Shop Refused to serve British servicemen

[Y961 XBU]

As we speak there is a huge Kick of in the Hardshaw Centre in St Helens as Shop Alpha News Refused to Sell British Servicemen as they where in uniform, last i heard English People who live here are created a *Picket Line* and are trying to stop people from shopping at that shop, meanwhile the Police are trying to force them to move witch is causing more anger.

 

[telstarbox]

Not newsworthy.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I wonder if there is any legal position on the explicit wording of the refusal to serve British servicemen?

 

[Y961 XBU]

I would say it is considering the amount of Anger and Disruption its now causing

 

[ainsworth74]

More to this story that they were in uniform surely?

 

[telstarbox]

Is it though? One worker in one shop made an error, it wasn't a policy of the shop or the centre. People are just using it to stir up xenophobic sentiment because the shop has Asian staff.

The event happened yesterday in any case not this lunchtime.

 

[Y961 XBU]

More to this story that they were in uniform surely?

Whats been said is 3 British Servicemen have walked into the shop and they was told they where not getting served as they where in Uniform, Even after one of the Servicemen showed all his ID he was still refused to be served, its caused a lot of anger so am going to set out now to take a look as by Train am only 5 mins from The Town Centre.
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Is it though? One worker in one shop made an error, it wasn't a policy of the shop or the centre. People are just using it to stir up xenophobic sentiment because the shop has Indian staff.

The event happened yesterday in any case not this lunchtime.

The shop is not Indian Ran it is ran by people from Pakistan area, it has happened today and theres a Protest outside the shop trying to stop people from using it

 

[ainsworth74]

Any links?

 

[telstarbox]

http://www.sthelensreporter.co.uk/n...-newsagent-refused-to-serve-soldier-1-6912875

A shopkeeper in St Helens sparked fury after refusing to serve a solider in uniform.

The owners of the Hardshaw Centre say a newsagent who refused to serve a soldier on an army recruitment drive made “a genuine error”.

It follows an incident at Alpha News, which sparked fury on Facebook last night.

Protests were staged at the Hardshaw Centre and it is believed the newsagent has been closed since the incident.

A spokesman for London and Cambridge Properties said: “We are aware of allegations that a retailer at The Hardshaw Centre refused to serve a soldier who was in uniform.

“We have investigated these allegations and, having spoken to the shopkeeper in question, we believe this was a genuine error and not the result of any form of discrimination.


“We have been advised that the shopkeeper intends to extend a full apology to the individual involved as soon as possible.”

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I wonder if there is any legal position on the explicit wording of the refusal to serve British servicemen?

There is no explicit wording because it isn't a policy.

 

[Minilad]

How do you make a "genuine error" not serving someone. If you are behind the counter of a shop that is your one task. You can make an error in giving change or maybe giving someone something different to what they asked for. But not serving someone isn't really an error is it. Strange wording

 

[Johnuk123]

Whenever you get these type of incidents like the refusal of muslim checkout operators to serve people pork the shop always say "it was a mistake/error/misunderstanding"

While I understand they are protecting their staff why don't they just admit that it's never a mistake or an error the member of staff concerned knew exactly what they were doing.

 

[Greenback]

So, a tiny incident that isn't really worthy of much of a mention at all happens and Facebook erupts in fury? Then there is apparently anger and disruption about it?

What sad times we live in.

 

[Johnuk123]

So, a tiny incident that isn't really worthy of much of a mention at all happens and Facebook erupts in fury? Then there is apparently anger and disruption about it?

What sad times we live in.

The sad thing is that some people in this country have so much hate against servicemen/women that this type of thing is expected to be tolerated so as not to rock the multicultural boat.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

So, a tiny incident that isn't really worthy of much of a mention at all happens and ...erupts in fury? ...

What sad times we live in.

I feel the same about apparent trolling on Twitter

 

[Minilad]

So, a tiny incident that isn't really worthy of much of a mention at all happens and Facebook erupts in fury? Then there is apparently anger and disruption about it?

What sad times we live in.

I really don't think it takes much for faceache to "erupt in fury" to be fair. Although how this "fury" manifests itself I don't know. Is it a tabloid journalist type of "fury" i.e. made up!!

 

[Butts]

So, a tiny incident that isn't really worthy of much of a mention at all happens and Facebook erupts in fury? Then there is apparently anger and disruption about it?

What sad times we live in.

"Shop Refuses to sell British Servicemen" - - this shines a whole new light on the old concept of ex-army surplus stores

Facebook - no wonder I'm not on it or twitter :roll:

 

[Greenback]

The sad thing is that some people in this country have so much hate against servicemen/women that this type of thing is expected to be tolerated so as not to rock the multicultural boat.

There is no hate towards members of the armed forces except by a very small minority of people. It's a mistake to equate an incident like this with hatred of any form. All it does is to continue to fan the flames of conflict between cultures, which is exactly what the extremists on both sides want.

The UK is a multicultural society, and has been for centuries. We should be used to it by now. It's nothing new. What I say is not about not rocking the multicultural boat at all, it's simply a realistic assessment of British history.

Just as their have always been immigrants and different faiths, so there have always been those who wish to stir up trouble, and use trifling incidents to spread panic and violence.

 

[Johnuk123]

There is no hate towards members of the armed forces except by a very small minority of people.

I agree it's a small minority of but it's still a lot of people who hate this country with a passion.

If a muslim woman was refused service in a shop because she had a bag on her head which is very intimidating the Guardian would be all over it like a rash.

