Went into an Off Licence last week to get a few beers on the way to a 'party'.

I walked in and everything (including crisps and sweets) was behind a big glass screen. There was a little hatch to tell the shopkeeper what I wanted and he toddled off and got the stuff for me.

I know this is standard practice when you go to a petrol station at 2 in the morning, but I have never seen experienced this when going to pick up refreshments. It was in a bit of a dog area, but it was more of a 'pubs/working men's clubs with flat roofs and youths setting fire to bins' rough, than a 'robbing the off licence with shotguns' kind of place at any rate.

Anyone else encountered one of these 'Out of hours petrol station' format Off Licences?

Anybody like to share more indicators of being in a shit area?