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Serviceman refused service in uniform

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Old 25th Oct 2014, 16:17
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Serviceman refused service in uniform

A soldier trying to buy cigarettes in St Helens, Lancs was refused service because the assistant "thought it was illegal to serve people in uniform". How on earth did we get to a stage where someone could think that??

..on the other hand, quite a lot of ppruners think it should be illegal for a family to eat a pub lunch, but still. Ps. The shop was called Alpha news if anyone wants to show how impressed we are!
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 16:31
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My guess is that on the other side of the pond, a member of the armed forces would probably go to the head of the queue.
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 16:32
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Bearing in mind that a shop assistant in that part of the world is likely not to have English as their first language and that most shops have a clear rule of not serving cigarettes to children in SCHOOL uniform, is it possible to see how some confusion may have arisen?

Should not have happened, but lets try not to get too excited about it eh?

OH
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 16:40
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I recall many years ago a p****d off squaddie borrowed a 175mm SP gun. Only problem is he had no one to steer the barrel.

Maybe a few pongos should drive to some of these jobs worths, a Challenger would soon make the point.
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 17:09
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Why was a soldier in uniform trying to buy cigarettes in the first place? Service people should have pride in service and uniform. Smoking/buying cigarettes in public in uniform is akin to glue-sniffing in uniform, or being drunk in uniform - not illegal, but very definitely bad for the public image of the services. The only place that it should be acceptable to smoke in uniform is when out of public view - e.g. in the mess or, when off duty on overseas ops - though I would prefer that to be banned too.

If (god forbid) I ever had to work in an off-licence or tobacconist, I would refuse to serve anybody in a uniform representing a public service too (i.e. police, military), and I would give them a good earful too about representing their uniform.

Last edited by Trim Stab; 25th Oct 2014 at 18:43.
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 17:20
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The so-called apology as per the photo says it all really...

http://i3.liverpoolecho.co.uk/incomi...615b/shopb.png

Personnel spelt incorrectly - 16's scratched out and replaced by 18 -and these people are in business? Perhaps not for much longer though...
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 17:25
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I can actually understand why and its nothing to do with being in the armed forces.

I suspect the shop is an off license.

There are a load of rules and laws about selling alcohol to a policeman in uniform or even in but with a civi jacket on. And they will have had a induction by the licensee telling them this fact.

I have been refused booze when some thick **** spotted my pilots uniform under my jacket getting a couple of bottles of wine on the way home. Using the uniform reason as well.

You pay peanuts and you get monkeys.
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 17:25
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At least Royal Navy, Royal Marines and RAF personnel would have been OK.
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 17:35
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Or is this a case of sh1t stirring by an unidentified person, and did not actually happen in the first place?
Just as occurred regarding a pub somewhere and was a load of lies.
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 17:37
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Well, that's it then.

Torch the place.
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 21:06
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Jeez TrimStab. You must get nose bleeds on your lofty moral high ground
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 21:11
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Trimstab,

Seriously, what a load of old tosh. Smoking is perfectly legal and so I see nothing wrong with this individual buying a packet of cigarettes in uniform. Are you saying that we should not be able to go into a shop on the way home from work and buy a bottle of wine for fear of presenting a negative view on the service. Lets be honest, most of the poor behaviour within the service in the past has been linked to alcohol consumption rather than going out for a quick smoke!!
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 21:22
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Trim Stab. 10/10 for composition. Not many can write a story with so much punch as that one. You can relax now and have a fag.
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 21:26
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For anyone who has missed this outrage bus, the next one will be along in a day or two. Then the day after that. Then the day after...

What a load of fuss. Storms and teacups come to mind.
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 21:45
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Originally Posted by Trim Stab
Why was a soldier in uniform trying to buy cigarettes in the first place? Service people should have pride in service and uniform. Smoking/buying cigarettes in public in uniform is akin to glue-sniffing in uniform, or being drunk in uniform - not illegal, but very definitely bad for the public image of the service
Sniffing glue? Have you been? Smoking in public I can just about get that you'd have a debatable beef. But going into a shop to buy something? Maybe he was buying them for his mother.

Get back on the medication, Bro.
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 22:30
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If Trim Stab worked in an Off Licence..

