Shopper asked for proof of age to buy Asda teaspoons

We are doing the one thing any and every caring citizen of any nation must do!

We are laughing out loud and in the face of the ideocy!


Laughther is a powerful weapon, perhaps, just perhaps more powerful than the spoon iteslf!

It can reduce politicians into a heap of quivering flesh in less moments.

You should never pass up an opportunity to laugh in the face of someone who is representing the ideotic as if it were an ideal. When enough people laugh, they are rendered powerless.

What do you think would have happened if the shopper, started laughing out loud at the request and turned to everyone around and said did you hear that? Repeating what the clerk said, and they all started laughing.

Then said never mind Ill go somewhere where they make sense for my spoons.



[edit on 8-5-2009 by Cyberbian]

I think I would have put back the package of spoons and bought a pack of sporks. At least they LOOK scary! Tiny little jagged teeth poking out of an otherwise harmless seeming spoon.

Attack of the spork monsters! They may even be sharp enough to cut through jello! Couldn't hold the muster to bread though!

reply to post by philosopherrose


You should be throttled with a frozen leg of lamb for saying a thing like that!

Where does anybody from the UK find the gall to criticize America when this sort of thing is happening in their very own country? Teaspoons!

Originally posted by Monger
Where does anybody from the UK find the gall to criticize America when this sort of thing is happening in their very own country? Teaspoons!

Oh, it's quite easy, especially as this story - "Teaspoons! " is actually based on bar-coding error rather than an actual code of practice. I can only presume by your post that such a minor error has never, ever happened in your Land of the Free? Or that no American check-out staff in history has never said anything that appeared stupid?

An extra irony is that this happened in ASDA, which is a subsidary of WALMART, an American company.

I'm genuinely wondering how many Americans read the article before they joined the queue to laugh at this non-story?

Originally posted by Merriman Weir


I'm genuinely wondering how many Americans read the article before they joined the queue to laugh at this non-story?

Yep it's seems strange that quite a few americans take any opportunity to mention how pathetic the uk is based on news reports like this haha.

Originally posted by Merriman Weir
"Teaspoons!

" is actually based on bar-coding error rather than an actual code of practice.

Of course no one has posted any proof of this and we are all taking some guy's word for it....

Did the bar code also tell the cashier to remind the customers that someone had been murdered with a spoon?

If it did, I want proof.

Originally posted by _Phoenix_

Originally posted by Merriman Weir


I'm genuinely wondering how many Americans read the article before they joined the queue to laugh at this non-story?

Yep it's seems strange that quite a few americans take any opportunity to mention how pathetic the uk is based on news reports like this haha.

There are plenty of things for Americans to pour scorn on with regards to Britain; Britain's as flawed and messed-up as anywhere else on Earth in many respects. Unfortunately for many of the posters on this thread, this story isn't one of them!

As I've mentioned above, it doesn't help their case either given that this firm is owned by an American company. I'm sure there's plenty of stories about WALMART in America we could all laugh and sneer at.

reply to post by Merriman Weir


Canada is also like Britain - we just have considerably more space to be politically correct in.

Originally posted by Exuberant1
Of course no one has posted any proof of this and we are all taking some guy's word for it....

Did the bar code also tell the cashier to remind the customers that someone had been murdered with a spoon?

If it did, I want proof.

Well, following a hasty post-Christmas clear-out, I bought cutlery from ASDA (which included both knives and spoons) in January this year. I wasn't asked for any form of ID. Also, as I've pointed out elsewhere in the thread, a few weeks ago I bought a quiche that had a bar-code error. Are you suggesting that bar-code errors don't happen?

[edit on 8-5-2009 by Merriman Weir]

Actually I just remembered an odd request for ID that I had.

I was going to the supermarket to get some beers and other random stuff - I asked if I could pick anything else up for the others and the girls wanted a pair of tweezers to do their eyebrows or something - fine, about a quid don't weigh anything no probs.

Any way the supermarket didn't have any, but there is a pharmacy in the same complex so I tried in there - bearing in mind I'm late 20's now they asked me for proof of age saying I had to be over 16!!? I had several types of ID on me, but I said I had none (I just have to put my foot down for petty things like that), the woman knew how stupid it was, she was embarrassed... She asked how old I was and I said '15 and 357 days yesterday, or tomorrow or something' Any way I was allowed to buy the dangerous article - now I had beer and I was packing tweezers, come on world!

Any way - I don't mind people ID'ing me for booze and some other things - tweezers?

edit - me engleshsh sux

[edit on 8/5/2009 by Now_Then]

Originally posted by Merriman Weir
Are you suggesting that bar-code errors don't happen?

Clearly I do not make any such assertion in my posts.

However, I would like to see an example of a bar-code error or from bar-code proper being scanned that results in the cashier being prompted to inform the patron about a spoon being used in a murder/killing.

Do you have such an example?

I'm not disagreeing with you, I am just trying to determine the extent to which this insanity has managed to penetrate the bloody cash register... I hope against you finding the requested example, and not for selfish reasons....

