A serious WTF moment
I sent Little Bit to the store to purchase some thick poster board and a permanent marker for my NOTA for Prez yard signs. The store would not sell her the marker because she’s not 18. Thankfully in line behind her was a teacher who, after laughing at the ridiculous nature of the marker ban, purchased the marker for her.
Many thanks to that teacher for not only “getting it” but coming out of her own pocket for the marker. Merry Christmas in September back at you.
Pics from either side of the front of my home.
That is the dumbest law I have ever heard of. I’ll bet they allow permanent markers in elementary schools there, though. Yeah, seriously, WTF?
What? You need to be 18 to buy a marker? Since when? LOL
Is this a true story? I was thinking of giving away markers in Halloween bags this year……WTF. Guess I better stick with candy.
Wow. That’s insanity. I just checked out your blog for the first time btw, great stuff!
I was buying spray paint for work the other day at Home Depot and going through the self check out, and every time I scanned a can of spray paint I needed attendant assistance because you have to be 18 to buy spray paint. I guess it helps to keep graffiti off the walls?
rather stupid if you ask me
I don’t think it’s a law but rather a stores policy. Some of the kids have been known to “Sniff” some things and permanent markers are among those things but so are presurized “Duster” cannisters and they still sell those to anyone. What store was it? We can check if they publish a list of policy on line or contact a corporate office for a printed copy. Sounds like the same logic that allows them to sell bullets to anyone right off a shelf and make people wait for the gun. Tell me a nut job is going to buy a gun at a store and not in a back alley some place.
My policy – don’t just observe – get involved.
In AZ you can’t buy spray paint without a driver’s license to prove you’re over 18. As though taggers weren’t over 18 — many are in their 20s.
But markers? For hevvinsake. Let’s require a driver’s license to buy crayons, too: keep those little brats from drawing on the walls.
LOL! Maybe if they never learn to draw on the living-room wall, they’ll never think of tagging the public parks.
The law has gone too far… 18 to buy a marker? Are they serious? what is this world coming to? What they thought she was a tagger?… the rights of homest citizens hammered again for a few yahoos’ who tag private property… I am glad there was customer in that store with common sense and a good heart.
Moron politicians.
Graffiti writers’ rules: don’t buy paint and markers, rack (steal) them.
Bummer you don’t cross-post at LFV anymore
Lame rule…seems like it would give kids some ideas, you know? “Wonder why I can’t buy that marker…must be that I could do some bad things with it…hmm.”
When I worked at a kitchen supply store, you had to be 18 to buy the gas cartridges that went with whipped cream makers, since they could be huffed. Lots of people didn’t know why you had to be 18 to buy them, and I’m sure some people got some crazy ideas from knowing why….
It’s absolutely true and my daughter (who’s actually a 17 year old college student) was floored. The teacher behind her assumed that she was working on a school project and bought the marker to save a return trip. Of course, I live in such a conservative town that if the teacher knew the true purpose of the project, I may have had to drive to the store myself. East Texas is McCain camp and I’ll probably have my house TPd after I put my signs out.
One time in the grocery store, I couldn’t find a single can of whipped cream that worked because the stock boys and sniffed them all.
Where would one begin here?
Wow that is truly a WTF. Maybe even a WTMF. I am truly floored. I believe in free speech for everyone, including people I don’t agree with—and not saying I don’t agree with you by the way—just saying I would not be part of the TP crowd if I lived in your town. Oh and I would most certainly have purchased the marker. Oh and someone needs to point out that you can not GET HIGH from permanent markers, cause I am guessing that is probably also the deal….no matter what they think it is not old style model glue. Sorry you had to deal with asshattery
It was WalMart on Gilmer Road in East Texas.
Markers can put an eye out. And don’t step on one because it will roll and you could fall down and break a hip. I don’t know why the damn things aren’t just banned completely from everyone everywhere.
I can still remember how angry and sad I was after I rode my bicycle all the way to Thrifty Drug Store (dating myself there) to buy some model glue so as to finish putting together my 1940 Ford only to learn that the law had changed. No more model glue for 11 year old hobbyists.
It was a long dam ride and I knew, in my sinking heart, that it would be weeks before my mother would remember to get me some glue.
What do you expect from a liberal nanny state? Individuals can not be held responsible for their conduct so everyone else has to put up with ridiculous laws. Vote Democrat to see more of the same
You can’t buy Elmers Glue unless you’re at least 7
I was once carded at a Wal-Mart supercenter for buying lettuce. I can see jails being filled with lettuce eaters and magic marker writers.
It’s crazy…but there’s been a boom in the inhalant sniffing. I once saw a memo that agreed that we would not inhale the fumes from white out.
