Stores encourage drinking, driving?
Liquor sellers refuse to sell to walk-in customers

Mike Cooeyate stands guard outside the Lowe's Shop and Save liquor store at 4th and Aztec in Gallup, while enforcing the no walk up liquor sales policy at the store. Cooeyate says that incidences of having to turn people away have lessened in the past six months. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

By Kevin Killough
Staff writer

A man walks down third street after making a purchase at Third Street Tavern in Gallup N.M. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

GALLUP — “It’s definitely discrimination.” That’s how Mark Tanning describes the Shop ‘N Save alcohol sales policies, which refuse service to people who do not drive to the store.

Mark Tanning is night auditor for The El Rancho Hotel, a position he’s held for 15 years. He also lives at the hotel, making it convenient to walk to the Shop ‘N Save to buy alcohol. Unfortunately, the store refuses to sell to anyone without a vehicle.

“They’re refusing service to a whole segment of society based on whether or not they own a vehicle,” he says. “It’s not really tailored to the Gallup area.”

Tanning sold his truck as gas prices rose. Like many people in town who live close to where they work and shop, he says he didn’t need to drive often enough to justify owning a vehicle. He now gets around by foot or bike. He says many area stores have this policy, which forces him to bike all the way to Safeway to purchase alcohol.

Tanning, who is white, says that he’s been able to convince Shop ‘N Save them to sell to him on a number of occasions, but his wife, Betty, who is Navajo, says they will rarely sell to her. The two suggest that it is because of her race.

“I am tired of us Navajos being discriminated against ... They’re terrible,” Betty Tanning said. “It’s just so frustrating.”

Mark Tanning points out that many of the elderly and handicap also don’t drive. He calls it an “atmosphere of hatred.” He says he understands how public intoxication is a problem for Gallup but adds that most people in the area of the Shop ‘N Save drink responsibly in their homes and hotel rooms. He doesn’t believe that poor people without cars should be penalized for the actions of those that drink irresponsibly.

“If someone buys booze and does something they’re not suppose to, that’s a police problem. They should be targeting them. Why are we being targeted?” Mark Tanning said.

The worst aspect of it, he says, is that it’s mostly applied to Native Americans like his wife. He claims that on more than one occasion Shop ‘N Save has refused his wife sales. He then walked to the store and was able to purchase alcohol.

“They’re much more likely to serve whites than Hispanics and Native Americans,” Mark Tanning said.

Third Street Tavern also has a “no walkers” policy. A person answering the phone there, who refused to give his name, said that they will usually sell to residents in the area who come to the store on foot.

“You can tell who they are. We know everyone around here pretty well,” he said.

The policy may also be encouraging drinking and driving. If these policies are in place to discourage public intoxication, those willing to be drunk in public would just as likely disregard laws against drinking and driving. Also, many local convenience stores will not sell liquor to walk-ins. A policy against walk-up liquor sales probably wouldn’t stop them from driving to a store with a “no walkers” policy in an attempt to buy alcohol.

It’s uncertain why these policies are in place or whether the store has considered any unintended consequences of them. Gilbert Torres, manager of the Shop ‘N Save, refused to respond to repeated requests for an interview.

After several attempts were made over the course of three days to get comment for this story, Torres referred the Independent to the corporate office, which did not return calls as of 10 a.m. Friday.