It's A Felony To For Minors To Carry Alcohol?

[Lorelei Lee]

What they saw was two teenage girls (18 & 16) shopping WITH their grandmother.

When we go to Florida we do a grocery run that includes a case of Coors Light and usually some Mike's Hard Lemonade. Probably at one time or another one of my kids has pushed the cart containing those items. By Florida's laws, isn't that possession?

Wrong. What you know to be the truth is that there wrre two teenage girls shopping with their grandmother. What the store personnel saw were two teenage girls and an older woman. They have no way of knowing that the girls are, in fact, related to the woman.

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[Lorelei Lee]

Is that supposed to be individuals 18 and younger, or between the ages of 18 and 21? Because individuals 18 and older could be 50 years old, in which case, they cannot handle liquor. And that's definitely false. Also, why would someone be employed at a liquor store if they couldn't handle liquor?

Ibviously I meant over 18 but under 21.

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[Colleen27]

Walmart policy is to card everyone who looks under 40. I think common sense plays a huge part in it. A group of teens that came through my line and only was 21 they would never get alcohol. Heck there were times husband and wives were come in a younger couple one would have ID the other wouldn't we couldn't sell it to them. You never know when they are doing an undercover sting

I know here in NY in order to buy cigarettes or alcohol - if the person "looks" under 40 - they must be carded.

I'm not questioning the carded part, I'm questioning how you judge if the two people at the register are parent/child (or grandparent/grandchild) or an unrelated adult trying to buy for a minor. For example, I'm in my early 30s and look young for my age. My son is 15 and looks old for his - he's actually had waitresses go over the drink specials with him. So by the "common sense" standard it would be very likely that a cashier could look at the two of us, guesstimate an insufficient age difference to be parent/child, and refuse to sell to me. That's ridiculous IMO.

My knowlegde of the situation is limited to having run stories over the years out of Florida of people being arrested for being in possession of "Grandmas" medications while taking them to Grandma.......and over on the Cruise forum it comes up from time to time from Florida residents, as an additional reason to make sure any prescription drugs you take with you on Disney cruises out of Orlando are in the original container, and in the possession of the person whose name is on the bottle.
But it could have changed.

That's kind of what I figured, that it was rooted in the giant game of "telephone" that is the internet rather than in any first-hand experience with the law. I don't doubt that you've read that at all, but I do doubt that what you read was an entirely honest and informed synopsis of events and the relevant laws.

Wrong. What you know to be the truth is that there wrre two teenage girls shopping with their grandmother. What the store personnel saw were two teenage girls and an older woman. They have no way of knowing that the girls are, in fact, related to the woman.

But isn't that just as true of any family in the store? A cashier in another state has no way of knowing that my teenage son is my son and not some kid I met in the parking lot who asked me to buy him beer. Surely you aren't saying it would be reasonable for stores to adopt a policy of refusing alcohol sales to anyone shopping with a teen or underage adult?

 

[abdmom]

Surely you aren't saying it would be reasonable for stores to adopt a policy of refusing alcohol sales to anyone shopping with a teen or underage adult?

I believe that's exactly what someone said earlier in the thread.

 

[kellyg403]

I can only speak for where I live. We are trained to seek identification for three reasons, payment, possession, selection. If a minor is carrying alcohol we are required to id as there is a 'suspicion' of selection, or purchase for a minor. The fines for a cashier who does not ID a minor in any of these 3 situations and ALE person is in the line is 10,000. S/he is unable to work where alcohol is served for 2 years.

I agree common sense is involved when carding someone's teen simply pushing the cart with alcohol. However, if they are in possesion of it I am required by law to ask for that person's ID.

Kelly

 

[msjprincess]

NY a minor can't carry the bag with booze in it.

They are not even supposed to handle it in the store (ie touch it). I never seen a store kick folks out for it, but seen them refuse to let anyone but over 21 person carry the bags out

Which makes sense.

Really? I've live in NY my whole life and I have never heard that. Everything I found online says it 's illegal for a minor to posses alcohol with the intent to consume it.

 

[Bob NC]

My friend's teenagers are visiting their grandparents in Florida. They were shopping with grandmother and were carrying the alcohol bottles for her in the store. Not attempting to purchase, just holding the bottles. They were thrown out of the store and told it was a Felony! How can carrying something in a store prior to purchase be a crime?

Did you hear this story from the teenagers, their parents or the grandmother?

I would be willing to bet you don't have the true account of what happened.

 

[tvguy]

I grew up in Florida and lived there most of my life, and spent 25 years as a journalist there.

NEVER once came across a story like this. Picked up my parents prescriptions, my husband's, my son's, my husband picks up mine, etc. etc. etc.

38 years as a Journalist here. As I recall it was lumped into all the hanging chad coverage in 2000, the "how is Florida different" sidebars the networks did.

But it has been a frequent post from Floridians on the cruise forum in the much more recent past.

 

[JanetRose]

I think you can get into trouble if you are a minor and the bottle/can is open.

 

[tvguy]

I grew up in Florida and lived there most of my life, and spent 25 years as a journalist there.

NEVER once came across a story like this. Picked up my parents prescriptions, my husband's, my son's, my husband picks up mine, etc. etc. etc.

Hey you go, go to the third page.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110915/ARTICLE/110919738

 

[Lorelei Lee]

I'm not questioning the carded part, I'm questioning how you judge if the two people at the register are parent/child (or grandparent/grandchild) or an unrelated adult trying to buy for a minor. For example, I'm in my early 30s and look young for my age. My son is 15 and looks old for his - he's actually had waitresses go over the drink specials with him. So by the "common sense" standard it would be very likely that a cashier could look at the two of us, guesstimate an insufficient age difference to be parent/child, and refuse to sell to me. That's ridiculous IMO.

That's kind of what I figured, that it was rooted in the giant game of "telephone" that is the internet rather than in any first-hand experience with the law. I don't doubt that you've read that at all, but I do doubt that what you read was an entirely honest and informed synopsis of events and the relevant laws.

But isn't that just as true of any family in the store? A cashier in another state has no way of knowing that my teenage son is my son and not some kid I met in the parking lot who asked me to buy him beer. Surely you aren't saying it would be reasonable for stores to adopt a policy of refusing alcohol sales to anyone shopping with a teen or underage adult?

No that's not what I said.

If I walk into the store with my teenage daughter and I handle the bottles of liquor I am less likely to raise suspicion than if she carries the bottle.

There's also a difference if I'm in a liquor store or if I'm buying beer in a grocery store.

If the sales clerk perceives a problem he is justified in refusing the sale.

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