Tobacco-No-No

It’s a regular day in the gas station. I have a bit of a line and I quickly greet a customer who sort of scoots around the line to look at the flavors of “tobacco” wraps we carry. After a minute or so, he walks away and goes to the door, propping it open and YELLING at the top of his lungs:

Customer: “WHAT KIND DID YOU WANT?!”

I look to where he’s yelling and see a kid no older than sixteen sitting in the passenger seat of his car. The kid yells back his flavor and the guy comes back to the counter.

Customer: “Can I get a pack of the grape [Brand]?”

My coworker and I are staring at him open-mouthed. We’ve had people try to buy for teens before but never so blatantly. I finally pick my jaw up off the floor.

Me: “Um… no?”

Customer: “Why not?”

Me: “Because you are very clearly buying for the kid out there!”

Customer: “No, they’re for me.”

My jaw hits the floor again. He isn’t serious, right? I pick it up again and try to maintain what little professionalism I have left.

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, both company policy and federal law dictate that I cannot make a sale if I believe it’s for someone underage. If your… friend… wants to come and show me his ID so I can verify he’s eighteen, I will gladly allow you to pay for his products. If he cannot produce an ID, I have to call the police and report this.”

I wouldn’t have; they would’ve taken forever to come over something like this and the guys would’ve been long gone. But this seemed to light a fire up under his behind and he took off like a bullet, tires screeching as he sped out of the lot.