We Card

Be ready to show ID if you want to buy Sudafed in Nemaha County, Nebraska.

Comments

[Plutarck]

When people decide it is a worthy mission to save people from themselves through state-sponsored and enforeced coercion, inprisonment, and penalty, the world just begins to go straight to hell in a handbasket, doesn't it?

Does anyone else think that there is nothing funnier, or sadder, than the idea of a vice cop drinking a cup of coffee? A nice cup of camomile tea for the Drug Czar? (who thought it was a good idea to call them "Czars", anyway? these kinds of names, like The California Board of Equalization, disturb the hell out of me) How about a nice slice of chocolate cake for the drug warrior?

Anyone? Anyone at all?

[thoreau]

I have a bad Claritin habit. I used to sneeze all the time in the summer, since Santa Barbara has such nasty pollen. Every time my allergies really acted up beyond sneezing I would get a low-grade fever and aches all over my body, knocking me out of work for a day.

For a few weeks now I've been on Claritin, and I've been feeling great. My pusher, um, I mean, the grocery store, has even slashed the price lately. They really have me hooked. I can feel sick if I don't take it, and I'm willing to spend money on it.

Please, Mr. Drug Czar, save me from myself!

[Brian]

My God Thoreau! If you stop taking Claritin (a.k.a. Loratidine, No-Sneeze, Feeling Human, Wet Eyes, Little White Miracles), you could experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as an inability to concentrate, respiratory difficulty, and the dreaded blood-shot eyes.

Those bastards. They got you hooked.

You should seek treatment immediately. And sue.

[Ken]

When I had alergy or cold problems that pseudoephedrine solved it was great when I could buy a small bottle of generic containing 100 pills really cheap. Now I can only get blister paks for not-so-cheap.

Whay can't they just sell cheap meth? People that used too much would die (or maybe at least not breed). It would be evolution in action.

[thoreau]

I can't seek treatment. Those 12 step groups want me to say I have a problem, but the little white miracle makes me feel so normal, like any healthy person. I can't bring myself to stand up and say that something so good is so bad.

In fact, since Claritin makes me feel so healthy, and "empowers" me to live a life that doesn't include getting sick twice a month, I think we should make it an entitlement. Let's demand that Congress subsidizes Claritin, and hands it out free just like those condoms in high schools!

I know, some people here will call that welfare. I call it empowerment. Getting a fever and aching muscles twice a month disempowered me, now Claritin empowers me. You wouldn't want to deny empowerment to allergy sufferers, would you? Don't we deserve empowerment too?

[Kevin Carson]

thoreau,

You're just experiencing the false sense of power that comes from Claritin abuse. Believe me, when you come down off your "high," all your old problems will still be there, and you'll feel even more powerless than before. Get high on life, man!

[Plutarck]

Puff-puff-pass, baby!

[Andy]

At Henry's the other day the guy behind me got carded when he tried to buy some tea. The affair perplexed me to the point that I put my stuff in my car and turned right back around to see what might have been in the tea. The only thing I could find was that some of the teas contained ephedra (I think it was ephedra, at least it was something in that ballpark).

Does Henry's do this because they want to or because there's some law forcing them to?

I think this whole thing is stupid.

Andy

[Ray]

If it doesn?t violate anyone?s Constitutional right, then there?s nothing wrong with the ID check.

The whole concept of keeping our rights as local as possible is that we get to decide how we want to live. If a small town wants to pass relatively restrictive city ordinances, then let that group of people live how they want or, get a big group of all of your friends, move in, vote and take it over.

[Fdog]

John Gilmore should go there.

[Bruce Standlee]

Your paper, comrade! What next, ID to purchase aspirin, shop tools?

[Anonymous]

Pretty soon it'll be less hassle to buy grass.

[Madog]

You already need an ID to buy paint in a lot of places.

[Russ D]

They already know who I am with my preferred customer card. 😉

[Plutarck]

You need an ID at Wal-mart (theoretically) to buy White Out and various paint supplies (such as paint thinner, though I haven't checked that one recently), so there you go.

I can't help but wonder how many of these kinds of things have more to do with being sued than anything else. Can't you just hear the lawyers now, blaming the deep pockets and faceless institution that is Wal-mart for behaving so recklessly as to be so calous as to not demand ID before handing over school supplies to children? Why, they should have known they'd just stick them up their nose! Can't be the child or the parents sole responsabilities, of course.

Don't know if that applies to the Sudafed case, however; probably just the same sensabilities being played on the political level.

[Brian]

I got carded for ibuprofen at a Circle K in Georgia when I was 20 (a few years ago).

The clerk said she didn't want me to kill myself.

So I got some cigarettes, too.

[Pat Cameltoe]

The local Kroger's store has recently:

1. Carded me for buying non-alcoholic beer (I'm 30)

2. Carded me for buying Metabolife

3. Carded my 64 YEAR OLD MOTHER when she tried to buy a bottle of wine. Unfortunately, she left her driver's license at home, so the store manager had to be summoned to make an executive decision. Ultimately, he ruled in her favor.

This is utterly absurd.

[J Canuck]

Carded? For Sudafed? Have y'all gone nuts?

[thoreau]

If you aren't doing anything wrong, you don't have anything to be afraid of! 😉

Last year in the pharmacy the lady in front of me tried to buy too much cold medicine. The computer in the cash register gave an error message, so the clerk had her put back some of the pills. He said it's because of meth worries. He also said that undercover cops persuaded a cashier to ring up a large quantity of cold medicine as two smaller purchases. The cashier was arrested.

Can't vouch for the credibility of the clerk's story, but it would make sense. I googled for it now and can't find it, but last year I did some googling and found a story about an immigrant convenience store owner who will be deported after he finishes serving time for selling a large case of cold medicine to an undercover cop. The cop kept nagging the store owner until the owner said "OK, fine, I don't carry those quantities in my store, but if you REALLY want cold medicine I'll put you in touch with my wholesaler. You get all the medicine you want, my wholesaler gets a large sale, and I get a commission."

As always, I don't expect anyone to take these recollections at face value without documentation, but if anybody's interested they can google for similar stories.

[Matt Bredeson]

thoreau, that's exactly what retailers are doing. (I used to work retail.)

From removing product to "lock up" cases (Sudafed worries) to creating "halo" items (an allowed quantity purchased at one time) to carding for every day supply items (paint) - though there's no "issue" over possible abuse of Orange Extract (found in the baking aisle) - I can't imagine how much more restricted/constricted the process can get...

[James]

I wonder if my drug test will now start testing for Sudafed? I can see the pre-test questionnaire now, "Have you experienced a cold or allergy in the last 30 days?" "If Yes, have you seen a family doctor or did you choose to self medicate?" "If no, a positive test for ephedra will indicate you are speed freak and should be immediately imprisoned with no chance of parole." Nothing like a little knee-jerk sarcasm!

[Hooper Chris]

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DATE: 01/20/2004 08:37:39
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