More dangerous than smoking
Well, waddya know!
Now they want to ban cheeeldren from the Interwebs.
It only seems like a couple of days ago [actually it was only a couple of days ago] when I scribbled about how they want to police the Interwebs for “hate crimes”. Now they are worried about porn and paedophiles as well?
So they want to put an age limit of thirteen on Interweb access? They overlook one very simple fact and that is that most kids under thirteen know infinitely more about the Interweb than they apparently do.
How would this idea work? The days are long gone where people had to register for an on-line account where they dialled up from a single computer. These days it’s all wi-fi so anyone with a device can connect anywhere in the home. Even out here in the wilds, there are about six or seven wi-fi networks from neighbouring houses so what would it be like in the suburbs? How many of those aren’t password protected? And what about free wi-fi which is cropping up everywhere, even on the buses and trains?
So password protect the kids’ devices? A ten year old will find a way around that. Uninstall network devices such as browsers? The kids will just reinstall them. Put some kind of security device where the kids have to enter their age? The kids lie.
There is a simple solution which has fuck all to do with the gubmint. It’s something that used to be employed in my day. It’s a novel idea called education which is the responsibility of parents, not the state.
Of course they will probably suggest a few ideas taken from the smoking ban. First of all, make it the legal responsibility of the parents to ensure that the kids are banned, so if a child gets on-line, it’s the parents’ fault, not the child’s.
And when that inevitably fails, just call for a ban on the Interweb altogether for everyone.
For the sake of the cheeeldren, of course.
Sounds like things are getting pretty restrictive over there. Or at least it would be if there was any hope at all of making such legislation work. I read the article you referenced and it seems that your government (or possibly the EU?) actually believes it can control the Internet when the Internet is a global online network that does not belong to any entity. It’s actually the closest thing to an anarchy that exists on the planet. As if any government could actually “…put a broad spectrum of protections in place that would automatically be built into new apps and websites.” Of course they could always go the way of China and force the IPs to place highly restrictive measures on the content they deliver (read: censoring). probably wouldn’t work though.
It’s high time that governments stop using children as an excuse to gain more control over their citizens.
Building “protections” into websites is impossible. That’s even assuming that everyone would comply, which they wouldn’t. And anyway, how can any website determine the real age of the viewer? Currently tobacco and booze sites have an “are you over 18” thing which is so laughable as to be insane.
Currently all website owners are legally obliged [by the EU of course] to stick a Cookie warning on all their websites. Very few actually bother, as it’s an irritation and nothing else.
As for the cheeeldren – that’s a bit of emotional blackmail that the Nannies just love. I just conjure up an image of a snotty little brat shouting dog’s abuse at me, so I just want the little fuck to swallow whatever they are trying to protect him from.
“Currently tobacco and booze sites have an “are you over 18” thing which is so laughable as to be insane.”
I know something even more insane: If you want to order anything at all to do with e-cigs here in good old Germoney, you’ll first have to proof you’re 18+ to the shop (by identity card number, no less), then the delivery man has to also check that he’s handing the parcel only to someone looking as if they were 18+ (no delivering the parcel on the porch or anything like that). The whole shenanigans also if you’re insane enough to order coils which consist of a bit of metal and a bit of cotton, or if you order just some cotton balls or wire for your (rebuildable) e-cig. 18+ for cotton balls if they’re sold by an e-cig vendor. Can it get any more insane? Oh, of course, it’s all for the safety of the cheeeeldren, what else?
First time I ever ordered e-cig paraphernalia via the interwebs, I was dead offended that my DHL delivery man thought I definitely look 18+. Talking about unintended consequences …
A while back I had a grocery delivery that included some whiskey. The delivery lad was young, foreign and on his first day on the job. He looked a bit apologetic but said he couldn’t give me the whiskey unless I could prove I was over eighteen. I laughed [long and hard] and asked if he was serious, as obviously I was old enough to be his father, if not his grandfather. He was morto [mortified, if you don’t speak Dublinese] and apologised but he stuck to his guns as it was “the Law”. In the end, I had to hunt out my driving licence as I felt sorry for the lad.
Just as bad here in the yUK. A couple of years back I foolishly sent ‘I Staaaaarvin Daaad’ Eldest Useless Object a tesco order to his crack den of a flat. I must have felt particularly generous as I didn’t just send him food stuffs (that he could eat without cooking cos he also had no electric) but also a 50g of whatever ‘tobacco’ he smokes .
At the time he was maybe 26 years old with piercings in nose and lips and chin, with dinner plates distending his ear lobs and visible tattoos (18+ you have to be here to get tatts etc).
Tesco driver DEMANDED (ie not asked) to see his ID (which of course he hadn’t got) and then DEMANDED to see the IDs of all the other young layabouts and wastrels in the room because one of them might have been underage and might decide to take a swig of the alcohol in the order despite there being none (i’m NOT that generous) after the cigarettes & joints they were all smoking I assume. The order went back and I sent the following to tesco Customer Disservice:
Dear Sirs,
Since when do your drivers have police powers? Do you now issue your
drivers Warrant Cards along with their Tesco IDs?
And since when have you started employing rude drivers? Your drivers
were always polite and friendly. What as changed?
Yesterday I sent my ADULT son (in his 25th year AND HE LOOKS IT with a
face full of piercings one has to be 18 to have!) a tesco order of foods
including RYO tobacco to my son’s home at The Crack Den, Waster Way, Driedvene
Apparently your driver DEMANDED to see Photo ID from my son ‘as there
was alcohol in the order’. Which was untrue, there was NO alcohol in
the order and my son is past the age or appearance were any
intelligent person might think he is under 21, let alone under 18!
