No grocery shopping complaints today ... came back laughing

SFM in KY · #1 09/28/12, 06:07 PM

I usually hate my monthly grocery shopping trip and come back tired and crabby but not today. I'm still snickering!

The town where I do my shopping just went 'wet' after years of voting down any attempt to legalize liquor sales.

As usual, went to Kroger for my Kroger run and after an aisle or two, realized I was seeing an odd type of shopper. Every so often, a very big, very redneck type guy would stride past me wheeling an empty grocery basket through the store ... I mean classic redneck ... sleeveless T-shirts, lots of tats, beer belly and all ... this is not your *usual* mid-week afternoon grocery store patron!

When I get to the back of the store I realized that there is now a full double aisle of beer and the light dawned! That one isle was absolutely packed with these guys ... and not a single one of them are leaving with anything except several 6 or 12-packs of beer ... maybe a couple of packages of chips at the most, on top.

But everyone that was ranting about the problems that would come from legalizing liquor sales are being very quiet since the town went wet last month. It seems that instead of the huge increase of DUIs they were predicting, there has been a significant decrease. Only one DUI in the town. Instead of driving 45 minutes to an hour on a 'beer run' they are now 30 minutes or less from their home. Even if they start drinking as soon as they get in the car, they aren't going to have time to get drunk before they get there ... so no drunk drivers on the street.

The only ones that are really complaining now are our local bootleggers ... they can't give it away!

But still, every time I picture all of these great big *tough guys* trundling the grocery cart through the store trying to get around the usual little old ladies gossiping in the aisles and the harried mother with three kids trying to gather groceries while keeping the kids corralled ... bet their wives have never, ever gotten them to go to the grocery store before!

bluemoonluck · #2 09/28/12, 06:46 PM

I grew up on the East Coast, in wet areas

When I moved to Utah, the first time I went shopping in Wal Mart I saw these big signs on the beer aisle that said something like "WARNING - these beverages contain alcohol!" with "state law XXXX" underneath. Apparently it was made state law that all alcoholic beverages be labelled as....alcoholic.... I guess so that people wouldn't be confused

. It struck me as funny - who doesn't know that beer and wine-in-a-box are alcoholic?

SFM in KY · #3 09/28/12, 07:01 PM

I'd never lived anywhere they didn't sell alcohol ... WY, MT, NV ... Spain ... in Spain you had to ask for water ... and I was even a bartender for a year when I needed two jobs it was the only night shift job I could get. The only place that liquor sales were illegal were on the reservations.

It was kind of a shock to my system to move to KY and discover that I wasn't on a reservation but still had to drive almost 50 miles to buy a bottle of wine!

nebula5 · #4 09/28/12, 07:14 PM

Our small town only went "wet" about 10 years ago. The vote was VERY close. It never bothered me to live in a dry town. I've still never bought beer in the local grocery; just don't think of it. No wine or hard liquor is sold in grocery stores in NY state; just beer and wine coolers.

HeelSpur · #5 09/28/12, 07:23 PM

Shoot, you can buy liquor in the 7-11's here.

Ravenlost · #6 09/28/12, 07:24 PM

Yeah, the little town I grew up in went wet last year. DUIs and public intox charges have dropped drastically. Knew they would.

Oggie · #7 09/28/12, 07:35 PM

In Oklahoma, nothing with alcohol except "cereal malt beverages" (3.2 beer) is sold in grocery stores.

Anything stronger might lead to dancing.

GrannyG · #8 09/28/12, 11:03 PM

Our town is dry......the ones that drink have to go 12 miles to another county to buy beer or wine....

Paquebot · #9 09/28/12, 11:45 PM

In the 1950s, Freeborn County, MN only allowed 3.2 beer. For those in Albert Lea, nearest liquor store was in Northwood, IA. To buy liquor in Iowa, one needed a liquor book where the sale was recorded. My father was a garbage man in Albert Lea. He could drive down any street in town and point out who had a liquor book by what he'd found in their garbage.

Then there was a time when we were having lunch in bar and my father was drinking a bottle of Grain Belt. I'd seen enough of those labels to note that there was something missing. "Dad, that label doesn't say 3.2." Bartender checked and one case of regular beer had been mistakenly delivered. All adults present were quick to destroy the evidence!

Martin

mountainlaurel · #10 09/29/12, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeelSpur

Shoot, you can buy liquor in the 7-11's here.

