« "The two biggest physical effects of heroin use are sleepiness and constipation. That's it." | Main | Furthermore... »
April 03, 2007
Drunk
Let us bask in the absurd magnificence of Dalton McGuinty's latest argument against selling beer and wine - just wine and microbrews produced in-province, mind you - in Ontario convenience stores. He says, no word of a lie, that because some convenience store owners have been known to steal lottery tickets from unsuspecting punters, they can't be entrusted with alcohol.
A catalogue of the stupidity:
1. Dude... the lottery scandal? That's yours.
2. Not all convenience stores are lottery retailers, and vice versa.
3. Even if they were, as a work colleague suggested to me this afternoon, it's rather like taking away someone's bus pass for getting into a car accident.
4. Convenience store employees are currently entrusted with keeping cigarettes - which are considerably more harmful than booze - out of the hands of the under-19 set. Can we expect a change to this policy?
5. Hundreds of convenience store employees in Ontario have undergone LCBO training so that they can serve (and refuse) customers at the province's many rural agency stores at the same standard they'd get at a real live LCBO outlet. Many of said employees also sell lottery tickets. Can we expect a change to this policy?
Posted by Chris Selley at April 3, 2007 09:56 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.tartcider.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/653
Comments
The cigarette retailers are terrible at keeping tobacco out of the hands of under-19. Just walk around any high school during a recess and see for yourself. I would not trust them to wash my car.
Posted by: Aaron at April 11, 2007 08:35 AM
Perhaps we could set up a program in Ontario to draw Quebec convenience store owners to set up shop here, since they seem to be able to sell alcohol responsibly... McGuinty, what a twit.
Posted by: Deity at April 11, 2007 09:58 AM
Couldn't agree with you more, Dalton (long nose) continues to open his mouth to change feet. Insofar as the last comment is concerned, how absurd.
Stores near schools are monitored more heavily by the local health units, than any others.They risk a loss of licence for up to 6 months if caught selling to minors. Does it happen? Of course, but to paint all operators as crooks, because of a small number is silly. Also, as you stated, there are already hundreds of Agency stores across the province. I personally know of a half dozen within 25 minutes of my home in Lindsay.
Posted by: D'Arcy McGee at April 11, 2007 10:02 AM
The keeping of beer and wine sales in the hands of the LCBO and Brewer's Retail is as bad an idea as the closing of retail stores on Wednesday afternoons and the Ladies and Escorts entrances in hotels. Old thinking whose time has long since passed. As a past Alberta and now Texas resident I can attest that being able to pick up a bottle of wine with your groceries or at the corner store has not made me or anyone else a raving alcoholic. Heck, it even saves the environment by not having make that extra trip.
Actually, if memory serves me correctly, I recall seeing wine for sale in a cubby hole at the end of the checkout at an A&P store in Thunder Bay a few months back. WTF, eh.
Posted by: Texas Canuck at April 11, 2007 05:31 PM