Though we all laughed at it, I’ve worked with teenagers who’ve done just that and more.
The fumes from the dry erase markers always get to me when I use them in class.
I don’t really know how to put this tactfully… so, HEY! I won’t!
“That’s friggin’ bogus”.
Man, that was barely even tactless. I couldn’t even offend a Greenpeace campaigner with that.
LOL Thats funny.But weird.
lol. seriously not allowing a child to buy a permanent marker?
stumbled upon ur blog. it’s nice.
Hi,
I am from Indonesia, nice to see ur blog
Rgds
Amazing isn’t it, the things our Government should worry about and they don’t..Let’s see Wall street, our 401k’s, SS, medicare, Mccain wants to tax our health insurance????What’s that about?? But, God forbid a 17 year old should buy a permanent marker??
And while we are on this subject: Will there be repercussion’s for all these white collar thieves who dragged wall street through the toilets?
Oh yeah and that 17 year old happens to be my grand-kid! I don’t think she’s into sniffing, snorting or putting out her eye either!
yoshi1,
congress will likely pass a bailout while the Cowboys are playing.
[...] <li> The child-proofing of America continues. Now you have to be 18 to buy a magic marker? [...]
The Agitator » Blog Archive » Morning Links said this on September 29, 2008 at 5:27 am |
My brief google searches didn’t turn up anything definitive, but here’s what I _think_ happened based on what I found.
Texas law does not age restrict the purchase of markers.
Wal-Mart policy doesn’t age restrict markers either.
Texas law and/or Wal-Mart policy does age restrict something called a “paint ball marker” which turns out to be the industry terminology for what I think most of us would call a “paint ball gun.”
I wonder if the cashier confused “paint ball markers” with “markers.”
Does your daughter know if the cashier was prompted by her computer cash register to request ID? (Most computer cash registers these days automatically prompt cashiers to request ID on alcohol and cigarette sales, for example.)
Again, not a remotely exhaustive search, any or all of the above may be in error.
Yes, the ID request was prompted by the register after the marker was scanned. It was exactly like the alcohol/tobacco prompt.
Well, I dug into Texas code until my brain started to shut down, and my results are still inconclusive. I would _think_ that if it was in the Texas code, I would have found it.
Texas state law Health and Safety code Chapter 485 Abusable Glues and Aerosol Paints shows that Texas state law does ban the sale of certain glues and paints to minors. This chapter makes no mention of markers, however it does provide authority to the state Commissioner of Health to
(1) approve and designate additive materials to be included in
abusable glue or aerosol paint; and
(2) prescribe the proportions of additive materials to be placed
in abusable glue or aerosol paint.
(b) The rules must be designed to safely and effectively
discourage intentional abuse by inhalation of abusable glue or
aerosol paint at the lowest practicable cost to the manufacturers
and distributors of the glue or paint.
I don’t know if that means the Commissioner can add markers to the list, and I was unable to determine if that has been done. However, I was not able to find any examples of any health/abuse based restrictions on markers, not just in Texas, but anywhere.
This may be a city ordinance. There are a number of cities that have banned sale of wide tipped indelible markers to minors in an effort to reduce graffiti. Even more jurisdictions have restricted spray paints for this reason. I exhausted my curiosity before reaching the point of trying to go through the Longview city code.
My tentative conclusion, based on somewhat more research than before, is that this is either Longview city ordinance, or Wal-Mart policy.
More than anyone ever wanted to know, and yet not very informative. I maybe have too much time on my hands.
Damn you make me feel lazy. ;o) I’m going to check out Longview’s code now.
There are currently 1,400 products listed as “abusable inhalants” in Texas (http://www.texaspolicecentral.com/inhalants.html). These are broken down into “base” types as: Solvents, Anesthetics, and Nitrites (room deodorizers) (http://www.inhalants.org/product.htm).
Thirty Eight (38) States have restricted the sale of, or have provided for mandatory jail and or substance abuse confinement for buying, selling, or possession of these things. http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/inhalants.html
Texas has defined the use of inhalants ($485.001) as a class B misdemeanor ($485.031) punishable by a term of no more than 180 days in jail and a $2,000.00 fine (TPC $12.22) – while the sale to a minor is a State Felony ($485.032) punishable by no less than 6 months to 2 years in state prison and up to a $10,000.00 fine (TPC 12.35).
