Not allowed to buy a box of matches !

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April 6th, 2018 at 9:30:12 AM permalink
OnceDear
Member since: Nov 21, 2017
Threads: 11
Posts: 1504
OK. I don't like having to criticise my country's laws, but this is too funny to pass up on.

It all started yesterday when I gave thought to buying a box of matches for the kitchen. Nothing special, just those regular 2 inch slivers of wood for making fire and lighting candles on birthday cakes.

Seems innocent enough.

My first instinct was to buy online, but soon I discovered something remarkable: 'Strike anywhere' matches are being phased out and only safety matches are now being manufactured...

Strike Anywhere Manufacture Phased out

Wow! you learn something new everyday! So I looked on ebay and found..... A black market in the old style matches, which were changing hands at £6.00 for 3 boxes of 200 matches. UK and US mail prohibit them, so these sellers were probably flouting the law.

Well, if something is going to be unobtainable, I had to get me some :o)

And I did. But this is where it got stupid!

I drove to town and looked in the regular supermarkets, ASDA and Tesco and Morrisons and they only had
Note the words 'Safety Matches' on the box.
I wanted 'Strike Anywhere' matches like these.
and I wasn't going home without them!

After scouring the whole town (OK, 5 stores) I found a shop with 3 boxes in stock at the regular price of 93 p a box. Hurrah. Grabbed the lot.

So, I take my 3 boxes of matches to the checkout and handed over my £3 like a naughty schoolboy.

And she said
Quote: assistant
"I'm sorry sir I can only sell you two boxes. It's the law"

Quote: Me
What? Are you kidding me? I can only buy two boxes of matches? It's the law? What if I went out and came back for the other box?

Quote: Her
No sir. I'd have to refuse to serve you.It's the law. People might use them to set fire to things - arsonists.

Quote: Her
What do you want with 600 matches anyway?

Quote: Me
I wanted to light 600 fires!

Quote: Her
Sorry sir I can only sell you the two boxes of 200 each. It's the law.

Quote: Me
You've given me a headache. Can I have 3 boxes of aspirin please?

Quote: Her
Sorry sir I can only sell you the two boxes of aspirins. It's the law! (I knew that bit and was joking)


Silliest thing since I was stopped from buying 3 egg-plants. Or when I was age checked buying a beer making kit (Malt syrup and satchet of yeast)

The world's gone mad. If I could buy a gun, I'd..... Let's not go there.
:o)

Note to GCHQ, FBI and NSA. No. I'm neither an arsonist, nor an aubergine terrorist, nor a black market fire trader.

I've scoured google and can find no such law. I suspect the sales assistant was talking through her arse.
April 6th, 2018 at 9:50:22 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Aren't you going to sell them on eBay?
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
April 6th, 2018 at 9:55:38 AM permalink
OnceDear
Member since: Nov 21, 2017
Threads: 11
Posts: 1504
Quote: Nareed
Aren't you going to sell them on eBay?
If I could have found enough stock, yes, of course.... not. I'd have no way of mailing them
April 6th, 2018 at 10:12:59 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
I don't think I've ever seen a strike-anywhere match, much less handled one.

This guy in high school would glue match strips to the sole of his shoe and strike matches there. But eventually the dirt layer that accumulated would keep them from lighting.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
April 6th, 2018 at 11:24:00 AM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
We haven't had strike anywhere matches
in MI since the 80's. We lived thru the
crisis..
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
April 6th, 2018 at 12:07:22 PM permalink
OnceDear
Member since: Nov 21, 2017
Threads: 11
Posts: 1504
Quote: Nareed
I don't think I've ever seen a strike-anywhere match, much less handled one.
Really???
Reading about the original white phosphorous matches, they were highly toxic:-
in the 1840s
Quote: wikipedia
Deaths and suicides from eating the heads of matches became frequent.
April 6th, 2018 at 2:05:15 PM permalink
petroglyph
Member since: Aug 3, 2014
Threads: 25
Posts: 6227
Quote: Evenbob
We haven't had strike anywhere matches
in MI since the 80's. We lived thru the
crisis..
I used to keep the strike anywhere matches in my survival kits. Kept some on my boats soaked in wax to waterproof, just peel the wax off and light anywhere.
The last official act of any government is to loot the treasury. GW
April 6th, 2018 at 2:53:22 PM permalink
JimRockford
Member since: Sep 18, 2015
Threads: 2
Posts: 971
The last strike anywhere matches I bought wouldn't strike anywhere including the side of the box. (Ohio Blue Tip several years ago). Just keep a few Bic lighters around.
The mind hungers for that on which it feeds.
April 7th, 2018 at 5:37:29 PM permalink
odiousgambit
Member since: Oct 28, 2012
Threads: 154
Posts: 5055
Quote: OnceDear
I suspect the sales assistant was talking through her arse.


She should go to work for a casino , she'd rise to the top in a flash!!
I'm Still Standing, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah [it's an old guy chant for me]
April 7th, 2018 at 5:58:09 PM permalink
petroglyph
Member since: Aug 3, 2014
Threads: 25
Posts: 6227
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