Supermarket shoppers could face 'walk of shame' to alcohol checkout counter in bid to curb growing

Supermarket shoppers could face 'walk of shame' to alcohol checkout counter in bid to curb growing binge-drinking culture

www.dailymail.co.uk

Shoppers buying alcohol at the supermarket face a 'walk of shame' to a dedicated checkout counter.

The plan is being drawn up by ministers to curb Britain's growing binge-drinking culture.

Stores would have to create the 'alcohol-only' areas manned by specially-trained staff.

This would hopefully deter shoppers from making excessive purchases by putting them under the scrutiny of fellow customers.

And it would help catch those buying alcohol underage.

(visit the link for the full news article)

How on earth is this going to work? Are problem drinkers really going to be put off by having to queue in a certain area? I think not. Do many kids buy drink at supermarkets? Nope, I'm pretty sure that they buy it in the dodgy local offie where their mate's big sister works...

Are other customers really likely to point and dispprove of a middle aged person buying a crate of Carling and a box of pinot grigio? I think not - it just looks looks like someone having a party.

Yet again, the nanny state is kicking into gear in attempting to curb some of the few pleasures we have in life.

Then again, at least we'll have an express lane for when we're trying to get the beers in quickly on the way home from work!

More government madness...

Peace,

MGGG

www.dailymail.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

We have a few similar shops like that here in Australia. I know of a Woolworths store that has a liquor shop attached to it that is open for all the Woolies shoppers to see. As far as I can tell it gets just as many customers as any other liquor shop Ive been to.

reply to post by Kryties


You think that's something - check this.

www.canada.com...

It will be a frosty day in hell before I hand over my DL entering a bar so some doche can store it in his bar's database only to sell my identidy to someone else.

JK

I buy my alcohol for parties and movie nights at Macs Liquor that's attached to Woolworths as do a LOT of people.
And I haven't come across one person who cringes in embarrassment when purchasing their grog.

At Christmas time, the queue is quite long with people buying scotch etc as gifts and also for New Years Eve. No embarrassment there.

Mind you, I had no idea that's why it's so open and can be seen from the grocery section. So, it's business as usual here in Australia, will probably be the same in the U.K.

Oh man, they need this in the US.

Dunno about you guys in the UK, but......
So many times, having to stand a half hour in line for two bottles of soda behind several Mexicans with full shopping carts.
I would happily grab a bottle of Boone's Farm, for the ability to get into the new "Express Checkout".

I personally couldn't care less about the amount of alcohol a stranger purchases--it's none of my business--so I doubt the shame factor will have any impact. But much more importantly, it is none of the government's business! Who the hell are they to try to impose some vague moral judgment (which this essentially is) upon perfectly legal purchases? I might not take such issue if the only subjects were minors, but apparently anyone who wishes to purchase alcohol will be affected. Yet another meritless effort of politicians who wish to influence the personal, legal choices of adults.

I agree with the consensus here: this will do little, if anything, to slow the purchase of alcohol. Regardless, the mere fact that the government is suggesting this is what irks me.

I don't know how this would help anything.
My state has some bass-ackward liquor laws. You have to go to state-owned stores (almost always free standing buildings) to buy wine and hard liquor. You have to go to a different store to buy beer. No alcohol sold in grocery stores/convenience stores/etc. Believe me, it ain't no "walk of shame" to go into either store - it's just like walking into the 7-11 or something.

Yeah, Washington state also has the state run booze stores. I don't buy into this "walk of shame" concept, though. I simply don't see the shame in a man buying a couple bottles of alcohol. Of course I'm also a white, country raised, redneck good old boy who has no problem walking up to the checkout in the grocery store with a couple 40's of high gravity malt liquor... so maybe I've missed some memo that says a grown man should feel ashamed at purchasing anything he decides to with his hard earned dollars?

When I was growing up in New Mexico we had possibly the loosest alcohol laws in the nation outside of Oklahoma. My first few *ahem* legal purchases were made at a drive up liquor store window and were a couple six packs of beer and the always popular bottle of Everclear. They've eliminated the srive ups, but still by and large if you're from New Mexico you tend not to think twice about buying whatever booze you feel like.

