All He Wanted Was a Bottle of Wine After Work

I've been working really hard lately. Not here on Vinography, but at the day job that pays the bills. So I can understand the desire to get off work, grab a bottle of wine, and relax a little.

Apparently though, that's not so easy if you're any sort of uniformed service officer in the UK. There, they've got laws that say, if you're wearing your uniform, you don't get to buy alcohol.

Presumably, this law exists because there either was a problem at one time with uniformed public servants drunk on the job, or simply because politicians and the public are paranoid about that happening.

Unfortunately, what might be a well meaning (if a bit patronizing) law, creates situations like this one, for a poor (if a bit addled) paramedic in Surrey, England.

The guy wanted to buy a bottle of wine, but the clerk wouldn't sell it to him because he had his paramedic's uniform on. So he went outside and took off the uniform, returning to the store in just a thong and some socks.

Apparently the store also had a "no shirt, no shoes, no service" policy, so the guy never did get his bottle of wine. Instead, he got questioned by the police. Must have been an especially hard week for him.

Read the full story.

Posted by: Alder on May 9, 2009 10:35 PM: Tweet; Share this post elsewhere: Digg it! - Add to del.icio.us - Add to Stumbleupon - Add to Reddit; Filed under: Ramblings and Rants , Wine News

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Comments (4)

Steve Heineman wrote:

05.11.09 at 5:49 AM

Dear Wine-Lovers,

I could start a rant here about draconian liquor laws but will simply say, "Don't make a bad situation worse", just to prove a point. The rule that prohibits uniformed members from purchasing alcohol seems to say, respect the uniform, not the man( or woman).

Benito wrote:

05.11.09 at 11:15 AM

Lots of companies here in the States have similar rules. Basically if you're wearing the uniform, you're still an "agent" of the company and serving as the public face of that company. If, say, a UPS driver stops at a bar for a beer on the way home, to other customers it appears as though the company condones drunk driving.

I usually recommended employees simply put on a sweater or jacket that would cover up any identifying portions of the uniform.

Larry H wrote:

05.11.09 at 5:02 PM

There is no prohibition about selling to a UPS driver. I can understand the public relations concern for those drinking in public. Picking up a botlle of wine in a package store should not be a problem. It could have been for a dinner or a gift.

Bbq Dude wrote:

05.31.09 at 7:56 PM

Seems to me like this problem could be easily solved - many companies don't allow you to wear your uniform if you're not working. And then just don't allow cops on the job to buy alcohol.

Problem solved.