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Printer-Friendly Mode7-11 aiding drinking and driving
August 25, 2005 —
A few weeks ago, I saw one of the dumbest things I've ever seen in my life.
I was purchasing gas at the discount rate of $2.45 per gallon from the 7-11 gas station at the corner of Pierce and Bay roads. I entered the store to pay for my gas, purchase the classic summer treat - a Slurpee with Coke and cherry mixed, and a package of bacon and cheddar cheese snack crackers.
While standing in a line longer than George Bush's nose after a White House press conference, I noticed the customer in front of me in line placing an individual can of beer on the countertop. The clerk, also the manager, asked the customer if he wanted a bag for the can of beer. The man modestly replied "no thanks" and preferred to take his chances with the police.
As far as I know, no misconduct occurred. However, it made me wonder why exactly anyone would want to purchase a single can of beer from a gas station. He couldn't be taking it home to drink, could he? It would be cheaper and more efficient to simply by a pack of beer from the grocery store or even the very convenience store where he purchased the single can.
No, I determined that this man was going to...gasp...drink the beer while he drove his car home! What other reason would someone have for purchasing one can of beer except to immediately drink it? I could imagine a college student who had mistakenly taken one of his frat buddies' beer the night before during his drunkenness and had to replace it, but this guy was obviously not in college.
Sure, maybe the amount of alcohol in this guy's system would be small enough to easily pass a Breathalyzer test, but it is still illegal to have an open intoxicant in a vehicle. Even if he quickly chugged the beer before entering the vehicle, he still had an open intoxicant in public, and surely 7-11 does not allow drinking on their property (although they do allow inline skaters inside their store, which is a little suspicious).
Anyway, when I approached the clerk I said in a non-accusing tone, "I didn't know they (beer manufacturers) sold beer individually." His response: "We give our customers what they want."
What about endangering your customers? Is that good service? What if the customer killed somebody once he left 7-11 because he was intoxicated? Would 7-11 be held accountable?
I'm not suggesting that a law be made to prevent the individual sale of cans of beer, but I think it is utterly ridiculous to think anyone needs to purchase a single can of beer.
This guy had some balls (or a very clever method of disguising his cans) to risk the police seeing him with a can of beer. Does this say anything about the competence of the University Police? Are they aware this is happening on their watch?
Heads up SVSU cops...7-11 is selling individual cans of beer, so keep your eyes open.
One might argue that a customer could simply buy a 40-ounce malt beverage or a pack of beer and drink it in their car, but that is obviously not the purpose of either product. It is assumed that consumers will take the beer home or to a safe location and drink it responsibly.
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with beer, besides the fact that it tastes like crap. In fact, I will occasionally drink a few beers when it is free and I feel like getting wasted. However, I think there should be zero tolerance when it comes to drinking and driving. 7-11's slogan is "Everyday Convenience for people on the Go!" This slogan implies that products sold in their stores are intended for commuters.
"In a rush? Chug a beer and scurry along!" Anything for a quick buck. Even 7-11 feels a little insecure about their alcoholic beverages.
Their fun facts state, "7-Eleven is America's favorite beverage destination. More than half the customers each day purchase a non-alcoholic beverage." Hey, 7-11, how many customers each day purchase an alcoholic beverage for on-the-go?
If you are as intrigued by this new finding as I am, maybe you should contact 7-11. I'm not suggesting boycotting 7-11; in fact, I continue to shop at their convenience stores regularly.
Take a big gulp to prepare for what I'm about to say though: someone will take notice when a drunk driver who purchased alcohol from 7-11 strikes a pedestrian. Instead of empty beer cans tossed to the side of Bay Road by "road-drinkers," you'll see blood and guts splattered on the newly paved boulevard.