Texas Education Code $37.001 allows for school districts to identify and take action against any student for possession, use, sale or trade of any item identified as an “Inhalant”
(nothing against ‘Tsiroth’ here)
Texas Health & Safety Code 485.001 defines an “Inhalant” as any “Abusable volatile chemical” that (quoting here):
(ii) when inhaled, ingested, or otherwise
introduced into a person’s body, may:
(a) affect the person’s central nervous system
(b) create or induce in the person a condition of intoxication, hallucination, or elation; or
(c) change, distort, or disturb the person’s eyesight, thinking process, balance, or coordination;
—- and ——
(8) “Inhalant paraphernalia” means equipment or
materials of any kind that are intended for use in inhaling,
ingesting, or otherwise introducing into the human body an abusable volatile chemical. The term includes a tube, balloon, bag, fabric, bottle, or other container used to concentrate or hold in suspension an abusable volatile chemical or vapors of the chemical.
———–End Quote————–
Taken to its ‘liberal’ extreme, that means a paper bag and hyperventilation could be considered an abusable inhalant & paraphernalia. yes, you can now go to jail for breathing air (Excess Oxygen inhalation can produce euphoria by changing the bloods PH balance.)
It also stands to reason that your kid cannot buy a Balloon at the state fair, since both the balloon and its contents are inhalants (by law).
Conclusion:
By “Texas Law” any chemical that ‘can be’ inhaled and causes a change in the person is an ‘inhalant’ by law and Wal-Mart could loose its license to sell (about 3/4 of everything they have) if they mess up.
Welcome to AmeriKa Comrad – where the Government will moderate your morals because we (the government) believe you are incapable of doing it on your own.
AKA or IE: [censored] Stupidity…(wouldn’t want to bring a Cohen test by saying something ‘bad’)….
——————————
As a side note, and if you really want to have ‘fun’ (or see how extreme (stupid) the system really is).
Try to buy over 1 gallon of Acetone at any store, walmart included. = They will not sell it to you (even if you have a paint and body shop next door) because it is used in the manufacture of “Meth” — found that out when we ran out from a mis-shipment at the body shop. They even called the cops on me. She said I was “Overdressed for the part” — I was in a paint smock (with paint stains). /sheeze
Try to buy over a ‘few’ packages of Lithium Ion Batteries (at walmart) – they won’t sell them to you (for the same reason above). — found that out when they were on sale (how stupid is that, put them on sale and then do NOT expect anyone to buy any?!?)
Try to buy any quantity of ‘cold medicines’ above 1 or so (don’t ask me how much, took 3 packs of sudafed for me) because it seems ‘that’ is also a street drug usage.
Try to buy over 5 bags of cat litter (Tidy Cat Fresh Step) – the blue crystals are used for some other type of drug .. My wife discovered that one (we try to shop once a month, and she has more than one cat /grumble).
Or the nasal inhaler decongestants with the little pill in the bottom // from a friend that said they will only sell you one at a time.
Or try to buy more than one “TracPhone” / they will call Homeland Security on you for that one.
Hum, first submission didn’t work? Trying again.
There are currently 1,400 products listed as “abusable inhalants” in Texas (http://www.texaspolicecentral.com/inhalants.html). These are broken down into “base” types as: Solvents, Anesthetics, and Nitrites (room deodorizers) (http://www.inhalants.org/product.htm).
Thirty Eight (38) States have restricted the sale of, or have provided for mandatory jail and or substance abuse confinement for buying, selling, or possession of these things. http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/inhalants.html
Texas has defined the use of inhalants ($485.001) as a class B misdemeanor ($485.031) punishable by a term of no more than 180 days in jail and a $2,000.00 fine (TPC $12.22) – while the sale to a minor is a State Felony ($485.032) punishable by no less than 6 months to 2 years in state prison and up to a $10,000.00 fine (TPC 12.35).
Texas Education Code $37.001 allows for school districts to identify and take action against any student for possession, use, sale or trade of any item identified as an “Inhalant”
(nothing against ‘Tsiroth’ here)
Texas Health & Safety Code 485.001 defines an “Inhalant” as any “Abusable volatile chemical” that (quoting here):
(ii) when inhaled, ingested, or otherwise
introduced into a person’s body, may:
(a) affect the person’s central nervous system
(b) create or induce in the person a condition of intoxication, hallucination, or elation; or
(c) change, distort, or disturb the person’s eyesight, thinking process, balance, or coordination;
—- and ——
(8) “Inhalant paraphernalia” means equipment or
materials of any kind that are intended for use in inhaling,
ingesting, or otherwise introducing into the human body an abusable volatile chemical. The term includes a tube, balloon, bag, fabric, bottle, or other container used to concentrate or hold in suspension an abusable volatile chemical or vapors of the chemical.
———–End Quote————–
Taken to its ‘liberal’ extreme, that means a paper bag and hyperventilation could be considered an abusable inhalant & paraphernalia. yes, you can now go to jail for breathing air (Excess Oxygen inhalation can produce euphoria by changing the bloods PH balance.)
