White Spirit

[cycle cat]

Ok if that was me I would have asked for ID.
I would have asked what you wanted it for.
If you'd been nervous or really cocky I would have refused the sale.
No offence! One of our supervisors looks a lot like you. If I didn't know him I'd id him too!

[Alex L]

Fair enough. I don't have a problem with being IDed. It's not the fault of the poor sole behind the till on what they have to do. I used to work at M&S and had to do the whole 5p bag thing.

I was asked for ID. Asked for my age and then refused sale. Wasn't asked for my use of the product.

I've emailed Wickes and am waiting for a response.

[tonythompson]

Alex I can understand your frustration, but wait until you get to the other end when you ask for the old geezers reduction and they say no they don't want to see any Id of proof of age

[Deckie]

It sound's like you got an assistant who misunderstood the rules. It is probable that white spirit is an age restricted item, age likely 18 (there are very few age limits, and 18 is the oldest (unless you include adult prison at 21 )). Where I work the rule is that if you believe the customer is under 25 you ask for ID to prove their age. Once they prove their age the sale goes ahead.

I imagine the assistant thought the rule was if they are under 21 don't sell it.

[thirdcrank]

The legislation I linked to does not create a blanket ban on selling anything to anybody of any age. It only applies:

if he knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the substance is, or its fumes are, likely to be inhaled by the person under the age of eighteen for the purpose of causing intoxication

Going on from that, the ban which is created applies to selling to somebody of any age, if they are known or believed to be buying it for somebody under 18.

Read a bit further and it isn't an offence for somebody who is under 18 to supply the sniffing substances, unless it's a business transaction.

All it suggests to me is that you can't control a social problem through legislation of this type which inconveniences lots of people but doesn't really directly tackle the problem. Almost every private garage / DIYer's shed in the land will have half-used pots and tubes of sniffable solvents. The worst case I had any involvement with was a lad who was in the habit of scaling a high security fence surrounding a firm where solvents were used on an industrial scale, and then stealing from a storage tank. I can't remember all the details. The amounts taken were so small they went unnoticed and the matter was only detected through his extreme violence when "high." IIRC, the damage to his internal organs was terminal.

[Audax67]

Strikes me the legislation was written by someone who'd been sniffing glue, or maybe something a bit more up-market.

When I was a lad in the 50s I frequently picked up my dad's cigarettes from the shop with little other than the odd remark that they were a bit strong for somebody my age, but that was just craic since it was taken for granted that only the rare 8-year-old would buy a packet of 20 Blues. Five Woodbine might have elicited a different reaction.

[thirdcrank]

By coincidence, I was in Aldi at lunchtime, looking at one of the bike tool kits, reviewed by Brucey on another thread. NOT FOR SALE TO UNDER 18's viewtopic.php?f=18&t=68624&p=590562#p587692

Why can that be? I wondered. Are chain whips restricted under some dangerous weapon legislation? A close inspection of the list of ingedients includes a 6mls tube of glue for puncture repairs. They're coming to take me away, ha ha! Who's going to shell out almost twenty quid to get glue for sniffing? Clue: If they really want that rubber solution they'll nick it out of the tool kit on display.

[Si]

The power of the interweb...had to buy some super glue today and, after reading this thread, I took ID with me - just in case! Alas, my boyish looks must e fading as the assistant recognised me as a crusty old git and didn't ask for ID.

[danfoto]

I've also been stopped a couple of times outside supermarkets by under-age girls

Hmmm.

Let's see now ... you're a cyclist ... you're from Leeds ...

[thirdcrank]

Hmmm.

Let's see now ... you're a cyclist ... you're from Leeds ...

Yup but I'm not a super rich TV personality and I'm not planted upright overlooking the sea at Scarboro. So, how's about that, then?

[reohn2]

By coincidence, I was in Aldi at lunchtime, looking at one of the bike tool kits, reviewed by Brucey on another thread. NOT FOR SALE TO UNDER 18's .........

I was in the post office a couple of weeks ago and saw the same notice on a pair of scissors

[meic]

I was wondering about 17 year olds driving into petrol stations to fill up their cars or 16 year olds to fill up their mopeds.

When they can not even have enough petrol to fill a lighter from a shop.

[Alex L]

Update: It's been a couple of weeks now. No word yet from Wickes. I think they're ignoring me.

[hubgearfreak]

i doubt white spirit is volotile enough for sniffers?

also, if you're painting a wall. i'm intrigued what sort of a wall it is and what sort of paint it is that you need white spirits to clean the brush afterwards?

[Alex L]

i doubt white spirit is volotile enough for sniffers?

also, if you're painting a wall. i'm intrigued what sort of a wall it is and what sort of paint it is that you need white spirits to clean the brush afterwards?

Okay well not much wall, some drainpipe, supports around the roof terrace. You are correct in that mostly water based paints are needed.