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Suffolk student just can't get a drink in this town
By adamg on Tue, 08/09/2016 - 11:03am
Two Boston Police detectives walking down Newbury Street the evening of July 4th say they knew right away the guy sipping a Corona on a restaurant patio was underage - because they'd busted him for the same thing at Fenway Park in April.
The student's Corona - along with the Corona another Suffolk student was drinking with him, and the waitress's failure to ask them for ID - got Scoozi, 235 Newbury St., hauled before the Boston Licensing Board for a hearing this morning.
Scoozi attorney Karen Simao did not dispute the police account. The waitress, she said, was simply overwhelmed by a large July 4th crowd. Still, owner Serge Safar suspended her for a week for violating the restaurant's policy of carding everybody, no matter what.
Safar, who told the board he was "extremely upset" by the violation, said he has a new staff policy - anybody who fails to card a customer will be fired immediately.
The board decides Thursday what action, if any, to take.
The two students and the waitress had to report to Boston Municipal Court to face criminal charges.
The student who had been caught drinking illegally for the second time faces a possible trial on a charge of being a minor in possession of alcohol, Det. Daniel MacDonald told the board. The other student had his case continued without a finding on payment of a fine. The waitress, charged with providing alcohol to a minor, also had her case continued without a finding, he said.
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Comments
Wow
These cops must be really busy. It's almost as if there isn't a heroin epidemic ravaging the city.
Yep, yep, yep
And it's not like BPD doesn't have a drug unit in every single district as well as citywide to combat that issue while the three detectives in the licensing division make sure people don't get immolated in crowded venues because the exits are blocked or locked - or, yes, ensuring that places aren't becoming magnets for teens looking to get their drink on. We're a big city - our police department can multi-task like that.
"Read more" page has been deleted
The page that the "Read more" link goes to is no longer there.
Stupid editor should be suspended for a week
But then who'd put out the site? Fixed.
[Owner Serge] Safar, who told
This is fine, but I hope he has ample management and staff on hand to do the carding when the cafe is crowded. Otherwise, this is throwing his lowest paid employees under the bus for his own lack of planning.
Relax
It's unlikely he'll enforce this policy with his staff, except to possibly use it as justification to fire someone they didn't like to begin with.
But that's besides the point: The patron had a [presumably] good fake ID. Should the servers have an extensive background in forgery?
It's reasonable to ask to see ID but I don't see how you can penalize a server or restaurant for not being able identify a moderately well made forgery.
I thought as long as a fake
I thought as long as a fake ID says it's from Massachusetts, then the bar owner is off the hook.
Or is this law just an excuse to harass out-of-state ID holders, while also not protecting business owners?
Exactly
It's always the bar's fault. I caught some flack about six months ago for a satirical comment I made about this paradox.
Exactly, but wrong
Bars are not always penalized for kids showing up with fakes; even the Boston Licensing Board acknowledges the fakes you can order for $200 or $300 online are getting pretty good.
Yeah
But you still have to go to the hearing and waste your time.
Seriously?
If the kid is going on benders and destroying stuff or hurting people, go for it. But this is kind of a waste of the court's time and taxpayer money–not that it'd ever actually make it to trial.
SImply being charged with a
SImply being charged with a crime doesn't mean you'll be thrown in jail.
In Canada
This wouldn't be a crime.
Actually, anywhere outside of the US or the Muslim World this would not be a crime.
Time for the US to grow up.
You're preaching to the choir
You're preaching to the choir, keyboard warrior.
Actually, in the Muslim World
Actually, in the Muslim World, alcohol is frowned upon!!! You grow up and get your facts straight!!! Serge Safar is the most honest, hard working person I have ever met in my 31 years of working for him! Shame on you for throwing your opinions around when you don't even have the facts! Those waitresses will serve anyone for the tip!!!
They're not the one getting fined and dragged in front of the City Board!!! As long as they get their tip! Shame on the employees for not doing their job correctly! That's the loyalty and thanks you get for giving someone a job... Not worth the stress!!!
Here's why
With the first case, I'm guessing, a clerk magistrate continued his case without a finding for, oh, six months. What that means is if he stays out of trouble for six months, his record would be sealed and he'd have no official record.
Guess what? He got in trouble, by being caught with an illegal drink again. Courts hate that - they don't like people wasting their time and acting like courts can be blown off like that. So now this time he has to go before a judge and face consequences.
Don't like it? A) Try to convince the legislature to change the law. B) Short of that, don't do the same thing you got in trouble for while you're still on the equivalent of probation.
That having been said, I bet you there's still a good chance he'll get another CWF - assuming he doesn't have a record for anything else.
Knock the drinking age to
18. That is where it should be.
Time for a repeal:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Minimum_Drinking_Age_Act
Two Boston Police detectives
"Why would anyone walk on Newbury Street?" - Michele Messino