Asking for or being asked for ID?

[iguana_tonante]

Legal drinking age is 16 in Italy, but laws are hardly enforced: wine is part of our culture, and most people learn how to drink responsibly at home when they are tweens. Recently, some cities have started to enforce them a bit more in public premises, but only when there have been reports of minors causing troubles. When I was a kid I could have gone to the local drugstore to buy booze and cigarettes for my parents and nobody would have batted an eye.

So I don't think I've ever been carded for drinks in my entire life.

 

[RoJoHen]

United States...Puritans...yadda yadda...

 

[ares93]

I always get ID'd. It doesn't really matter how old you are. Over here there is a law that requires that you show ID. It's happened that 70 or 80 year olds have been refused beer because they didn't have ID. I don't really care. I have ID going up to 23 or 24. (I'm 19.)

What i do find incredibly stupid is that I'm not allowed to buy anything above beer with 3.5 alcohol since I'm not 21. I can go to a pub and drink all i want but if i go to Systembolaget (the only store that sells vine, whiskey, champagne etc.) I'm not allowed to buy anything. Even if its non-alcoholic.

I'm allowed to carry a gun if i have a permit, I'm allowed to drive cars, trucks, motorbikes, hell even lorries. Which can be all be deadly weapons themselves. But I'm not allowed to buy a bottle of bloody whiskey.

Not that its an issue since I'll just take a trip down to Germany and buy all I want and bring it back. There is no law against drinking it, just not buying it. Even if i sell to my mates its not illegal. Its the store itself that has the restriction.

EDIT: Hell, maybe i should mention that if I'm with my parents at Systembolaget, I get carded instead. And then they wont sell to my parents because they might be supplying me with booze. I stay in the car on the off chance that I'm with them.

 

[Mary Ann]

I worked 14 years in a shop selling cigarettes. needless to say, I've probably got a few thousand stories about it

I worked part-time as a cashier in a drug store that sold cigarettes when I was 17. One time a boy who probably wasn't 10 yet walked in and tried to buy a carton of cigarettes. When I asked him where his parents were he said that his dad was waiting for him in the car outside. I told him that his father would have to come into the store to buy the carton himself, which didn't please the father at all. Even at my young age I couldn't get over that some lazy-ass parent stayed in the car and sent his young son into the store to buy his smokes.

 

[Goji]

Since I don't drink I don't get carded very often, and I've never worked in a capacity where I would need to card others.

But I will say this much, the first time I bought alcohol (at the request of a friend, not for myself) I was 22 and in a store I do not frequent. I didn't get carded, and when I asked to show the cashier my ID just to be safe, he just shook his head like he didn't want (or need) to see it. That... kind of made me feel old, or at least like I looked old.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Anyone who has a problem being carded when they're 25 is going to be really upset when they're 60 and not carded when they request a senior discount.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Anyone who has a problem being carded when they're 25 is going to be really upset when they're 60 and not carded when they request a senior discount.

I imagine!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I check for IDs with vigor. I card anyone and everyone I deem necessary. There's no excuse for not having an ID on you at all times. Even if you don't drive - you can still get a state ID.

Any customer who's offended by us checking for IDs? Too bad. Stores have the absolute right to check IDs for whatever they feel like (including writing checks if you haven't written one there before).

And if there's a group of people who are obviously together, but only one of them is actually buying the alcohol? Guess what, they ALL get carded. Any one in the group doesn't have ID, nobody gets it. At my store we won't even accept an *expired* ID. If it's expired, it's worthless. We're not *allowed* to accept such IDs.

 

[RoJoHen]

You shouldn't accept an expired ID. If it's expired, it's no longer valid.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Exactly. But I've gotten the Riot Act read to me a dozen times at least, when I won't accept an ID like that. Go figure.

Some places are even worse than us, though. I remember I was at Citi Field this summer, they had concession stands who card absolutely everybody who buys beer - REGARDLESS of how old they look (they'd card my 72-year-old dad, for example). I think sports arenas are more badass than most in terms of carding.

