A receipt is the necessary first step in following the "paper trail" to the furnisher of alcohol to minors ("Liquor store purchases shouldn't be tracked arbitrarily," April 14 editorial). It indicates which clerk made the sale and whether an age verification slip was signed on that sale by the purchaser.

The clerk gets in trouble if it was not signed. The purchaser does if it was. The minors get in trouble either way if they're caught with alcohol, but if the receipt is nowhere to be found, everyone else is in the clear.

I suppose the tracking of liquor purchases is a legitimate philosophical concern, but who keeps their receipt, let alone is willing to produce it if police pay underagers a visit? Practically, this is no big deal.