He'd get beaten up about twice a week with his outspoken views; which, are none of his damned business!

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Old 25th Oct 2014, 22:59
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Trim Stab, have you ever visited this planet? Or do you find that you get punched in the face for no reason a lot?


I too was wondering whether the article was a bit of a **** stirring band wagoneering session. It wouldn't surprise me if it were true but in this day and age one never knows. Oh so simple to whip up the plebs in to a bit of a frenzy.


BTW, the RAF would never have an issue buying fags or booze in uniform cos most wouldn't associate it with a branch of the Armed Forces......
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 23:15
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Right then..........

I know it's from 2003, and I know it's a Cop not a soldier.

The version that I got, from a friend of the Cop involved, is that the cop in question had failed, in spectacular fashion, to embrace the concept of the "Village Bobby" being required to cultivate "Local Policing by Consent" as an alternative to a brute force and dictatorial style.

Such was the friction between this Cop, who liked to consider it very much as "His" patch, and some of the locals, that the shopkeeper found a lawful excuse, after some digging, for the staff to be able to stick it to him. The fact that they waited for him to get to the front of the queue before refusing with an audience, made it so much better. The speed and prominence with which it made the national press also suggests a bit of Malice Aforethought.

PC falls foul of law on sausage rolls | UK news | The Guardian


I'm just wondering if the current story also has a bit more to it...........


Taken from the Lincolnshire Echo site:-

A Police officer today told of his embarrassment when staff at a village shop refused to serve him a sausage roll.

Counter staff at the Co-op store in Nettleham, near Lincoln, turned PC Dougie Brown away after he tried to buy the snack.

When he asked why, he was told in front of stunned customers that it would breach licensing laws.

Staff had been instructed to comply with section 178 of the Licensing Act 1964, which forbids the serving of "food or drink" to officers in uniform.

PC Brown said he understood why the staff had refused to serve him but was still shocked by the incident.

"Technically they were within the law and I accept they were quite entitled to do what they did," he said. "But what they did was embarrassing to me and unhelpful to my role in the community.

"It also goes against the spirit of this law, which was originally enacted to deal with drunken policemen 150 years ago - that's hardly relevant in today's society."

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said the incident had only occurred because the store where PC Brown attempted to buy the snack was a licensed premises.

"Lincolnshire Police respect the policy of the Lincoln Co-operative Society. However, we do encourage our officers to interact with their local communities," he said.

"One way of doing this is for our employees to take refreshments in the area where they work, visiting local shops and businesses in the process.

"Constable Brown was very embarrassed at finding himself in this situation at the head of quite a substantial queue in the shop. We have spoken to the local Co-operative Society and are working towards resolving the apparent conflict between their needs and ours, in an amicable way."

Lincoln Co-operative Society chief executive Kevin Cooke said he completely condoned the actions of his staff.

"The staff took the correct action - they have undergone a course of training in relation to the licensing act," he said.

But Mr Cooke said he had "every sympathy" with PC Brown and the society would work with the police to ensure the incident would not happen again.

"My understanding of the law is that we can serve food to an on-duty policeman if we have permission from a superior officer," he said.

"We hope to get such authority so that this kind of incident simply won't happen in future.

"The act is due for review and has become an anachronism. It is nonsensical that we cannot serve food to police officers."

Read more: Shop Staff Refuse to Serve Police Officer. - General - Visordown
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 23:31
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Trim Stab

Get a life.
It's people like you that make me ashamed to be British.
My father will be turning in his grave having fought in a war to give the likes of you freedom only to have you abuse it.

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Old 26th Oct 2014, 00:46
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Why was a soldier in uniform trying to buy cigarettes in the first place? Service people should have pride in service and uniform. Smoking/buying cigarettes in public in uniform is akin to glue-sniffing in uniform, or being drunk in uniform - not illegal, but very definitely bad for the public image of the services. The only place that it should be acceptable to smoke in uniform is when out of public view - e.g. in the mess or, when off duty on overseas ops - though I would prefer that to be banned too.

If (god forbid) I ever had to work in an off-licence or tobacconist, I would refuse to serve anybody in a uniform representing a public service too (i.e. police, military), and I would give them a good earful too about representing their uniform.
Tw@. Seriously, you are a tw@.
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