If you are flying though Seattle-Tacoma International over the next five days, don’t bother to pull out your drink chits if you stop by United’s Red Carpet Club. UA’s liquor license has been suspended for allegedly serving alcohol to minors.
Details have not emerged about how UA was caught, but the working theory is that UA was the victim of a government sting! Apparently, Washington state hires 18-20 year olds to pose as "adults" and try to get business establishments to serve them liquor.
From the Washington State Liquor Control Board website (not-related to the UA RCC incident):
The WSLCB and local authorities regularly conduct compliance checks of area businesses licensed to sell alcohol. These businesses include spirits, beer and wine restaurants, grocery stores, state and contract liquor stores, neighborhood markets, taverns, wine bars and sports/entertainment facilities. Compliance checks are proven tools to reduce the sale of alcohol to minors.
Liquor enforcement officers conduct compliance checks assisted by investigative aides. These individuals are from 18 to 20 years old. They must present their true identification if asked by a clerk. However, they may attempt to be evasive if asked their age but not asked for identification.
Liquor enforcement officers are empowered to issue Administrative Violation Notices to businesses that fail compliance checks. Fines or temporary license suspensions can be issued depending on the severity of the infraction or the frequency with which a business has been cited. Clerks who sell can also receive a criminal citation. Liquor enforcement officers review the past two years when determining fines or license suspensions.
I find it so ironic that 18 year olds are signed up to handle multi-billion dollar DOD equipment and die for their country, urged to vote, but are deemed too immature to drink alcohol. What a pity Washington State is so desperate for revenue that they have to conduct these stings…
You miss the point, they use perform such stings to be able to collect the fines. And as for the drinking age, thats another rant entirely.
@mowogo: You are absolutely correct. It didn’t dawn on me till I re-read my post this morning. Thanks for setting me straight!
The WSLCB conducts regular liquor checks with minors in order to calculate a percentage of illegal activity in the areas each officer serves. Now is his illegal, NO. only because it falls under the same clause as public safety. You know like drug dealing stings. Thats cool and all but here is the insider scoop and take it from me, I know this because I helped in creating it.
There is a spy system in place that tax payers do not know that they even paid for when most money in WA state was vanishing, beside all the drunk fest parties provided at tax payers expense at rented resorts around the October time frame. Thats a diff story. THE ELECTRONIC NOTEBOOK project is what it is called. The servers for this spy technology is located in Olympia, under a company called ACCESS. Now PAT bless his black heart, spent taxpayers money in the range of 400,000 and more to invest in this project in order to create his own statistic information. Yeah rite. Now working with these ACCESS guys and talking to them, this project is being used to collect any data from officers to include citizens names. Whenever an LCB officer comes into contact with YOU/ JOE PUBLIC, it is entered into this EN system along with any derogatory comments about you. FOR IE: have you ever had an LCB officer ask for your ID. Well when they write in their little notebooks your info, it is under the direction of the Chief to enter any and all data about YOU into this system. This includes minors and Licensee’s information. AT any time something happens at the licensed establishments, negative stuff enforcement stuff, id checks, contacts, arguments, strange vibes given off…etc, it is entered. Now also working with this system, it is broken and continues to multiply the dollars to fix it. Unknown to YOU. Many officers complained that the system is ridiculous and just does not work, but have continued to work and enter this data, under threat of YOU WILL E DEALT with harshly because it the Chiefs baby.
A public disclosure request should reflect this:
Any and all information contained in the Electronic Notebook system and servers related to this system containing
(4) LIQUOR BOARD’S REVOCATION OF BAR’S LICENSE SET ASIDE FOR LACK OF SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE THAT LICENSEE KNOWINGLY PERMITTED ILLEGAL ACTIVITY ON THE PREMISES — In Oscar’s, Inc. v. Washington State Liquor Control Board, 101 Wn. App. 498 (Div. I, 2000), the Court of Appeals holds that “knowingly permit,” in context of the Washington Liquor Control Board regulation at WAC 34-16-120(4) prohibiting a liquor licensee from knowingly permitting illegal activity on licensed premises, requires a showing that the licensee was aware of the facts of illegal activity or possessed information, under the criminal law standard of “knowingly” under RCW 9A.08.010(1)(6), from which a reasonable person would infer the facts of illegal activity; mere awareness of circumstances that could foreseeably lead to illegal activity is insufficient to show a violation.
The Court in Oscar’s, Inc. rules further that the bare fact that undercover drug buys took place on the liquor licensee’s premises was insufficient to support the Liquor Control Board’s finding that the licensee “knowingly” permitted illegal activity on the premises within the meaning of RCW 9A.08.010(1)(b) and WAC 34-16-120(4).
Finally, the Oscar’s, Inc. Court rules that the alleged failure of the liquor licensee to make a “serious effort” to comply with a 15-step drug elimination plan suggested by city police to tavern and nightclub owners was insufficient to support the Liquor Control Board’s finding that the licensee “knowingly” permitted illegal activity on premises within the meaning of RCW 9A.08.010(1)(b) and WAC 34-16-120(4).
Result: Reversal of King County Superior Court decision affirming the Washington State Liquor Control Board’s revocation of the liquor license of Oscar’s, Inc; reversal of Liquor Board’s revocation of the liquor license; case remanded for further review under the proper standard of “knowingly permitting illegal activity on the premises.”
Too bad this happened to the SEA club – the people that work there are the best in the UA system!
WA State is a bit ridiculous on enforcement. There’s a fish restaurant in the main terminal area with all of the restaurants in SEA. I took a seat near the windows and was ready to order a piece of fish before my flight. The waitress asked for my ID.
Me “I only want a piece of fish and a glass of water”
Waitress: “we have to ID everyone sitting in the bar.”
Me “I’m sitting in the bar?” Still not sure where the bar begins and ends.
“Yes and we must ID you no mater what you order.”
I find it a violation of my privacy to show my ID just to eat a piece of fish. Believe me, I look way older than 21! I got up and left.