WOW, England is going through some crap worse then the US it seems. More Cameras, more liberal laws, higher gas, smokes, and beer prices.

Anyway, Good Luck to you guys over there. Buying Alcohol isn't a shameful thing, actually I can't think of a rich person in a mansion I have met that doesn't have a drink in their hand every time I've seen them.

Its not embarrassing to buy alcohol, we are men, and I won't be ashamed to buy some beer at a supermarket. I don't understand what these idiots are thinking?

Good to see the government earning their pay again. I bet they even paid a think tank of expensive consultants to come up with this little gem as well.

Seriously, with all the bad things happening in the world, this is the best they can find to occupy their time? I demand a refund!

reply to post by LostNemesis


hahaha i think you have the wrong idea

this 1 single alchol only cue is going to be the biggest cue in existence
the only way this will stop people is they dont feel like cueing so long and buy it from an offlicense later

I'm not sure why this is such an issue or even news. I know of several supermarkets in my home town that actually have this already.

I think there's also a bit of a 'class' subtext here too. In all the media reports about 'binge drinking' it's always covering one particular demographic - never the middle-class professional who polishes off a few bottles of wine when the get home from work with their evening meal.

The idea of 'shaming' seems to me, a very 'middle-class'* thing. It seems like ostensibly middle class politicians are trying to project their own fears (ie that of being shamed) on to what they typically see as a 'working-class' problem. It seems curious and a bit laughable; perhaps indicative as to just how out of touch many politicians are with the bulk of the people they allegedly serve.

It's also fantastic to see supermarkets try and shame their own customers taking advantage of offers that practically encourage alcoholism. The same newspaper in the OP has a story from last year about supermarkets selling lager as cheap as 22p a can. How does that work? "We want you to come in and buy our 'lovely' lager as cheaply as possible so you can drink more, but we're going to try and shame you for it?" Ha! Ludicrous!



*this is a story set in Britain, so I'm using the British understanding of 'middle-class' here.

Drinkers, welcome to the life of a smoker. In nearly every supermarket I go into, you have to queue for tobacco seperately and then go and queue up for the rest of your shop. On the other hand if your just popping into tescos to buy a 10 pack at least you dont have to wait for 'Mrs Jones' to unload her gargantuan amount of food.

Like it or not one who danes to enjoy life in this day and age is likely to be punished more and more. £6.50 ($12) a pack and £3.50 ($6.30) is the price for living under Gordan Brown.

Jensy

reply to post by machinegun_go_go


Another moronic suggestion no doubt coming from some leftist "think" tank.

This would only work if alcohol was percieved as a social ill. When alcohol and drunkenness is seen as a virtue by members of the public, how will this work? It should be called the walk of glory!

Uk Government seems to have went completely insane under Brown they are just to petty to be taken seriously and want to treat the whole population like naughty kids.

I have doubts about how long all this nonsense will be tolerated in all honesty I keep reading storys like this every day and I for one am starting to think the Government should be put back in its place.

Representing the people not lately.

Originally posted by jensy
Drinkers, welcome to the life of a smoker.

This is why standing up for the rights of others is important even if it may not be particularly important to you. As usual, get in line, your turn will come.

First they came

If I want alcohol I got my friends bro, or my bro, to buy it for me.

What a waste of money, and a waste of time - it's not going to do anything.

reply to post by machinegun_go_go




what a load that article is....

you all should be getting rid of those lawmakers that seem tohave too much time on their hands...


towards the end of the article,

it tells that statistics say that Strokes and Cancers are increased because of the cheap alcohol sales... Also the young bingers' divorce rates are up too.

next off, the lawmakers are considering banning 'happy hours' (as we call them in the states... also the re-naming drinks so a provocative drink name like 'sex on the beach' are not available to the young binge drinkers.
supposedly to take the shine & aura of inhibition off the consumption of liquor culture.


big brother, again

How would this be shameful?

Here in Canada we have only specific government-regulated stores that sell alcohol (The Beer Store, and LCBO in Ontario), and there is no shame in going to either...