Over Cautious Sales Assistant

Grandmarderby love it

The garden gnome would be a Midsummer Murder whereas the steak knives would be more Inside Number 9 don’t you think 🧐

MOnica I'm trying to decide which is worse. Being stabbed to death, or bludgeoned to death with a stolen garden gnome.

Kircubbin2000 you did mean steak knives didn’t you.
Because not aware of meat being a racist issue🤔

My dil was stopped by security in M and S because she had bought 4 steaks and used the self check out. She presumed it was because of her skin colour.

SquirrelSue

I live in a small town with low crime. I went to my local independent kitchenware shop to buy a 6 inch carving knife. I got to the payment desk and the 50+ sales assistant stared at me and said, "now you're not going to go outside and start stabbing people with it are you?". I immediately said, no. She gave me a hard stare and asked me again! To which I replied, certainly not. She then sold me the knife, which was sealed in a thick plastic cover, the knife handle had a cable tie attached to thick cardboard. I'm 60 years of age with white hair and dressed smart, so obviously over the minimum age of 25 to buy a knife. Was the sales assistant expecting me to say, yes!

Silly woman, behind the counter. I would have given her what for, and left the knife with her to put back.Why do these sort people think they're funny.

We keep knives in sheaths, in kitchen drawers, scissors, picks etc are in same drawers. Opening latch system is hidden, only we know access.

This is because children, no break-ins, we keep doors locked.

Of course knives are accessible in houses. We are surrounded by potential weapons that could be used to injure or kill people.

Gardens and roadsides have stones in them, especially in the countryside. These can and are used to hit people. We need to remove all the paving slabs, gnomes, garden ornaments from our environemnet. You do not even need to get into someone's house to access them.

What about branches on trees?, bits wrenched off cars? Loose railings?

I fully understand why Rishi Sunak wants children to study maths until 18. Those two extra years could be used to teach children the rules of probability and its practical application. We have a chain saw. Someone could get into the house, charge the battery, which is in the utility room, put it in the saw, which is in the garden shed, kept in a black polythene bag, start the motor and then kill me by decapitating me. On the other hand, he could break in through the front door and just hit me with a chair.

But what is the probability of anyone doing any of these things? The same applies to kitchen knives, craft knives, screwdrivers, rolling pins etc etc etc. I am not going to live in a home that consists of nothing but padlocked cupboards and inaccessible belongings, just because there is a chance in one - two - three million that someon might break into my house, search for a knife and kill me.

Knife blocks vs drawer
Hmmm. They're still accessible either way! Lol

At the checkouts it causes quite a lot of hassle, the list is so long and we have assistants that are under 18 and self scan terminals have to be authorized. I often joke with customers asking them if they are old enough but there is the occasional grouch that does not think it’s funny.

Oh and some gardening/d.i.y. tools !

In the Supermarket I work at age ID will be prompted at the checkout or self serve for many things.

Obviously Alcohol (even none alcoholic)

knives, party poppers, birthday fountains, birthday sparklers, party cannons, little travel sewing kit ( contains scissors).

Lighters/matches flammable liquids/tobacco/lottery tickets /some of the spray on hair products/medicines paracetamol/glues.

Stationary sets with a compass in.

Chocolate (Baileys etc)

Energy drinks.

At Chr*stmas Baileys fresh cream.

Any X box, Playstation / switch games, even the controller's.

DVD's.

It can be a nightmare trying to guess a young person age, if we get it wrong and it happens to be a "tester" as in the police have sent a young person in. The Store gets a talking to, the person who sold whatever, gets a stern talking to via the police and can incur a fine and a caution.

We have a Challenge 25 policy, if you happen to look under 25 (yes even though for most things it is 18, then we are taught to ask for ID)
Hence I love it when I come to serve my "more mature customers" .






Items with glue in (nail glue etc)

Even the little kit that comes out at Halloween for carving pumpkins(it has a little plastic serrated knife in).

Over 40 years ago someone broke into a neighbour's house. The neighbour found him in the kitchen and was stabbed to death with his own bread knife. It made me aware of the danger of possible weapons left around.

Germs in the slots of knife blocks? Well, quite possibly, yes. But I’ve had a knife block for over 35 years now, use the knives regularly and am here to type the tale, along with the person I share my home with and feed preparing food using said knives out of said knife block …

I agree with you M0nica (your post 23:33:31).
My knives are both on a magnetic strip and in a block - keeping sharp knives in a drawer is (a) dangerous (risk if being cut when reaching for them), and (b) risks blunting them as they sit together.
The likelihood of someone breaking into your home, grabbing your knives and assaulting you with them is really rather slim, in my opinion. (Not impossible, but very unlikely).