I disagree that the humiliation of being denied service because you're a soldier is trivial, I find it deeply disturbing.

When I lived in America I was shocked at how well servicemen/women are looked after compared to here, a similar incident in America would never be dismissed as trivial.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

"Shop Refuses to sell British Servicemen" - - this shines a whole new light on the old concept of ex-army surplus stores

Facebook - no wonder I'm not on it or twitter :roll:

(Beat me to it)
Could either the OP or the Mods please edit the title as it quite clear that there is no question of any party involved actually wanting to purchase British Service personnel.

 

[muz379]

It seems from another story I have read about this matter that the member of staff in the shop believed that he could not sell cigarettes to a member of the armed forces or emergency services staff in uniform . To be honest when I read the first story someone posted earlier and it mentioned the soldier providing his ID I thought this row might have something to do with selling an age restricted product . If the shop worker has made a genuine mistake as to what he can and cant sell to certain people which would be understandable all I think is due is an apology due to the soldiers themselves for his mistake . And then everyone can just get on with it .

All of those jumping in with the comments about this displaying a true problem of Hatred should really refrain from making comments like that until they know the full story . The same to those protestors who will have no doubt jumped on this to make a xenophobic point .


http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/...er_was_refused_service_at_newsagents/?ref=rss

The Star has been unable to speak to the Indian owner of the business so far, however, it is understood the issue may lie in his belief that a shop could not serve cigarettes to servicemen or people in the emergency services in uniform.

It is understood police are trying to speak with the soldier to get his version of events.

 

[Johnuk123]

It seems from another story I have read about this matter that the member of staff in the shop believed that he could not sell cigarettes to a member of the armed forces or emergency services staff in uniform .

If that's the best excuse the shop can come up with which is utterly ridiculous they deserve all the flack they may get.

 

[muz379]

If a muslim woman was refused service in a shop because she had a bag on her head which is very intimidating the Guardian would be all over it like a rash.

And rightly so , discrimination like that is not acceptable . Currently that Muslim woman has a legal right to wear that . And as much as you or I or anybody else disagrees with that until the law says she cant wear it we cant discriminate against her for excercising her rights under the law .

Just like the numerous stories of Muslim pharmacy workers refusing to dispense contraceptive drugs to women because of their beliefs have ended up in the papers .And again rightly so .
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If that's the best excuse the shop can come up with which is utterly ridiculous they deserve all the flack they may get.

what makes you the judge of whether or not that is a reasonable mistake to have made ?

 

[GatwickDepress]

Has the definition of news changed while I was out?

 

[Johnuk123]

what makes you the judge of whether or not that is a reasonable mistake to have made ?

You are presuming it's a mistake, I believe it wasn't, so unless the person involved admits it nobody will ever find out.

 

[Greenback]

I disagree that the humiliation of being denied service because you're a soldier is trivial, I find it deeply disturbing.

I don't think it's humiliating at all. It's wrong, but it's not humiliating. That's when you are paraded through the streets with nothing except a sign saying 'I'm an idiot'.

When I lived in America I was shocked at how well servicemen/women are looked after compared to here, a similar incident in America would never be dismissed as trivial.

America is different. I happen to believe everyone should be treated with the same courtesy and respect, regardless of their religion, the colour of their skin or the uniform they wear.

The world isn't perfect, and we can well do without enormous over reactions to what are very much isolated incidents. If exactly the same thing had happened to a paramedic or a firefighter, I wonder if the reaction would have been the same?
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Has the definition of news changed while I was out?

Yes!

You are presuming it's a mistake, I believe it wasn't, so unless the person involved admits it nobody will ever find out.

You're right there.

 

[Johnuk123]

I don't think it's humiliating at all.

You're fully entitled to that opinion as I am to mine.

 

[muz379]

You are presuming it's a mistake, I believe it wasn't, so unless the person involved admits it nobody will ever find out.

This is true .

My only problems with incidents like these is even if it was not a mistake and the shop worker genuinely was discriminating and using his views on servicemen as a reason not to serve them . This only proves a problem with that shop worker . And he should rightly face some action for acting like that .

But whenever stuff like this happens the same old types come out of the woodwork suggesting it is a problem with all people of that race or religion which is obviously untrue and unhelpful for the tensions it goes on to create .

Yet when some white football hooligan goes home and beats his wife up because his team lost the game , the white majority in this country would all be up in arms if anybody tried to suggest all white men where like that .

For me if this is not a mistake then it is only an isolated incident that should be viewed in isolation . Its not like every newsagents run by people of Pakistani heritage up and down the country does this kind of thing .

 

[Greenback]

You're fully entitled to that opinion as I am to mine.

Indeed. I would never seek to stop anyone expressing their opinion!

You may be right in that it was deliberate act rather than a misunderstanding or a mistake. But I still don't think the reaction is proportionate. You are quite entitled to believe otherwise, but at the end of the day, picket lines and trying to enforce a boycott of the business is just going to increase tension there.

I feel it's better for everyone to draw a line under it and move on, before someone gets hurt.

 

[talltim]

"Shop Refuses to sell British Servicemen" - - this shines a whole new light on the old concept of ex-army surplus stores

Facebook - no wonder I'm not on it or twitter :roll:

Strangely, I'd not heard hide nor hair of it on Facebook. Railforums however...

 

[Gemz91]

With stories like this, I can't understand what the shop worker would get by refusing a sale to someone in uniform. Even if the shop worker was anti British army (didn't the Indian army side with Britian during the wars?), surely he'd know the backlash he would get by refusing the sale would not be worth it?