THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 1978
Page 5
Buying alcohol locally
o problem for minor
By ELAINE MERRIFIELD
Jjill and I enter the store to
gether, dressed in jeans and
jhirts. She stops just inside the
door and looks around, her eyes
earching the shelves. She leads
ne down one of the center aisles,
lading the labels until she finds
l»at she’s looking for. She selects
one of the bottles from the shelf
and carries it to the check-out
ounter.
■‘How are you girls doing to-
|y?” the middle-aged woman be
nd the counter asks. “Will that
I all for you?”
R“I believe so,” says Jill, carefully
ailing a $5 bill from her jean poc-
Jt.
[“Looks like ya’ll have a few
imore hours left to soak up the
In,” the woman said conversa-
pnally.
“Yes, ma’am,” says fill, looking
jjt the front window.
The woman hands Jill her pur-
scienfrc
oil tklj
.five i
o-ho-k|
fThank you,” she says. “Ya’ll
ime back.”
“Thank you,” we echo as we
leave the store.
ill, who is 15, has just commit-
a crime. She is guilty of pur-
asing and possessing alcohol
while underage. She could be
rged with a misdemeanor and
^mai u p $100. If the woman in
ie store had known Jill was a
inor, she could also be charged
id fined up $500. She might also
,nwi be sentenced to one year in jail.
Bie store could lose its liquor
license for up to 60 days. And
these are the penalties for first of-
l fense. Subsequent offenses result
, P in stiffer penalties.
I may look older
„ than 15 to some, she probably
• would have a hard time passing for
i waid8. Even so, she visited two liquor
de oil Wires, two grocery stores and two
al lubr.convenience stores in Bryan-
isanes College Station and was able to
ing oil buy alcohol at every store without
nore tl ieing asked to show proof of her
rm wha age. She purchased 3 six-packs of
(Jnitedibeer, a fifth of bourbon, a fifth of
■scotch and a bottle of wine as eas-
hale’fitly as if she were buying soft
(1 spetminks.
f its pwf. Store owners say they ask for
Industr identification if the customer looks
to develpder 18. However, almost any of
'cause i) Jill’s 15-year-old friends could pass
formam most store owners’ inspections.
||lnspector Don Ward, of the
.thpdesfSexas Alcoholic Beverage Commis-
1 \\m$on /TABC), recognizes that many
ctionk'Jigh school students, especially
ervaliCigirls, look 18 and that it may be
difficult for a store clerk to judge
their ages correctly.
“We plead with the store clerks
to check everyone who doesn’t
look 30,” he said.
Most store clerks say they have
become fairly accurate judges of
age.
“After awhile you develop a
sixth sense,” said the manager of a
convenience store. “If they act
nervous or look young, we usually
ask to see their license.”
The manager of a local liquor
store said he asks his employees to
use their own judgment.
“If there is any doubt, we ask
them to check identification,” he
said.
Jill was able to purchase a fifth
of scotch at this store with no
problems.
Jill and another 15-year-old
friend and I also visited two of the
area discos. None of us carried any
identification. We were turned
down by the girl at the door of the
first place we tried.
The other disco we visited was
also checking IDs. It was “drink
and drown” night. You paid $2.50,
showed your ID and you could get
all the drinks you wanted.
We went to the door and paid
our $2.50 each. The man at the
cash register asked to see our
driver’s licenses.
“We don’t have them with us,”
Jill said. “We left our purses at
home.”
“Well,” he said thoughtfully,
“I’ll let you in this time, out next
time remember to bring your
IDs.”
“Oh, we will,” we said in unison
and then walked into the club.
Jill and her friend did not com
mit a crime until they were served
drinks in the club. Then they be
came guilty of the purchase of al
cohol by minors. The bartender, if
he knew they were minors, would
also be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Texas law states that it is a mis
demeanor for a minor to purchase,
possess or consume alcoholic bev
erages unless he is with a parent,
guardian, or adult spouse. The first
time a minor violates this law he
can be fined $25 to $100. He must
appear in court with his parents or
guardian to pay the fine. A second
offense brings a fine of $100 to
$500.
It is also a misdemeanor for
someone to sell or make available
alcoholic beverages to a minor. If a
store clerk knowingly sells alcohol
to a minor, he can be fined $100 to
$500 for the first offense and $500
to $1,000 for the second offense.
He may also be subject to a one-
year jail term. However, the clerk
is not liable if he can prove he did
not know the buyer was a minor.
The business itself is subject to
suspension or cancellation of its
liquor license. The suspension may
last up to a year depending on the
number of offenses.
Jill’s mother was hesitant at first
about letting Jill participate in the
experiment, but as the experiment
progressed she became very in
terested in our findings. She was
especially concerned about the
ease with which Jill was able to
purchase alcohol in stores.
“I wish the liquor stores were as
strict about checking IDs as the
discos are,” she said. “At a disco,
$5 will only buy two or three
drinks. But in a liquor store, $5
will buy a fifth of bourbon."
ria, i
Campus Activities
Wednesday
Young Americans for Freedom, Hank
Grover, candidate for U.S. Senate, 7:30
p.m., 601 Rudder
Traditions Council, 7:15 p.m., 410
Rudder
Bahai Club, slide presentation, 8 p.m.
KM MSC
Thursday
Political Forum, Texas Sec. of State
Steven Oaks, "Political Particiapation in
the Electoral Process,” noon, 601 Rudder
Great Issues, Dr. J. Allen Hynek, “The
UFO Experience — A Scientific Inquiry,”
8 p.m., Rudder Auditorium
Aggie Players, “Rip Van Winkle,” 8
p.m., Rudder Forum
Friday
Travel Committee, "We Have Never
Been Licked,” 8 p.m.. Rudder Au
ditorium
Bahia Club, musical presentation, 8
p.m., 104 MSC
Aggie Players, "Rip Van Winkle,” 8
p.m.. Rudder Forum
Aggie Cinema, “Enter the Dragon,” 12
midnight. Rudder Theater
Saturday
University Undergraduate Fellows
Symposium, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Zac-
hry Engineering Center, rooms 104 and
105
Company D-2 Parent’s Day Reception,
6:30 p.m., 230 MSC
Squadron 7 Parent’s Day Ceremony, 7
p.m., 701 Rudder
Aggie Players, “Rip Van Winkle,” 8
p.m.. Rudder Forum
Aggie Cinema, “The Enforcers,” 8
p.m.. Rudder Auditorium
Lone Star presents
the No Place But Texas
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4. Where is the World
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5. What is the highest official
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6. Where can you
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only homed rabbit?
7. What is the
world’s distance
record, set by
Plennie L. Wingo
of Abilene, for
walking
backwards?
8. What is the
hometown of rock/
blues guitarist
Johnny Winter?
9. What is the host
city of the Annual
Black-Eyed Pea
Festival?
10. What is the
world record, set in
College Station, for
the tallest bonfire?
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