We had a Sting last night!

[PorkChop]

So T and I were working last night and it is pretty busy for a Wednesday evening. K (the manager) had me work on a project which I got done in 30 minutes. The way he wanted me to do would of taken all night. Anyways, it was after 6pm when T stepped outside to have a smoke and I was helping this guy asking about Heneikin (beer). T opened the door and he said that we're about to be stinged. I only half heard him since my attention was on the Heneikin guy. T walks back in. I asked him to go in the cooler to get some Heneikin for my for current customer. Then I noticed this kid who walked in and stood behind Heneikin guy.

Me: I'll go ahead and get you while waiting on something for him.
K (Kid): Yeah, I want a pack of Marlboro Reds Softpack.
Me: *gets a pack of Reds* Alright, can a see an ID please.
*Kid hands over his ID*
Me: I'm sorry sir I can't sell you smokes because you have a Graduated Driver's License (DL for minors) *me noticing his birth year*. Not only that, you are too young!
*Handing him his ID minus the smokes*
Kid: Yeah, I get that a lot.
Me: Have a good night!

This kid was born in friggin 1990!! He was 16 yrs old!

T come out of the cooler with the other guys beer and I cash him out.

T: Did you sell that kid smokes?
Me: Hell no! He was born in 1990!
T: What?
Me: Yeah. Should I call K?
T: I think so. When I was outside taking a smoke, that kid stepped out of a cop car. Definent sting!
Me: Huh. If the cop saw you. Usually they'll role on by.
T: I was standing by the pay phones so he might've not seen me.
Me: Okay, I'm going to call K.

Me: Hey K! We just got stung.
K: What's the M's pager number (M is the boss over K, he is the boss of 10 Circle Ks in our district)
Me *gives him pager number*
K: Yeah, go ahead and call the stores in our district and warn them of the sting and the discription of the kid.

So I call all the other Circle Ks in our district. I've been stung 3 weeks ago. But, it was an internal sting. M had a kid try to buy smokes on a busy Saturday night. Obviously I passed since I still have a job and have not been written up.

For the other C-Store slaves on here, it is the Holiday Season, be on the look out for those youngin's wanting something that they are not allowed to have. I'm sure the stings will be happening more as Christmas and New Year's approaches.

[Giggle Goose]

This kid was born in friggin 1990!! He was 16 yrs old!

Wow, I remember 1990 very clearly, actually. That makes me feel really old.

Back on topic: Kudos to you for being alert, PorkChop!

[BlaqueKatt]

K: Yeah, go ahead and call the stores in our district and warn them of the sting and the discription of the kid.

So I call all the other Circle Ks in our district. I've been stung 3 weeks ago. But, it was an internal sting. M had a kid try to buy smokes on a busy Saturday night. Obviously I passed since I still have a job and have not been written up.

wow just wow-interfering police business-bravo!

BlaqueKatt-who knows most stings are done by the police when they knowthere's a problem

[powerboy]

I had a sting once....it hurt my foot, for a little while

[Ljt09863]

the police officer didn't come it to talk to you? where do you live? ivi believe that here in wisconsin, if the police pull a sting oon you, and pass, then you get a gift card to a store of your choice. thats happened at work a few times. whenever we had a cop pull a sting, the cop came in afterwards to tell us what happened, and offer the employee who did good, a gift card.


anyways, awesome job!

[PorkChop]

the police officer didn't come it to talk to you? where do you live? ivi believe that here in wisconsin, if the police pull a sting oon you, and pass, then you get a gift card to a store of your choice. thats happened at work a few times. whenever we had a cop pull a sting, the cop came in afterwards to tell us what happened, and offer the employee who did good, a gift card.


anyways, awesome job!

That would be nice to get a gift card. K told me this afternoon that I was only person in the district to follow protocol exactly right. After a sting, there is a 5 minute rule. I have to call the boss and tell him and then he calls or pages the boss next up. Apparently the same kid went to another store and the girl who gotten stung didn't call her boss for TWO HOURS!

Oh yeah, I also gotten written up today. It has nothing to do with the sting though. Apparently I seriously messed up on a money order. Lets just say, I gave away a free $85 money order. I was going to fast and K keeps telling me to slow down. So now, I have a SLOW DOWN sign on both registers.
Oh well. I will sign it and eat it and go on.

[Becks]

I never got to participate in a sting when I was at the gas station. Ah, well, I just might live.

[Primer]

That would be nice to get a gift card. K told me this afternoon that I was only person in the district to follow protocol exactly right. After a sting, there is a 5 minute rule. I have to call the boss and tell him and then he calls or pages the boss next up. Apparently the same kid went to another store and the girl who gotten stung didn't call her boss for TWO HOURS!

Did she recognize the kid, or otherwise know it was a sting when it was going on?

[PorkChop]

Did she recognize the kid, or otherwise know it was a sting when it was going on?

Couple hours after we gotten stung. Another store I called earlier called me back. She wanted to go over the description of the kid again. So I told her. She said yeah, that's him.
K told me yesterday that this store didn't call their boss till two hours after they got stung. So, after she confirmed the sting, or even you think you got stinged, you are suppossed to call the boss.

[alphaboi]

Police stings always use local high school students (16-17 yr-olds). Internal stings use 18-26 year olds! The logic being that since we're supposed to card anyone who looks under 27 if we sell to a 26 year old without carding them we're not doing our jobs (which involve not selling to minors) even though we're not doing anything illega.

[blas]

I think what the police were doing right before I quit the gas station was better than stings. It was called "cops in shops" and it's very simple:

A plain clothed officer comes into a store that sells tobacco and/or alcohol and pretends to browse around (since we had a table at the gas station, he sat down with a newspaper covering his face). If someone came in without ID (and looked suspicious) the clerk gives some kind of facial expression to the officer and he'll follow the customer out and see what's up. I think it works better than sending lots of high school kids in (in a cop car no less).

The only downfall is, if there are a ton of juvenile delinquents in the area, they'll recognize the officer, in uniform or out of uniform. That's the only way I can't see that plan working well.

[Tufty]

Hmm, it was odd for me to see you being surprised about a 16 year old buying smokes, cos in England, thats the age when you are allowed to buy them.

I should know, I started when I was 14. Those first 2 years were infuriating...

[PorkChop]

Hmm, it was odd for me to see you being surprised about a 16 year old buying smokes, cos in England, thats the age when you are allowed to buy them.

I should know, I started when I was 14. Those first 2 years were infuriating...

In the US, 18 is the legal age to purchase smokes. These kids know this, but, they do try to buy them.

[Banrion]

When I was in high school, I was a stinger. It was a great weekend job. I was honestly surprised how many places really didn't give a flying poop over who they sold to. More often than not I wasn't even asked for ID, and of the times I was asked for ID, about half the time they didn't really read it and sold to me anyways. The department I was with did NOT use cruisers to drop us off though, unmarked cars, and they usually sent 2 or 3 of us together.