It's almost like where can't you buy it in West Virginia?

NickyBlade · #11 09/29/12, 08:39 AM

I wish I could live in a dry town... All the problems my husband has with his soldiers start with a beer. All the problems our families have with money and fighting start with a beer. I hate alcohol.

SFM in KY · #12 09/29/12, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyBlade

I wish I could live in a dry town... All the problems my husband has with his soldiers start with a beer. All the problems our families have with money and fighting start with a beer. I hate alcohol.

The problems don't start with alcohol, they start with people who do not or cannot drink responsibly. They tried solving the problems *caused by drinking/alcohol* by making the entire U.S. a dry nation. It started in 1920 and ended in 1933, a total failure. Anyone who wanted to drink still managed to obtain alcohol and drink ... the only people who benefited from Prohibition were the bootleggers and organized crime.

Ozarks Tom · #13 09/29/12, 08:54 AM

The muslims don't recognize the Christians.
The Catholics don't recognize the Jews.
The Baptists don't recognize each other in the liquor store.

My first DW was from a small town in N Mississippi, and subscribed to the local paper by mail. Every year they'd have a wet/dry election, and every year the churches would take out full page ads against the wet vote. I asked her how those little churches could afford to take out those big ads. She explained the bootleggers paid for them.

SFM in KY · #14 09/29/12, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozarks Tom

The Baptists don't recognize each other in the liquor store.

I asked her how those little churches could afford to take out those big ads. She explained the bootleggers paid for them.

Glad I was NOT drinking coffee when I read this.

NickyBlade · #15 09/29/12, 09:22 AM

I'm familiar with prohibition, thanks. I do not believe there is such a thing as "drinking responsibly." Alcohol is a drug. I had a friend use an ambulance to get to the hospital for a minor injury because she had too many drinks to drive. She wasn't drunk, but wouldn't have passed a breathalyzer. That's not responsible. People might argue that she did the right thing by not driving... but how about NOT putting crap in your body that makes you unable to drive. You might "think" you're staying home for the night... but emergencies happen and it's irresponsible to put yourself in a position where you would be unable to deal with one.

tiffnzacsmom · #16 09/29/12, 09:25 AM

I'm in PA so there is no alcohol sales in stores, well some of the grocery stores have state stores in them but the state still has it's finger in the kitty. However, for some reason I know you can get really good deals on mead at the Krogers in Morgantown.

SFM in KY · #17 09/29/12, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyBlade

I do not believe there is such a thing as "drinking responsibly." Alcohol is a drug.

I guess we'll simply have to disagree on this point.

There are certainly people who have an addiction to alcohol and abuse it, but they are also the people who made bootleggers rich during Prohibition. I will admit there have been a few times in my life where I indulged more than I should have ... I think the last time was at a party in my early 30s ... but I have never driven when impaired or required assistance in any manner because I was intoxicated.

At this point, I may have one drink if I'm out to dinner, I may have half a glass of wine in the evening some evenings. I enjoy a wine cooler in the evening during the summer. I do consider this 'drinking pattern' responsible drinking.

Ardie/WI · #18 09/29/12, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyBlade

I'm familiar with prohibition, thanks. I do not believe there is such a thing as "drinking responsibly." Alcohol is a drug. I had a friend use an ambulance to get to the hospital for a minor injury because she had too many drinks to drive. She wasn't drunk, but wouldn't have passed a breathalyzer. That's not responsible. People might argue that she did the right thing by not driving... but how about NOT putting crap in your body that makes you unable to drive. You might "think" you're staying home for the night... but emergencies happen and it's irresponsible to put yourself in a position where you would be unable to deal with one.

I believe that, for some people, they are addicted with the first ounce of alcohol they consume. Most are not, thank goodness.

it is a personal responsibility to know ones own reaction to it and act accordingly.

Wayne02 · #19 09/29/12, 11:38 AM

Washington is looking at...

Quote:

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- First hard alcohol showed up on Washington's grocery store shelves, but soon it could be coming to your doorstep.

Currently grocery stores can deliver wine and beer along with food. But retailers now want permission to include hard alcohol in their deliveries...

Alcohol could be delivered to homes, apartments as well as hotel or motel rooms under the proposal.

NWCN.com Washington - Oregon - Idaho

Yvonne's hubby · #20 09/29/12, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oggie

Anything stronger might lead to dancing.

Yeppers, thats why making love while standing up in a rowboat has long been banned in our area too.