A teenage boy about 17 or 18 bought a large chefs knife in Sainsbury's. No one asked him anything but I wondered was he a chef.

You can’t buy scissors easily now, you find an assistant and they take some to the till and when you’re ready you ask at the till for them.

I've no idea what the shop assistant wanted.

I suppose the alarming/escalating number of knife crimes has caused some rules/regulations at some shops, regardless of age or dress.

We keep knives in sheaths, in kitchen drawers and other shop work areas. Graters, mandolins, scissors, peelers are all sharp as well.

Safety? Lock your doors.

Bluebelle we have a fully functioning security alarm system and have had in several houses, over 40 years. We have had an attempted break in, but the alarm went off and they scarpered.

As Farmor says, the probability of having a break-in is small and the chances of a break in where the intruder is not, either already armed with a weapon, or doesn't make a run when they realise someone is present is smaller still.

They also then need to turn the lights on in the kitchen and look to see where you keep your knives, even if they are in a block or on a magnetic bar on the wall. Quicker and easier to grab a table lamp or ornament and hit you on the head with that.

As I said the probabability of this is minute. In nearly 60 years of living independently, I have never had such an incident and nobody I know has either.

I would rather keep my mnd on probably events. like not getting to an appointment tomorrow at the right time, after a 200 mile drive, whether the car will break down, how DGD will do in GCSEs. Things that really matter and are much more likely to occur.

I'm with M0nica on this. I don't like sharp knives in drawers as I'm nervous of cutting myself accidentally. If someone breaks into a house, gets disturbed and wants a weapon, there are many other household objects that can be used. I know someone who was killed by burglar with a screwdriver. Broken glass is a dangerous weapon - often used in fights outside pubs!

We could live our lives in fear, locking everything potentially dangerous up, or relax and take the miniscule chance of being murdered by an intruder with something they found in our house. (House is generally so untidy they would be lucky to find anything!)

It’s not improbable though Monica anyone breaking in (and you’re no more safe from that than anyone else is) if disturbed could easily in panic, grab the nearest weapon type item
Again anyone with a mental health problem can be unpredictable and if frightened grab what they feel they need
It’s absolutely up to you to have your knives any where you want to keep them but don’t knock the danger they could cause
and the caution needed
My aunt was broken into when she was fast asleep upstairs knew nothing till the next day what if she’d gone down to check a noise ?

In the last 5 years, I have bought kitchen knives, scissors of every kind from nail scissors to fabric shears and I have never been asked for proof of age
You live in a different area to a lot of us then even the charity shop cannot keep any scissors even tiny nail scissors or penknives are under lock and key and we don’t sell any knives other than ordinary dinner knives

All supermarkets have to approve the purchase of alcohol Yammy that’s been happening for years

“The probability of someone walking into my kitchen grabbing a knife and either attacking anyone in the house or outside is so infinentismally small, I am happy to discount it.”

The police have to wear stab vests because of the knife threat domestic disputes can be very dangerous, it’s not outsiders it’s family members that are the threat.

In the last 5 years, I have bought kitchen knives, scissors of every kind from nail scissors to fabric shears and I have never been asked for proof of age.

Incidentally I keep my knives on a magnetic bar beside my chopping boards. I would not dream of putting them in a drawer, where the edge could get damaged and where someone could accidentally cut themselves by brushing up against the edge of a knife.

The probability of someone walking into my kitchen grabbing a knife and either attacking anyone in the house or outside is so infinentismally small, I am happy to discount it.

Anyway, if the knife grabber was a member of the household, wall bar, block or drawer, they would know where the knives were and could get one quickly.

Perhaps those of you who are worried, could consider getting a knife safe so that you can lock up all the knives, with only you being able to access them. Something like this perhaps.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374525973139?hash=item57337cd293:g:u6wAAOSwZaVj9IXm&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwPRdir5%2BcHWAeQb%2FLHlT9EQI9VtkyZ3estaIgIw%2BV2%2B9OdXWNbIw%2F%2BLRUz51Fpf8iMfKAjTgYua6OmpvKyaTMb3ekdnwzlEn7pPPlNhRISqkxOhz%2BZVMFTe2eKaobyQC9o6CSkjZ4Zd%2BxXdIfPPDMsHg06wIHbbgn4bJKWTwOtxYdisyVzQR5NecZUt360Sdijo8cbOwvchFh%2Fyt6JhdcsKpvR5YD2k1x6rjelQP6bZwqXmA6FouDa2xHnw1eYhJMQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABlBMULD465rwYQ

JJ - Many thanks, I didn’t think of putting Butchers in front of steel