Some kid asked me to buy him cigarettes

[BarryHom]

I was in the check-out line at Eckerd's and a kid asked a few adults to buy him a pack of smokes. The adults gave him a look that said, "Are you kidding?" and said no. He even asked me and I gave him the same look. He tried to get the check-out person (who was the Assistant Manager) to get him cigarettes, but the Assistant Manager asked him for his ID and he didn't have it (surprisingly!). The kid walked out, probably to find someplace else to buy his cancer sticks. He had green hair and didn't look older than 16. I did not fall off the turnip truck yesterday!

 

[Tiggeroo]

Hey Barry, do you know what it makes you when some kid asks you to buy him smokes or beer?
Old !!! LOL. Just kidding, I think.

 

[BarryHom]

I should have asked him for a $5,000 "buyer's fee."

If I buy him smokes or booze, I'd be considered stupid.

 

[Serena]

and maybe a jailbird.

 

[ToyStory Fan]

be careful if you (or anyone) were to consider doing that. In my area the DA has set up sting operations all over as a result of several teenage drinking deaths.

 

[lulugirl]

A teenager recently asked me to buy him beer...I said "oh, gee, I'm not 21 yet" he looked shocked and said "wow you look at least 25"! (I'm 33 yrs old) LOL

 

[Mskanga]

Be aware because I know that in Pennsylvania , second hand sale is also against the law. If a person wants cigarettes , they MUST have a valid ID ( not high school ID ). YOu have no clue how many times I get kids who try to buy cigarettes, don't have ID and then they ask the friend next to them who IS of age to buy them for them, I must refuse the sale as it is against the law.

 

[MAC3]

It's nice to know that they are truly enforcing these laws.
If they had only done it 30 yrs ago I would have never started. Have since quit and will never start again.

It's comforting that my DD won't have easy access to them if she tries!

 

[Kallison]

I sooooooooo would have embarrassed the crap out of that kid if he had asked me. I probably would have yelled - You want me to buy you WHAT??? Then he would have gotten a 30 min. lecture on how both my Grandfather's died of smoking related illness. I've already told all my 7th grade students if I ever see them smoking outside of school I will so embarrass them, they will wish they were never born. I've even yelled at kids I don't know and said - I'm telling your Mom, I know her phone number. Most of them get real panicky.

 

[korzmom]

i would have done the same thing as KALLISON....or i would have said "you mean candy cigarettes right? cause your like a kid". something to really embarrass him...i once saw a kid about 12 or so smoking and wanted to grab it out of his hand....my dh said DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! ....lol...he knew exactly what i was thinking....

 

[Fire14]

I know for fact that in Michigan and Ohio the person selling the Cigs or Alcohol to a minor and the store will get some pretty hefty fines. Matter fact about month ago Kroger my DH works at got fined. Not a pretty thing. Heck I'm almost 30 and I get carded to go in casinos in Canada where you have to be 19.

 

[TRAPPED-PARENT]

I think I'd respond "ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING? DON'T YOU KNOW THAT THOSE THINGS WILL KILL YOU?"

We lost both my in-laws last year to those things.

 

[Mskanga]

I ID people on a regular basis at work for cigarettes unless I know them , and boy was I glad two years ago I did this.
I got called to the back office by the area supervisor and he congratulated me, I had no clue what he was talking about and then he told me that the FDA agents had been in the store with undercover people. After they did their area sting they sent a letter to each one of the businesses and told them exactly when that happened, in my case they gave my description , the day and time that this happened ( I was the only female working on that shift ) and I DID ask for ID so I passed.
All in all they tested four of our stores , three of them failed and one passed ( mine ).
To this day I don't know what the person looks like or at what time this happened, they just come in and you don't even know it, you know it when you get the letter in the mail and the bill for the fine.
I don't play , I ask for ID !

 

[FOJMO]

Originally posted by Barry Hom
I was in the check-out line at Eckerd's and a kid asked a few adults to buy him a pack of smokes. The adults gave him a look that said, "Are you kidding?" and said no. He even asked me and I gave him the same look. He tried to get the check-out person (who was the Assistant Manager) to get him cigarettes, but the Assistant Manager asked him for his ID and he didn't have it (surprisingly!).

Barry,
This makes me VERY HAPPY, cause I am an Eckerd Associate (corporate office) and I'm glad to see that they are following the rules! Thanks for the feedback and I'm glad you didn't cooperate with that kid!

 

[Liz]

This happened to me last summer. The kid was standing outside a convenience store. I told him no and when I paid for my diet Pepsi I told the clerk the kid outside was looking for someone to buy him cigarettes. She said she was going to go tell him to get lost. I asked her to please wait till I drove away and she did.

 

[Jeff in BigD]

I probably would tell him that I'd buy them...then I'd leave with his cash & act like I didn't know what he was talking about when I came out. He may lose $5, but I think it would be a valuable lesson worth well more than that (not just about smoking). And $5 is my starting rate for my teaching methods.

 

[FOJMO]

Jeff -- I like your style!!!

 

[Jeff in BigD]

Originally posted by FOJMO
Jeff -- I like your style!!!

Thanks.