Shopper asked for proof of age to buy Asda teaspoons

Telegraph.co.uk ^ | Tuesday, May 5, 2009 | Aislinn Simpson

[Momaw Nadon]

A shopper was left baffled after she went to Asda to stock up on picnic equipment and was asked for proof of age to buy a set of teaspoons.

The shop assistant reportedly informed the customer that someone had once been murdered with a teaspoon, and therefore age identification was now required.

That the woman had also bought plates and picnic ware at the Halifax branch in West Yorkshire did not appear to reassure the shop assistant as to her innocent intentions.

The receipt for the bizarre sale was published on the website nannyknowsbest.blogspot.com, a website set up by an internet entrepreneur Ken Frost to "expose and resist the all pervasive nanny state that is corroding the way of life and the freedom of the people of Britain".

The site was subsequently bombarded with comments and suggestions for other items that could cause harm.

One posting read: "Tea towel and a couple of bottle of diet cream soda and you've got all the equipment for waterboarding an Asda manager."

Another reader remarked: "Seemingly Asda believe that nobody over 18 ever murdered anyone."

"If the Government are going to try to take away my constitutional rights this way, I'm going to carry the biggest calibre teaspoon I can find," another commentator added. "I will give up my teaspoon when they prise it from my cold, dead body."

Peter McCarthy, the Asda Halifax store manager, said he was unaware of the spoon ID rule.

[Momaw Nadon]

FYI and discussion

[Sender]

The easy availability of teaspoons is an outrage! Why, anybody could buy one of these spoons and then go out and, well you know, stir someone.

God save the Queen! She's merely pining for the fjords.

[Blue Jays]

The maniacal behavior towards firearms overseas makes virtually any story believable.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

God, Almighty......

[SandRat]

SAY WHAT!

[chemicalman]

“Gag me with a spoon!”

[wolfpat]

This smacks of someone having fun at the expense of customers.

[mylife]

Have the Brits gone completely barmy?

[KoRn]

Bizzaro world!

[Palladin]

No spooning, but it’s OK to fork.

[mylife]

“If the Government are going to try to take away my constitutional rights this way, I’m going to carry the biggest calibre teaspoon I can find,” another commentator added. “I will give up my teaspoon when they prise it from my cold, dead body.”

LOL!!!

[MindBender26]

In my 40+ years from beginning to end as a reporter and news anchor, I always noticed that most of the REALLY weird stories came out of the UK.

Some things never change.

[mylife]

One posting read: "Tea towel and a couple of bottle of diet cream soda and you've got all the equipment for waterboarding an Asda manager."

Hilarious!

[MindBender26]

Can you buy Magnum spoons interstate over the ‘net?

[Pravious]

She should have told them to fork off.

[mylife]

Brit Defense classes

[FlingWingFlyer]

Another reader remarked: "Seemingly Asda believe that nobody over 18 ever murdered anyone."

No, that's not it. It's just ILLEGAL for anyone under the age of 18 to murder someone with a teaspoon. I mean...

[mylife]

Certainly!

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

One way to get a cute woman's name and address!

[KrisKrinkle]

When teaspoons are outlawed, only outlaws will have tea parties.

[MindBender26]

Pssst.....

Hey, Meester.

Juh whan buy suhm spoonz?

I gar-han-tee juh. Noh zerial numberz. Theys cool.

[al baby]

having fun at the expense of customers.

The UAW?

[potlatch]

[someone had once been murdered with a teaspoon]

Oh my, WATCH OUT for toothpicks!! Killers!

maybe a 'nork', devolve!

[frankiep]

When you outlaw teaspoons, only outlaws will have teaspoons.

[mylife]

Assault Utensils~

[ItsOurTimeNow]

I was in line once at the grocery store and the person in front of me was carded for non-alcoholic beer.

I had a bottle of grape juice in my items, so when it was my turn I showed the clerk my ID. When she asked why, I said it was for the non-alcoholic wine I was purchasing.

[FlyingEagle]

80% of the spoons in Mexico come from United States spoon dealers.

[mylife]

Those darned Mexispoons!

[manapua]

Almost as stupid: some places in the USA will card people attempting to purchase lighters.

[mplsconservative]

We call ‘em ‘sporks’ in these parts. Watch out, they’re plastic and they’re deadly, ‘specially when they come with a 2 piece Popeye’s extra spicy chicken dinner.

[Sender]

Personally, if someone comes into my house at night with a teaspoon, I’m putting my Surefire light on them and telling them to “Drop the spoon!”

[buccaneer81]

Still no defense against pointed sticks.

[mylife]

Concealed Carry:

[potlatch]

[‘sporks’]
Lol, I hadn't heard that. Have to admit I usually throw the plastic utensils away when I pick up food, have had plastic tines break on forks before.

I still buy wooden toothpicks in a box.

[mylife]

Nope.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

And then I take my money elsewhere after letting them know why.

[mylife]

Yutes brandishing light weight Polymer Spoons:

[mylife]

note: the one on the right is a tiny “saturday night spooncial”

[GOPJ]

I enjoy a morning newspaper - does anyone know if Telegraph.co.uk prints over here?

[cva66snipe]

Almost as stupid: some places in the USA will card people attempting to purchase lighters.

I've been carded at Wally World for buying a can of spray paint and another time for buying a movie. The fact I'm in my 50's didn't seem to matter.

[SkyDancer]

It’s England, that’s why. No explanation needed .....

[devolve]

.

LOL!

A “Knork”

Handy tool!

The wider, thicker knife edge could be a bit more tapered for steak, etc

[eyedigress]

Find a hometown everything. Old school doesn’t card anything after they know you.

[mplsconservative]

Yeah, plastic forks stink on road trips, that’s when I wish I would’ve thought to bring a real fork.

Sporks are special though. They are like a spoon with a serrated edge on the tip so they don’t break off like a flimsy plastic fork. I tell you, they are deadly, LOL.

We’re never without wooden toothpicks. They have to be the round kind. If anyone watched ‘My Name is Earl’ last week they know toothpicks can be dangerous too. Randy was pretty upset. “Some people just want to pick their teeth.” :)

[FourPeas]

Ah, this must be the reason: Spoon Used to Subdue Robber

[potlatch]

Lol, I never forgot about your Knorks, just forgot the K!!

[potlatch]

[Sporks]

Ahaaa! I got what you mean now! When you first wrote I thought you meant plastic toothpicks, lol.

Yes, I've seen what you are talking about.

Toothpicks are handy for many things in cooking too. When the grandkids are here, the chili dogs with the toothpicks DON'T have onion, lol.

[cva66snipe]

Find a hometown everything. Old school doesn’t card anything after they know you.

I'm doing that more and more. I wish some chains like Food City, Ingles, and Krogers, would drop the blasted discount cards though. That too is a huge invasion of privacy and actually back door carding. That is if someone is naive enough to put their real name and address on the form to get the card. As for me I'm known as shoppers Elmer J Fudd, Gomez Addams, & Herman Munster. :>} No ones questioned it yet.

[mylife]

I am going to have to get a card for one BArack Obama ☺

[eyedigress]

And they won’t. I go to FC from time to time and they have a card attached to the keyboard. Just tell em’ to swipe it. Same with the others also. I use local hardware stores and local vice stores. I seldom show an ID. :^)