Worse still the same driver has delivered to him before and knows him.
If it had been a ‘new’ driver one ,might I suppose, excuse his lack of
perceptive ability and assume he, the new driver, just wanted to ‘play
it safe’ but that would not excuse the rudeness of his DEMAND nor the
following DEMAND to see Photo ID from everyone else in the
flat/building at the time of delivery!
Unfortunately my Son and the others in the building (all over 18, one
has to be an adult to get a flat there) had no photo ID with them but
my son did offer to show the driver his birth certificate etc but your
driver apparently refused. At that point my son’s patience was at an
end and he told your driver to go away and take the entire order with
him. I can imagine that my son , by this point, was so exasperated
that he answered your driver’s rude tone with some rudeness of his
own.
I am aware that you/your drivers are legally obliged not to
sell/deliver tobacco goods to under 18s but this incident was patently
a case of a ‘job’s worth’ flexing his ‘muscles’ otherwise he would
have at least been polite and not have lied about the reason for his
needing to see ID from not only my son but the entire house!
You can safely assume that in future your competitors will be
delivering my son’s orders. Your driver’s rudeness and appalling
‘stasi’ attitude has cost you a customer.
Yours Sincerely
Hah! Did you get a reply???
Yes the usual ‘eyewash’:
Dear Short Fenlander, Thank you for your email and your patience in allowing me the time to assist you on this occasion.
Firstly I would like to apologise that you were left unsatisfied with the service you have received from us on this occasion. I can understand both you and your son’s disappointment.
I am very sorry that you felt the driver was rude when delivering your order. This was not typical of our usual standards and I’m pleased that you’ve brought it to our attention. We would much rather know if something’s wrong so we can put it right as soon as possible.
All of our Grocery Home Shopping orders are required to be accepted by someone over the age of 18 regardless of items within that order. On this occasion however there was tobacco in the order which by law has age restrictions on the sale.
From time to time, when in doubt our drivers are within their rights to request ID if they are unsure of the identity or age of the recipient. This is to cover them along with ensuring that as a company are following the law.
Rest assured, I have contacted our Dareham (note from me- he couldn’t even spell the store’s name correctly) Extra Store responsible for this order and notified the Grocery Home Shopping Manager of the issue. This will be investigated further and addressed with the staff concerned to avoid the same situation happening on future orders and the relevant action will be taken.
So I grabbed the highest horse in the stable and penned back:
thank you for your prompt reply.However that drivers are “within their rights to request” simply reiterates the seriousness of my complaint. I’m pretty sure the word”request” means something along the lines of “to ask for politely” not “DEMAND with all the pseudo authority of some jumped up little Hitler” and that is the problem here, not that your driver requested to see ID but that he demanded to see ID from someone obviously far over the legal age limit of 18 or even 21 years of age.Not only that but your-driver-with-all-the-people-skills then went onto DEMAND to see photo ID from other residents and visitors allo bviously over the age of 18.There is no way anyone with a modicum of common sense, life experience or intelligence could think my son was under 18. Do you now employ drivers without these attributes? I doubt it then previous experience of your drivers has left me with, until today, a very high opinion ofthem (…which happens to be the exact opposite from my opinion of your packers btw). Previous drivers have shown not only impressive people and parking skills, but also a level of helpfulness and politeness not often seen these days. Many of your drivers seem to take immense pride in their work and are constantly aware of the fact that they, the drivers, ARE tescos or the face of tescos for the customer on the doorstep.I am pleased you have passed this complaint on to the relevant manager but you omit to say he will report back and tell me what action he took. Am I expected to simply take your word for it that he will investigate? Yours Sincerely
They are indeed forbidden to deliver booze or baccy to an under 18, but it takes a real Jobsworth to take it to extremes. I doubt there is anything anywhere [including Tesco’s rulebook] that says that proof of identity must be given by all occupants. If I want to buy a litre of whiskey for my seven year old grandson then that’s my business and not Tesco’s [nor, for that matter, anyone else’s with the possible exception of Daughter?].
Since that one incident I have never had a repeat. Maybe someone else complained and they told their staff to use a modicum of common sense, I don’t know. I order from two different supermarkets, depending on mood and I must say the delivery blokes are always very helpful and cheerful.
Sugar coated fascists are everywhere now days GD.
For the sake of the cheeeldren, of course.
My brother had a problem once in a bottle shop when he took my nephew and nephew’s girl friend along to help carry. The bloke on the till asks for ID for nephew and friend, both under 18. Brother explains that the grog is for him and that they are just there to help carry the stuff to the car. After a bit of back and forth brother asks to see the manager. Manager comes out and backs up the bloke on the till, asks for ID. My brother then tells the manager to go fuck himself, picks up two cartons of stubbies and throws them at the manager who stumbles backward and ends up on the floor. Brother & co then go and buy grog elsewhere.
I wonder what would have happened if brother sent nephew outside while he bought the booze and then called them in to help with the carrying? There is nothing the sop could have done about that!
Sadly the world is full of petty Jobsworths, who love these laws as it gives them an actual sense of authority.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/aldi-store-refuses-sell-mum-9620103
-found that whilst looking for the ‘famous’ incident when an off duty policeman was refused service (wine for a meal) because accompanied by his underage-looking boyfriend who hadn’t got ID with him. But the link is an even ‘better’ example.