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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! |
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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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 |
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. |
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. |
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... |
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. |
At least Royal Navy, Royal Marines and RAF personnel would have been OK.
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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. |
Well, that's it then.
Torch the place. |
Jeez TrimStab. You must get nose bleeds on your lofty moral high ground:D
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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!! |
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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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. |
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
Get back on the medication, Bro. |
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! :ugh: |
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......:E |
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 |
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. CC |
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. |
RE: Trim Stab's, erm, 'contribution'... DO NOT FEED THE TROLL!
-RP |
Can't believe you lot think it ok to smoke in public in uniform. I suppose you think chewing gum in uniform, hands in pockets in uniform etc are all acceptable?
If you are wearing uniform in public, you represent the standards of the service, not your own grubby low-life personal standards, whatever they may be. And yes, I do tell that to any service person I see smoking in public in uniform. And no, I don't get anybody trying to punch me - they just stub out their fag. |
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At the risk of feeding the troll... Please just go away. Cret1n. |
I'm surprised it has not been mentioned that the army has relaxed it's rules on visible tattoo's. Due to low recruitment they will now take on recruits with tattoo's on their neck and hands, will look lovely outside Buck House :ugh:
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Trim, nobody has suggested that the serviceman was smoking, he was buying cigarettes. Clearly not the same thing. I never smoked in uniform in public but I certainly bought cigarettes while in uniform, in fact I did so nearly every day of my 22.
As an aside, I was refused alcohol in one or two off licences when in uniform, for exactly the same reasons as this case, i.e. a misunderstanding of licensing law. It happens. I didn't go to the press, I went to another off licence. People don't half get their knickers in a twist over nothing these days. |
I'm surprised it has not been mentioned that the army has relaxed it's rules on visible tattoo's. Due to low recruitment they will now take on recruits with tattoo's on their neck and hands, will look lovely outside Buck House |
WUH
I'm pretty sure they have, almost 100% certain I read a din stating the standards had been changed and were now more liberal. |
" If you are wearing uniform in public, you represent the standards of the service, not your own grubby low-life personal standards, whatever they may be
It's possibly just as well you, and your BP, never encountered those, in a different era I admit, wearing the M.U dress code....several options were available, non of which quite conformed with the expectations of those whose uniform was always immaculate. You would, like those who were blissfully unaware, that when working on primary structure and bits of aircraft that rarely saw daylight once constructed, the perceived "grubby low life personal standards" of appearance had no relevance to the standards being imposed by the same low life in the course of their work.....been freely ignored. You missed a golden opportunity however to " introduce yourself" about 8 months ago, on the M5 heading North just after Strensham services....a group of Para's broken down on the hard shoulder, several of whom were smoking. Now that meeting would have been entertaining to watch, and listen to. |
OK, settle down everyone. Smoke if you've got 'em.
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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. |
Personally I thing anyone in any sort of uniform should not be served anything. Ever.
When out of uniform they should also be made to wear signs around their necks with the words "My other clothes are a uniform" And then not served. |
not your own grubby low-life personal standards, whatever they may be. Why are smokers inferior to you? Or more to the point, what makes you so superior to a smoker? If they were smoking a joint, then I could understand your point - drug abuse is not tolerated in any of the services. But it's a 'straight' cigarette!!! Get off that high horse, man. If somebody wants to poison their body with a legal substance, let them. It's not hurting you if they are outside. |
At this point, I think the Troll must be sat back, happily counting the bites....
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Storm in an ashtray. A small mistake was made by an employee of a shop, no real harm was done, and an apology, admittedly a pretty pathetic one was issued.
I believe, and I may be wrong as I've never needed to know, that it is illegal to serve alcohol to members of the armed forces in uniform. From there, it is only a small step to think that it may be illegal to serve them cigarettes, however irrational that may seem. Much as I dislike smoking, people should be allowed to do so in their private space and time. I would not expect to see uniformed members of the services smoking in public, but if they do, I'm not going to let it worry me. |
Trim, nobody has suggested that the serviceman was smoking, he was buying cigarettes. Clearly not the same thing. ........ so - according to TrimStab - if buying ciggies is equivalent to smoking them in public, jolly lucky he wasn't buying condoms!!:eek::eek::eek: |
I'm surprised it has not been mentioned that the army has relaxed it's rules on visible tattoo's. Due to low recruitment they will now take on recruits with tattoo's on their neck and hands, will look lovely outside Buck House (TTN, resident pedant ;)) |
What a joyous thread to read on a Sunday morning. :cool:
My thanks to all those contributors who have put a big smile on my face :ok: |
Perhaps servicemen should ask for 'tipped singles' (individual cigarettes), as this works for schoolchildren when in uniform. :E
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Can't believe you lot think it ok to smoke in public in uniform. I suppose you think chewing gum in uniform, hands in pockets in uniform etc are all acceptable? If you are wearing uniform in public, you represent the standards of the service, not your own grubby low-life personal standards, whatever they may be. And yes, I do tell that to any service person I see smoking in public in uniform. And no, I don't get anybody trying to punch me - they just stub out their fag. I happen to have good reason to believe that smoking and drinking in uniform, as well as out, are part and parcel of what being in the Forces is about. Every time I look at photos of Soldiers fighting in Normandy, every other one, it seems, has a fag hanging out of his mouth (cigarette that is!) so if it was good if enough for them in the heat of Battle its good enough for today's Government sponsored warriors!;) FB:) |
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