If you do locate such an example; it means that somewhere out there is a product that when purchased, triggers a program that prompts the teller to inform the customer about past crimes the product was involved in. Dear God...

[edit on 8-5-2009 by Exuberant1]

reply to post by Merriman Weir


Merriman, you may have overlooked the unfortunate truth that, like me, you are way past the "media friendly peak of life" of 18 years, hence allowed to buy as many solvents, knives, chainsaws, machineguns (oops, wishful thinking), tobacco and teaspoons as your trolley can handle.

Certainly, at my age I could be a "church tower sniper" waiting to happen but still can buy as many teaspoons as I like! Quite apart from being ageist (I look over 18?) this whole episode denies our basic right to be considered a danger to society. At least our government is pushing to have that changed, no matter what the circumstances.

reply to post by Exuberant1


Exuberant1, all products in a supermarket database have an "age restricted" flag against them which is basically a "true" or "false" value. Have you ever been confronted with a sub-18 cashier who has to get a "supervisor" to OK the sale of alcohol? I get it all the time (make no assumptions about my alcohol intake though...).

This is because the "flag" produces the warning but also conflicts with the cashiers login details (i.e. sub-18).

When an item is scanned that has the flag set to "true", it displays the "18" warning to the cashier and a confirmation is sometimes requested (depending on system) that the purchaser is 18+. If an item is incorrectly marked - no matter how ridiculous - the cashier has to complete the sale according to the guidelines and the restrictions of the system.

Generally speaking, knives are restricted to 18+, whether part of a cutlery set or not and since teaspoons are part of the "cutlery" classification it may be that an over-zealous flag-setter put these into that category too.

It is a simple mistake, however one that requires a "supervisor" to make the call about applicability rather than a cashier.

[edit on 8-5-2009 by SugarCube]

Originally posted by SugarCube
...this whole episode denies our basic right to be considered a danger to society.

Ageism is a recognized form of discrimination.

Unfortunately for us all, The Equality & Human Rights Commission would be more than willing to take up your case at no cost or consequence to you.

You have a Basic Human Right to be considered just as much of a threat as a man younger than you - don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Contact their London Office here:

3 More London, Riverside Tooley Street, London, SE1 2RG
Telephone 020 3117 0235 (non helpline calls only)
Fax 0207 407 7557
[email protected]


*This is what it means to live on a soviet-style society. You could call this number and your case would be taken seriously by some bureaucrat and regardless of the outcome you would never face any legal or financial consequences.

It isn't like suing someone - not at all. The taxpayers pick up the tab, while the government slaps your opponent around and ruins their life.

Welcome to the New Freedom. It is doubleplus good

[edit on 8-5-2009 by Exuberant1]

reply to post by SugarCube


I know all of that already.

What I would like to see is an example of a bar-code error or from bar-code proper being scanned that results in the cashier being prompted to inform the patron about a spoon being used in a murder/killing....

Do you have such an example?

reply to post by Exuberant1


No, I cannot tell a lie, such a system does not exist in the UK supermarket trade - Just the "age restricted flag".

However, ever the entrepreneur, you may have caught onto something! How about a purchase-based system that displays advertisements and news articles for products as they are purchased, shown on a monitor above the checkout.

I like it, scan your Weetiebangs and hey presto, sunny fields of wheat and a smiling fit consumer family is displayed, laughing as they pour lashings of milk over their cereal bowls. Perhaps a news story telling shoppers of the benefits of eating cereals? Oh, hang on, here is a shopper buying haemorrhoid cream...Hmmm, maybe it isn't a good ideas after all. Besides which, the infamous Hackney Teaspoon Murders of 1957 are best forgotten.

[edit on 8-5-2009 by SugarCube]

Originally posted by mysterybee

It was a funny and innocent mixup at the grocery store that caused someone to be ID'd for a teaspoon.

no, it wasn't and 'Bwahahhaha, lolz the 70IQ clerkz sux' won't cut it.

because the electronic register won't allow any of that unless the 70IQ clerk (heh, not my idea, was it?) is wiling to explain to his (? IQ) boss why he sold a dangerous item to an underage kid.

i mean the database said so.


what does it really mean? whether accidential or not, all it takes to ban an item is to put it on some kind of list. no questions asked, no repeal. but it's a democracy give me a break please. oh and before i forget it, anyone so desperate for rationalisation needs at least 170IQ to invent the required mind acrobatics, right?!

keep deluding yourselves while still you can.

[edit on 2009.5.8 by Long Lance]

What's the point

[edit on 8/5/09 by blupblup]

Originally posted by _Phoenix_

Originally posted by Merriman Weir


I'm genuinely wondering how many Americans read the article before they joined the queue to laugh at this non-story?

Yep it's seems strange that quite a few americans take any opportunity to mention how pathetic the uk is based on news reports like this haha.

Could it be karma, perhaps?

Just putting that out for your consideration ...