We completely agree with Arnold York’s perspective on the firing of two of Ralphs’ long-term employees, Harry and Nancy. We fully support and concur with the urgency that society be tough on the illegal sale of alcoholic items to minors, having witnessed many intoxicated drivers on PCH and having read about many tragic deaths attributed to alcohol over the years. And, yes, alcohol in the hands of irresponsible individuals can irreversibly ruin the lives of families who have lost their loved ones to alcohol-related accidents, not to mention disabled survivors. However, the “zero tolerance” rule of Ralphs, while straight-forward and appealing in principle to those in the enforcement arena, needs to be revised, and revised retroactively.
Many rhetorical questions come to mind. Why stop at the cashier’s post? Why not fire the CEO of Ralphs so that officials at this lofty level can also experience the penalty and pain of instantaneously getting thrown out in the streets for selling alcohol to minors who, in the present case, supposedly presented IDs (on many prior occasions) that were falsified? Why not fire the ABC officials who did not stop these students in the past for having phony IDs? Why not expel these students and deny them driving privileges for life? Why not permanently revoke accreditation of the university that the perpetrators attend? Ralphs presumably has a policy by which their employees (in essence) potentially sign away their jobs every six months by agreeing that they are subject to immediate dismissal if they sell alcoholic beverages to minors, so that the company can proudly wave its banner of intolerance. However, we bet that when Harry began with the company 25 years ago, such a policy was probably not part of a cashier’s entry package at the time. And, when it finally did became a company policy, it would be tantamount to job termination if a cashier refused to sign the document, say, on the grounds of it being unreasonable.
Whenever this witch hunt ritual was put in place, what choice does a potential employee have-realistically and practically-beyond the company simply stating that this is a free country? Short of intentionally and knowingly selling alcoholic beverages to minors or in the face of many repeat offenses (say, 3), Ralphs can still maintain an effective zero-tolerance policy without ruining the lives of those involved, in cases such as the one in question. As an example, a week off without pay, coupled with community service would surely have an impact on all concerned. (Perhaps those at the corporate levels should also experience these consequences.)
During our many years in Malibu, we have established fond relationships within our small and close-knit community, including ones with our dear friends at Ralphs, and its predecessors, Hughes Market, and Market Basket. Over these years, we have been on a first name basis with myriad cashiers, including Harry, Nancy, Deborah, Janet, Liza, and Big Al, to name a few. Please bring back Harry and Nancy, so that we can, once again, experience the friendly smiles of these two caring people, along with their commitment, work ethic, and character-without the shadow of paranoia contaminating our clean environment.
David and Denise Pepper