Woman is Fired for Refusing To Sell Cigarettes on EBT Cards

[Rageaholic]

Mostly because that's what she was paid to do. Why pay her to be there if someone else is going to have to do the work? I agree that it's not something I want my tax to fund, but if the job's legal and I've agreed to do it, I have to do it or risk not having a job.

It's akin to the pharmacist who wouldn't dispense birth control due to religious beliefs.

Rapscallion

That's why I can't support her. The system may be flawed, but denying someone a purchase just because you don't like what they're buying is just spiteful.

[Peppergirl]

Sure, and that sucks. But do you want to spend hundreds of thousands to stop tens of thousands in abuse? There's no such thing as a perfect system; there will always be people who weasel their way around the system. At some point, you have to say, "Eh, close enough."

From a logic standpoint, I do get that. I do. It's just galling to find myself supporting people's cigarette habit when I myself had to give them up ages ago because I can no longer afford them.

[draco664]

Well, if nothing else she managed to get national attention drawn to the subject. At least until a pretty white girl goes missing.

I hate your cynical yet 100% realistic viewpoint.

[Beckpatton]

Fair enough if she doesn't agree with it, go ahead and work with the right people to bring about change. Try and change the law, get the politicos involved. But until those changes actually come, she was wrong in my opinion.

She refused a perfectly legal sale based on her own opinion. Like others have said, that's like pharmacists refusing to sell birth control etc because of religious beliefs. What if a hotel clerk refused to rent a room to a gay couple because they don't agree with it?

Same thing, just because she doesn't agree with it, doesn't give her the right to force her opinions on others. She can not like it, but if she's going to refuse to do her job because of her beliefs, then she shouldn't be in that job.

Sure it sucks that there are people out there that exploit the system, and I can understand people being miffed that "I work my ass off and can't afford cigarettes, but these EBT bums can" but you don't know what these EBT folks are going without to have their cigarettes. Maybe that's their ONLY treat for the month, maybe they never go out for meals, never go to the movies. It could be their one vice, a perfectly legal one at that. Who is she to deny them that?

Also, (and obviously not in this case, the guy was 20) but for example: What about the people who haven't always been on EBT, those who were hard working, tax paying citizens for many many years. Isn't that why they pay taxes, to have these programs to fall on in hard times? Who is anyone to judge?

As long as they have a place to live, pay their bills, look after their kids, then who cares how they spend the leftover funds that they've been deemed entitled to.

If you know someone for a fact is rorting the system, then report them, go ahead. But you can't start picking and choosing how people can spend their welfare/ EBT cash etc to suit your liking. Until the law agrees with you, bad luck.

FYI- I'm a non smoker, but I have a lot of empathy for those that do. It's a perfectly legal habit, (stupid and unhealthy as it is) but those that chose to do it are made to feel like social pariah.

[Cats]

I would like to point out that Massachusetts has ALREADY enacted a law regarding this (about a year ago)...you can't buy alcohol, tobacco, or lottery tickets with your EBT cash benefits. Some places will still do it anyway when they shouldn't, and others, like my company, has it locked out entirely. Still, it doesn't stop them from going to the ATM, taking out the cash, and paying that way, with the cashiers none the wiser (though if we catch them doing this, we can refuse the sale. But it still won't stop them from taking said cash to another store instead).

I also get a buttload of customers who use their food stamps benefits to buy absolute junk. This annoys me to no end. However, my store gets a LOT of buisness from people buying things with their benefits at all hours, so I'm slightly torn in that to some extent the sucess of my store is dependant on those sales. Cigarette sales are also high, but I cannot be sure how much of that is from withdrawn EBT cash or money they legitly earned themselves.

Now, I am aware that not everyone on assistance abuses the system. But let me tell you, in the area where I work, the VAST majority of them DO. You should see the amount of business we do and the LINES at the ATM on the first of the month, at the very moment the money goes into their account (though some of the first of the month assistance isn't EBT, but from other programs as well). And what do they do with this money? Buy junk and cigarettes.

As for reporting abuse....pray tell, how does one do such a thing? I have never seen a phone number or anything regarding how to report this sort of stuff. Even if I did, how would you know who to report? We don't actually SEE people's EBT cards, since they are run through the debit reader and are never in our hands. How would we get the names/numbers? What is the limit of frivious stuff they can buy before it is considered abuse? How do we know their history, and if this junk purcahse is just their own monthy treat to themselves (which, in moderation, I have no issue with), or a common occurance? Until there is some publicly listed standard to what qualifies as abuse and how it should be reported, there's nothing I can do.

[Andara Bledin]

Now, I am aware that not everyone on assistance abuses the system. But let me tell you, in the area where I work, the VAST majority of them DO.

No. This is flat out wrong and a prime example of perception bias.

The vast majority of the ones you see might abuse their benefits. However, considering that there are likely thousands of people on benefits and not all of them even visit convenience stores at all, it's ridiculous to believe that a majority of them even visit your particular store.

We don't actually SEE people's EBT cards, since they are run through the debit reader and are never in our hands.

You have the time and the amount and the location. Since only one person can possibly have visited your store at that precise time, you have an absolute identity.

Otherwise, if you really care, do some research. If you don't really care, then just spend that time bitching about it online, instead.

^-.-^

[Cats]

The vast majority of the ones you see might abuse their benefits. However, considering that there are likely thousands of people on benefits and not all of them even visit convenience stores at all, it's ridiculous to believe that a majority of them even visit your particular store.

I mentioned the specific area where I work. Not the whole town. And it's not just me specifically who notices this either, it's my co-workers as well, and other stores in the area, including the grocery store where I frequent. None of these are convenience stores, though there do exist some of those in the area.

I used to work at a another company store in a different part of town. Two, in fact. There wasn't nearly as much abuse witnessed at one location, and NONE at another. The two futhest ones apart have only 4 miles seprarating them. I'm well aware there are areas where this doesn't happen, and the overall abuse issue might be comparatively small to the entirely populace on assistance, but there do exist neighborhoods where this is a big problem.

[Peppergirl]

Otherwise, if you really care, do some research. If you don't really care, then just spend that time bitching about it online, instead.

^-.-^

This was a bit harsh and unnecessary. Our rules are more relaxed here, but please tone it down a bit.

Thanks.