Grocery Store Yarns: Of Course I'll Get Fired And Sell Beer To You

[RavenStarr]

Hi everyone I'm so happy to be back. I finally escaped the hell of customers. But as EricKei put it I still have some yarns to spin. So let me grab some yarn and start spinning.

so anyone that has worked checkout in a grocery store knows after a certain time alcohol can't be sold. Now while I never had anyone go slap ballistic on me. I did have a guy offer me "pocket money" so he could buy a 12pk. Gee let me think about that.. Ummm no I don't think 12 dollars and some change would be worth losing my job.. Guy wasn't happy but oh well.You know the old saying. Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.

Soooo... Who else has some yarns to share about sucky people who are too late buying alcohol?

[Tama]

Why can't they just do it earlier? I remember one college guy who specifically bought it about 10 or so, because he knew he'd be in the store awhile.

[drjonah]

A while back, I had a guy go ballistic on me because he couldn't buy beer. He tried to tell me that he should be able to buy alcohol whenever he wants because HE'S A VETERAN! He died for this country!!

[Trixie]

The law where I am is no sales on Sundays and Christmas Day. Not sure when the actual cutoff time is since I don't work those hours. Most of the time people are okay when I tell them we can't sell it. It's like "Oh yeah, it's Sunday isn't it?" Once in a while we get someone from out of state and they get all "Well, that's stupid!"

One Christmas I was arguing with some crazy ass bitch about the law. Sorry Ms. Methhead can't sell you the giant bottle of wine to you today. Then a couple years ago on Election Day I had people arguing with me about when you can or can't sell alcohol. I had multiple people say you can't buy it until after sundown. And again get pissy with me when I said there's no restrictions on Election Day. Maybe it was law back in the day but not since I've lived here.

[Racket_Man]

the village where I used to work at a gas station stopped serving at 9pm (yeah a little early but that was their rules) while the surrounding townships stopped at either 11pm or midnight.

I had SOOOOO many people bitch and complain, force (read break the locks) OPEN locked beer doors, threaten us, scold us for "killing the tourist business" and just be plain stupid about it.

[wolfie]

so anyone that has worked checkout in a grocery store knows after a certain time alcohol can't be sold.

I wouldn't say that. There are a number of places (including where I live) where there's no need for grocery store cashiers to know ANYTHING about liquor laws.

[Argabarga]

True, but then you get a totally new breed of SC to deal with.

Those who accuse you of everything from lying to playing a prank when, after fruitlessly searching for the beer aisle, ask you where it is, and you tell them you don't have one.

I've lived here all my life sir, why would I lie about it being illegal to sell alcohol in PA? Plus, I don't drink, so I have no idea what the cost/rules about purchase are or where the closest state store is.

The best are the ones who threaten to go across the street to the gas station/grocery over there since I'm being so uncooperative.

If by "over there" you mean over a state line, then you may have some luck, otherwise....

[blas]

Oh, the 9pm/midnight thing here is just a beyotch because there's one city 9 pm alcohol stops selling, next small town over, midnight, next city, 9 pm, etc etc.

[dalesys]

I'm sorry, sir, but you can only buy booze at the register on the end. It's in the next county, where it's legal 'til 1AM, *here* we have to quit at 9PM.

[bbbr]

I had a few try to convince me to adjust the registers time to allow them to purchase their beer well after 8p (huzzahs for Blue laws) rather than take the 5 minute trip to the next state over that was still selling. I would occasionally ask em if they had a spare $200K + to cover my loss of income over the coming years after breaking the law for them, the subsequent fines and other unpleasantness associated with it; surprisingly none did...

[cindybubbles]

Sorry, but this is news to me. In Ontario, Canada, no grocery or department store has ever sold liquor; we get our booze from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario's stores and other specialty shops like the Beer Store and the Wine Shoppe.

The hours within which alcohol can be sold coincide with store hours, so unless you work in a bar or pub, this Ontarian wouldn't know why you guys shouldn't sell alcohol until closing time.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Also in Ontario here. Some of the smaller towns here have a convenience/LCBO or Beer Store in them, so the same clerk can ring in your purchase and beer in the same purchase. I don't know if there are different times of sale though, I've never been told I couldn't purchase my alcohol with my gum or whatever.

Side note that I found amusing in Las Vegas, leaving a casino or bar, I don't remember which, I get to the door, security is standing there, out of habit I chug my drink and set it on the shelf next to door before going to walk out, the security guard laughed and said 'you must be from Canada'. It seems we are the only country that doesn't let you take your drink out of the bar once you've paid for it?

[sms001]

... from Canada'. It seems we are the only country that doesn't let you take your drink out of the bar....

Nope. Plenty of muni's here in the States have open container laws. Probably some state level legislation too.

[Deserted]

I would occasionally ask em if they had a spare $200K + to cover my loss of income over the coming years after breaking the law for them, the subsequent fines and other unpleasantness associated with it; surprisingly none did...

I've used a similar line before. (Kind of digressing here.) I can't pick up at the main airport in town; it's a roughly $600 ticket (plus I'd probably get fired). One guy was so insistent that I drive him, instead of one of the guys at the cabstand, that I told him, fine, get in, that'll be $650 cash in advance, plus whatever the meter says at the other end.

For some reason, he didn't get in...

[EricKei]

I've lived here all my life sir, why would I lie about it being illegal to sell alcohol in PA?

Back in the State of Confusion LA, we had ONE "dry" Parish (what those lesser states refer to as "counties" ). Aside from there, no limits I am aware of on drinking - and in NOLA, many bars didn't really get rolling until after Midnight (non-drinker here)...We did have Open Container laws, which famously can be circumvented (at least there) at drive-thru daiquiri joints because they HAND you a straw and put a plastic lid on your drink cup.

Now that I'm one state to the east, half of the surrounding counties are all *completely* dry, making it a misdemeanor to even possess the stuff. If you get pulled over for a speeding ticket and they spot your sixpack, you get a citation for Possession.