A great-grandmother blasted shop staff today after they refused to sell her alcohol at the age of 92 – because she had no ID to prove she was over 18.
Diane Taylor was stunned to be asked for proof of age when she asked for a bottle of whisky from her local One Stop Shop.
The great-grandmother-of-three produced her over-60s bus pass, an OAP card and even her pacemaker certificate – but was still turned away because she could not provide a passport or driving licence.
It was the first time that the pensioner, who was born in 1919 turned 18 in 1937, has ever been asked to show ID when buying alcohol.
Grey-haired Diane, a mother-of-two from Harlow, Essex, said it demonstrated a ”ridiculous” and ”offensive” lack of common sense.
She said: ”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.
”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 have never been asked for ID before in my life but then I turned 18 in 1937.”
Diane was on her my home from a check-up with her doctor when she went to buy a bottle of whisky for her son from the One Stop Shop in Harlow, Essex.
The grandmother-of-three and widow produced a variety of identification for the shop assistant but went away empty handed on Monday October 17.
She added: ”I was served by a girl in her 20s, I asked for a bottle from behind the counter and she asked if I had ID.
”I produced what I had on me, my bus pass for which you have to be 60, my government issued OAP card, my pacemaker certificate, which has my name on it, and in sheer desperation I pulled out my vehicle disabled bag.
”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.”
A spokesman for One Stop Shop said the store had to enforce a strict ‘no ID, no sale’ policy or risk losing their licence.
He said: ”Although we are very sorry for the inconvenience caused, staff at the store are required to ask all customers for ID as a condition of its licence to sell alcohol.”
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The person behind the counter must have been unbelievably thick. And the person speaking for the shop sounds even more pathetic. This is taking rules to the extreme. I have noticed in the last few years people in shops becoming more and more robotic. ‘Hello there’, ‘anything I can do for you today’. Always the same shallow nonsense. Always in the same tone of voice. People are not trained to think anymore, but behave like robots. Stuff the no ID policy. If a 92 year old woman wants some whisky, how can you justify not serving her? Unbelievably thick and pathetic.
Diane, take it as a compliment, you obviously look very young for your age 🙂
Diane says: “and I don’t have a driving licence anymore”, I wonder what the story behind that is.
DMoses, they could refuse the sale and not justify themselves or provide any explanation at all, if they wanted to.
So if you have no passport or D/L you cannot buy from this shop..
yes it happend to me today in stirling, im 35 years old mum of 2 and the shop seller did not sold me tabacco or vodka.