 

[TrekNut87]

It doesn't really bother me, though many people assume it does. I look young for my age (I'm 24, but look like I'm around 20) so I really don't mind at all.

 

[TorontoTrekker]

I check for IDs with vigor. I card anyone and everyone I deem necessary. There's no excuse for not having an ID on you at all times. Even if you don't drive - you can still get a state ID.

Sorry, I have to disagree. We don't live in totalitarian states. There's no requirement for us to carry our identification papers on us at all times.

Now, that being said, when I'm in Atlanta I've taken to keeping my passport on me at all times. During Dragon*Con last September, I was carded three times - twice for alcohol and once for cigarettes. I had just turned 44.

(I know I don't look my age, but come on - I was old enough when people who are now old enough weren't even born yet!)

One time, at Dragon*Con - I think it was three years ago - I went to the Hyatt bar and ordered a Guinness. The bartender asked me for ID, and I didn't have my passport with me at the time - it was in my hotel room. I did, however, have my Ontario health card - which is not actually legal ID here for the purpose of buying alcohol or cigarettes, though it does have my picture and date of birth on it. So I handed it to her. She looked at it, looked up at me, and started to hand the card back. Suddenly she pulled it back, looked at it more closely, then handed it to me and said, "I'm sorry."

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

There's no excuse for not having an ID on you at all times. Even if you don't drive - you can still get a state ID.

Sorry, I have to disagree. We don't live in totalitarian states. There's no requirement for us to carry our identification papers on us at all times.

I know it's not a requirement. It's simple common sense. It shouldn't HAVE to be enforced. Everyone should carry ID simply because it's the prudent thing to do. Think about it. What purpose is served by NOT having an ID? It's easy to get one and to carry it with you. And it has demonstratable benefits.

I mean, forget the buying booze thing. What if you are injured (and/or you are the victim of a crime) and the responders need to contact your family?

 

[captcalhoun]

i always said the new ID cards Labour were going to bring in should be compulsary just to stop all the BS from 18/19/20 year olds moaning when they try to buy cigs and booze.

 

[RoJoHen]

There's no excuse for not having an ID on you at all times. Even if you don't drive - you can still get a state ID.

Sorry, I have to disagree. We don't live in totalitarian states. There's no requirement for us to carry our identification papers on us at all times.

I know it's not a requirement. It's simple common sense. It shouldn't HAVE to be enforced. Everyone should carry ID simply because it's the prudent thing to do. Think about it. What purpose is served by NOT having an ID? It's easy to get one and to carry it with you. And it has demonstratable benefits.

I mean, forget the buying booze thing. What if you are injured (and/or you are the victim of a crime) and the responders need to contact your family?

I agree. There's no reason not to carry your ID with you at all times. You never know when you might need it for something.

Especially for purchasing things that require ID, chances are you are using money. If you're using money, you probably have your wallet or purse. Why wouldn't you just keep your ID in your wallet or purse?

 

[ed629]

Only annoyed when I get asked for ID when buying some OTC medications and asked 2-3 times when I'm buying a movie or video game. I'm 38, but look about 28. This has only happened when the cashier was over 60 or so. I can understand the meds, but the movies or games, seriously???

 

[Lindley]

You shouldn't accept an expired ID. If it's expired, it's no longer valid.

It ought to be, so long as the picture still looks like you. But that's a debate for elsewhere.

 

[RoJoHen]

You shouldn't accept an expired ID. If it's expired, it's no longer valid.

It ought to be, so long as the picture still looks like you. But that's a debate for elsewhere.

Then why bother putting expiration dates on them at all?

 

[Lindley]

You shouldn't accept an expired ID. If it's expired, it's no longer valid.

It ought to be, so long as the picture still looks like you. But that's a debate for elsewhere.

Then why bother putting expiration dates on them at all?

More money for the DMV, of course.

 

[RoJoHen]

I dunno. I think they expire at reasonable times, especially when you're younger. People can look a lot different between the ages of 16, 18, 21, and 26. After that, people tend to look more or less the same, but before that I think getting a new ID every few years is fine.