Clerk cards 76-year-old man buying non-alcoholic beer
<editor's note> By The Associated Press </editor's note>
(1/21/03 - OAK CREEK, Wis.) - Don Meyer was a little annoyed when a Pick 'n Save clerk here recently carded him in the liquor store. He wasn't just upset because they carded him while he was buying nonalcoholic beer. He was upset because he's 76 years old. "I tell you, I was really ticked off _ this little-by-little chipping away at your rights," the World War II veteran said. Meyer won't be the only senior citizen getting carded now that 11 Pick 'n Save stores in Wisconsin have begun requiring clerks to card everyone who tries to buy alcohol. Most alcoholic-beverage retailers ask for identification from patrons who appear younger than 30 or 40, but Pick 'n Save officials say they wanted to eliminate the chance of selling to someone underage. "We've had a few complaints," said Robert Mariano, president and chief executive officer of Pick 'n Save's parent company, Roundy's Inc. "People may not like it, but they understand what we are trying to do. We're just trying to do the right thing." Milwaukee Attorney Michael A.I. Whitcomb, who represents many clients with liquor licenses, said he has never heard of a store carding everyone. "Practically speaking, I see no reason to instruct employees to card the AARP crowd," said Whitcomb.