can be taken out the door or all sorts of alarms go off. It's there to discourage pilfering, to guard against underage drinkers, and to stop people from opening the bottles in the store and guzzling it down before walking away.

[Liberal_in_LA]

17. Here..I've seen tags on the expensive alcohol only - bottles of whiskey and such

Not on the $5.99 wine.

[blueamy66]

41. the grocery stores miss a few bottles

it makes it easier to check out

[doc03]

16. I think I caught a clerk trying to rip me off on the self checkout

a couple days ago. The total check was $10.26 and I deposited a $20 bill and 26 cents and on the screen it comes up tendered $10.26 change $0.00. I walked over to the clerk and said I could swear I deposited a $20 bill and it says no change, at that instant a $10 bill drops in the change box and the receipt prints change $10.00. As far as alcohol I am 63 and for some reason they never card me?

[Liberal_in_LA]

18. weird!

[ZombieHorde]

20. Ha! Funny. nt

[sharp_stick]

24. I'm 45

if I try to run beer through the self-checkout they always check my ID. I've never gotten through there without a check.

The self-checkout monitor won't move ahead without an employee card swipe so if they didn't check it I'd be stealing the beer.

[GoCubsGo]

54. That's how it is in my local stores, too.

They can only sell beer and wine in the grocery stores here. It doesn't matter if one uses self-checkout or the human-manned registers. The register will not ring up alcohol until a cashier sees your ID. The self-checkouts always have an employee monitoring them for problems, checking IDS for alcohol purchases, and to deal with coupons, so I don't have the problem with self-checkouts that some here do. At one chain, Bi-Lo, one has to go to that person to sign a receipt if one uses a credit card.

[Booster]

26. I refuse to use the self check out thingey. Bring back cashiers

AND secretaries; God, I hate those automated answering things. Takes forever to get where you want to go when a secretary could have just answered your question.

[htuttle]

27. Why would they take the chance when they could just go to Applebees?

[fishwax]

39. hehe n/t

[krabigirl]

29. good, the drinking age should be 18 anyway.

[Berserker]

37. I Agree

if you are in the military.

[pipi_k]

45. As long as...

the age for getting a driver's license is moved up to 21.

You know, when I was 18 (many many years ago) I thought I was an adult. It's only when you get way past that age you realize that you were just a baby.

And yes, I'm going to broad brush paint people under the age of 21 because most of them are still very immature. Sorry the mature ones have to pay for the behavior of the rest, but that's how it is.

Anyway, I disagree with people being able to drink at 18. Twenty-one or twenty-five? Maybe. If I had my way it wouldn't be sold at all.

I've seen the devastation alcohol can cause...both to the person who can't handle it, and his family. It's ugly. Very very ugly. :(

[RB TexLa]

30. I guess it was from growing up in Louisiana, but we just gave them the money and took our alcohol

no big deal.

[tammywammy]

31. The self-checkout at the grocery store I go to has an employee monitoring

When I buy beer or wine, I have to walk over to them to show my ID.

[blueamy66]

43. Yeah, mine too....except they're always yapping to another employee

and not paying attention to the self-checkout lanes....so I make a scene.....

[Luminous Animal]

35. It has been confirmed by my daughter (21 since February) that she and

her friends, for the past several years, routinely and easily bought alcohol using the self check out at Safeway.

[Throd]

36. They just scan a sixer of Pepsi and then bag a sixer of beer instead.

[WinkyDink]

50. Wow, thieves, to boot!

[rufus dog]

38. What I have noticed in the south OC

Is self checkout stations not manned at all. Thus you have to wait for a person to clear the register so you can move to the next item. Not sure if it just my local store or a problem throughout a certain chain named RALPHS, but rather than putting one employee to watch the four self check out stations they are making a floor manager handle it, so if someone needs cash or a void at a regular station then a person is clearing the age check from a far.

[blueamy66]

40. Good!

Serves the grocery stores right!

Put some people at registers, you lazy f**ks.

[Supply Side Jesus]

42. HOLY F**** SH*** !!!!!!!

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

[Liberal_in_LA]

52. lol. U being sarcastic?

[Bunny]

47. Well, I'm in PA and we don't generally sell booze in supermarkets.

But the one where I shop sells six packs. They are kept in a separate section of the store, with a human cashier for that section only. You cannot buy beer anywhere else in the store. And when I buy certain OTC cold medications, the self checkouts will not allow the sale to proceed until a human employee comes to the checkout and scans their employee card to verify my age on the purchase. Only then can the sale be completed. You simply cannot ring age-regulated stuff up at the self-checkout, pay for it, and leave unnoticed. So, even if beer was sold on the regular shelves, I don't think too many kids would get away with buying it at that store.

Which isn't to say it doesn't happen elsewhere, but that problem could be solved if the stores wanted to solve it.

[WinkyDink]

48. Well, then this store is just stupid beyond stupid. My Wegman's places the beer and cashiers in a

separate area. ID required of all customers bar none.

[Taverner]

51. This is what you get when you let machines do what Union Members should be doing

Another point to make is that its relatively easy for teens to buy alcohol at Wal Mart. You see, when you pay the checkers shit, its no surprise they won't give a shit. If their store gets slapped with fines, who cares.

But if they were union workers, the union would take care of the problem - bring a new employee to fill in while the suspect is being investigated

Unions aren't just for the workers you know

[RegieRocker]

53. Lol good!

[TheKentuckian]

55. Good and I hope they steal shit loads as well. They ought to have cashiers, union cashiers.

Not that I care about liquor laws. Reaching the bar works for me, I just have no interest in the nanny state factor or any prohibition at all. Certainly if you can go to a sandpit and get your ass blown to Kingdom come or be trusted to elect leaders then you can be trusted to drink.

[LynneSin]

56. I was at a store in Florida where you cannot use self-checkout to buy alcohol

That to me makes sense.

[-..__...]

59. How difficult can it be?

Print up some bar code/UPC stickers for another product, stick it over the original barcode.

The self service checkouts where I live are seldom staffed, and even when they are, it's unlikely that the attendant would notice something amiss.

[JoePhilly]

60. Not really.

The machine forces a check.

The store I use knows me, so after I swipe a bottle of wine or such, they look, see me, and approve it.

It is really no different than if you go through one of the lines.

At the main grocery store I go to, there is a young kid who checks my actually id regardless of whether I am in his lane, or when he is working the self check area.

And if no one is manning the self check area and you scan alcohol, you are stuck until some one approves it. You can't scan anything else.