Do you need a bag at all?

[JMN2]

And I am clearly standing there by the till holding a large empty Waitrose/Sainsbury's/Morrisons branded jute bag.

[Satsuma]

It's up there with "you can enter your PIN now" when your finger is poised directly above the pad and you are looking right at it.

...But actually, no I can't because your system is marginally faster than the PIN touchpad so I now have to stand there looking like a slow-brained mouth-breather while I wait for the instruction to appear for me too.

(I was away recently and the venue's computer was broken so they were processing credit cards on that old clunky machine with the multiple-leaf voucher/carbon voucher thingies. Eeee, took me right back that did. THAT is a satisfying way to mark a transaction.)

[swill453]

It's up there with "you can enter your PIN now" when your finger is poised directly above the pad and you are looking right at it.

In fact it's for probably exactly the same reason - the screen in front of them is telling them to say it, in both cases. On pain of a disciplinary punishment if they don't.

Scott.

[NomoneyNohoney]

In my local supermarket works a comedian. Every time his till reminds him to "Think 25", he looks at me, and asks if I'm over 25. Seeing that I've been over 25 for over 25 years, it's just a stupid bit of horseplay by him.

He thinks he's so bloody funny, but I keep wondering if I dare ask, if anyone's smacked him yet for that joke. I could become the first...

[AleisterCrowley]

At the self-checkout I normally get the amber beacon flashing and the attendant has to come over and confirm I look over 21 (or 25) or whatever.
For some reason they confirm my age then peek in my bag to check what's triggered the 'alert'
I actually asked one of them once why she was looking in my bag - what could I possibly be buying with an age restriction anywhere near my actual age (51, look 50 on a good day)?
"Just nosy" apparently.

[NomoneyNohoney]

It was probably the security tag on your sausages, that set them off.

[AleisterCrowley]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajsCY8SjJ1Y

[melonfool]

In my local supermarket works a comedian. Every time his till reminds him to "Think 25", he looks at me, and asks if I'm over 25. Seeing that I've been over 25 for over 25 years, it's just a stupid bit of horseplay by him.

He thinks he's so bloody funny, but I keep wondering if I dare ask, if anyone's smacked him yet for that joke. I could become the first...

You seem to be suggesting that whenever I buy alcohol and they *don't* ask my age and I say "yes, yes, I am over 18, I know I don't look it" that I am also not funny?

How can that be?

Mel

[melonfool]

It was probably the security tag on your sausages, that set them off.

Hmm, I had a security tag go off once and I had to find whatever it was that set it off, she looked at the receipt and said 'pork'. I had a joint of pork, so I dug through the bags to find it, took ages, she was sort of trying to say it didn't really matter.....anyway, after a while I found it, at the bottom of a bag, and pulled it out, vaguely wondering why they would have security tags on pork but anyway.....

...and she said, "no, port".

"Oh", I said "no, I haven't bought any port" - and that caused even more confusion.

They just let me go after that

Mel

[AleisterCrowley]

"no, I haven't bought any port"
A likely story.
Poacher's pocket, or false bottom ?
Was it a good vintage?

[melonfool]

"no, I haven't bought any port"
A likely story.
Poacher's pocket, or false bottom ?
Was it a good vintage?

It was Aldi. Does that answer your question?

Mel

[JMN2]

In my local supermarket works a comedian. Every time his till reminds him to "Think 25", he looks at me, and asks if I'm over 25. Seeing that I've been over 25 for over 25 years, it's just a stupid bit of horseplay by him.

He thinks he's so bloody funny, but I keep wondering if I dare ask, if anyone's smacked him yet for that joke. I could become the first...

You seem to be suggesting that whenever I buy alcohol and they *don't* ask my age and I say "yes, yes, I am over 18, I know I don't look it" that I am also not funny?

How can that be?

Mel

I am almost on a first name basis with the local Morrison's self-checkout attendants, they authorise my beer bottles blind-folded, and probably recognise me by the clink of the bottles. I find that slightly embarrassing but balance it off by taking the empties to a wide spread of recycling bins in my shopping area.

[sg31]

Oh", I said "no, I haven't bought any port" - and that caused even more confusion.

They just let me go after that

If you had bought port there wouldn't have been a problem. It was the possibility that you hadn't bought it they were worried about.

[redsturgeon]

Two years ago I was asked for my id when I ordered a beer with my pizza in a restaurant in the USA. Since I was 58 at the time I asked what the problem was, I was told that she needed to see my id. I asked for the manager, he confirmed he needed to see my id. I had been eating and drinking all week and never once asked for an id. I showed them the cover of my passport which I had with me. They wanted to look inside to check...I refused. They refused to serve my beer. I walked out with my friends. There were many other restaurants within a hundred yards. Bizarre!

John

[melonfool]

Two years ago I was asked for my id when I ordered a beer with my pizza in a restaurant in the USA. Since I was 58 at the time I asked what the problem was, I was told that she needed to see my id. I asked for the manager, he confirmed he needed to see my id. I had been eating and drinking all week and never once asked for an id. I showed them the cover of my passport which I had with me. They wanted to look inside to check...I refused. They refused to serve my beer. I walked out with my friends. There were many other restaurants within a hundred yards. Bizarre!

John

Maybe they have an upper age limit?

Mel

[redsturgeon]

Maybe they have an upper age limit?

Mel

I seriously hope not...I was looking forward to many more years of drinking...

John

[UncleEbenezer]

Two years ago I was asked for my id when I ordered a beer with my pizza in a restaurant in the USA.

There's your answer. You ordered US beer, you need your head examined.

[redsturgeon]

Two years ago I was asked for my id when I ordered a beer with my pizza in a restaurant in the USA.

There's your answer. You ordered US beer, you need your head examined.

Actually it was a Mexican beer. And contrary to popular belief there are now some very good beers actually being made in the US.

John

[quelquod]

Two years ago I was asked for my id when I ordered a beer with my pizza in a restaurant in the USA.

There's your answer. You ordered US beer, you need your head examined.

Actually it was a Mexican beer. And contrary to popular belief there are now some very good beers actually being made in the US.

John

qed

[bungeejumper]

And contrary to popular belief there are now some very good beers actually being made in the US.

Indeed, craft beers can be excellent, according to my Camra mate, who flies out to the States just to drink them. A pity you can't buy them here, then. Or rather, not the genuine article. All I ever see in my local stores are brewed under licence in Kent or somewhere - hideously sweet, even the Boston lagers. I must have tried a dozen, but I've never found one that makes me want to open a second bottle. What am I doing wrong?

BJ