Harlow, Essex, England. 92 year-old great-grandmother called Diane Taylor walks to her local liquor store. She enjoys a wee tipple from time to time. A nightcap. A little whisky. So she grabs a bottle of her favourite – Famous Grouse Scotch – and heads to the checkout. Only she’s refused service…
Why is she not allowed to leave the store with a bottle of her number one booze? Well, it’s all down to her age. Outrageous, huh? She can’t be TOO OLD to buy alcohol, surely?! Well, no. The guy serving her suspected she was too young! Only without her ID, he refused to serve her.
The reason you ask for ID is to check that people are old enough. In England, where Diane’s from, you need to be eighteen years old to buy alcohol. But they run a scheme call ‘Challenge 25’ thee to make sure. If a shopkeeper suspects you’re under 25 he asks for your ID. Have none and he refuses you service. Look over 25 and he doesn’t need to ask.
It’s been a long time since Diane was last quizzed about her age with regards to buying alcohol. She turned eighteen way back in 1937!
“I asked the girl behind the counter to repeat herself three times, I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing, I thought it was a joke,” she says. I can understand shops being strict with all the youngsters buying booze but surely there’s a difference between a 92-year-old and someone of 18.”
“I ended up storming out in indignation. It is just ridiculous to ask someone of my age to prove they are an adult, I find it offensive.”
“I don’t see how anyone could look at me and think I needed to prove my age and I don’t have a driving licence anymore or a passport.”
The shop say they run a strict ‘no ID, no sale’ policy and apologize for the inconvenience.
We think it’s stupid, though. Why not just use some common sense right? What do you think…?