It also stands to reason that your kid cannot buy a Balloon at the state fair, since both the balloon and its contents are inhalants (by law).
Conclusion:
By “Texas Law” any chemical that ‘can be’ inhaled and causes a change in the person is an ‘inhalant’ by law and Wal-Mart could loose its license to sell (about 3/4 of everything they have) if they mess up.
Welcome to AmeriKa Comrad – where the Government will moderate your morals because we (the government) believe you are incapable of doing it on your own.
AKA or IE: [censored] Stupidity…(wouldn’t want to bring a Cohen test by saying something ‘bad’)….
——————————
As a side note, and if you really want to have ‘fun’ (or see how extreme (stupid) the system really is).
Try to buy over 1 gallon of Acetone at any store, walmart included. = They will not sell it to you (even if you have a paint and body shop next door) because it is used in the manufacture of “Meth” — found that out when we ran out from a mis-shipment at the body shop. They even called the cops on me. She said I was “Overdressed for the part” — I was in a paint smock (with paint stains). /sheeze
Try to buy over a ‘few’ packages of Lithium Ion Batteries (at walmart) – they won’t sell them to you (for the same reason above). — found that out when they were on sale (how stupid is that, put them on sale and then do NOT expect anyone to buy any?!?)
Try to buy any quantity of ‘cold medicines’ above 1 or so (don’t ask me how much, took 3 packs of sudafed for me) because it seems ‘that’ is also a street drug usage.
Try to buy over 5 bags of cat litter (Tidy Cat Fresh Step) – the blue crystals are used for some other type of drug .. My wife discovered that one (we try to shop once a month, and she has more than one cat /grumble).
Or the nasal inhaler decongestants with the little pill in the bottom // from a friend that said they will only sell you one at a time.
Or try to buy more than one “TracPhone” / they will call Homeland Security on you for that one.
(part 1)
There are currently 1,400 products listed as “abusable inhalants” in Texas (http://www.texaspolicecentral.com/inhalants.html). These are broken down into “base” types as: Solvents, Anesthetics, and Nitrites (room deodorizers) (http://www.inhalants.org/product.htm).
Thirty Eight (38) States have restricted the sale of, or have provided for mandatory jail and or substance abuse confinement for buying, selling, or possession of these things.
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/inhalants.html
Texas has defined the use of inhalants ($485.001) as a class B
misdemeanor ($485.031) punishable by a term of no more than 180 days in jail and a $2,000.00 fine (TPC $12.22) – while the sale to a minor is a State Felony ($485.032) punishable by no less than 6 months to 2 years in state prison and up to a $10,000.00 fine (TPC 12.35).
Texas Education Code $37.001 allows for school districts to identify and take action against any student for possession, use, sale or trade of any item identified as an “Inhalant”
(nothing against ‘Tsiroth’ here)
Texas Health & Safety Code 485.001 defines an “Inhalant” as any
“Abusable volatile chemical” that (quoting here):
(ii) when inhaled, ingested, or otherwise
introduced into a person’s body, may:
(a) affect the person’s central nervous system
(b) create or induce in the person a condition of intoxication,
hallucination, or elation; or
(c) change, distort, or disturb the person’s eyesight, thinking
process, balance, or coordination;
—- and ——
(8) “Inhalant paraphernalia” means equipment or
materials of any kind that are intended for use in inhaling,
ingesting, or otherwise introducing into the human body an abusable volatile chemical. The term includes a tube, balloon, bag, fabric, bottle, or other container used to concentrate or hold in suspension an abusable volatile chemical or vapors of the chemical.
Taken to its ‘liberal’ extreme, that means a paper bag and
hyperventilation could be considered an abusable inhalant &
paraphernalia. yes, you can now go to jail for breathing air (Excess Oxygen inhalation can produce euphoria by changing the bloods PH balance.)
It also stands to reason that your kid cannot buy a Balloon at the
state fair, since both the balloon and its contents are inhalants (by law).
Conclusion:
By “Texas Law” any chemical that ‘can be’ inhaled and causes a change in the person is an ‘inhalant’ by law and Wal-Mart could loose its license to sell (about 3/4 of everything they have) if they mess up.
Welcome to AmeriKa Comrad – where the Government will moderate your morals because we (the government) believe you are incapable of doing it on your own.
AKA or IE: [censored] Stupidity…(wouldn’t want to bring a Cohen test by saying something ‘bad’)….
This is what you get when liberals are in charge: an overprotective nanny state that abolishes personal responsibility in favor of collective responsibility. It may be obvious but I’ll say it anyway, if everyone is responsible, no one is responsible. Liberal dogma states that government is parent to all, making rules to prevent the individual from self injury, circumscribing the individual’s ability to make decisions then absolving the individuals when they make bad decisions.