• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Asking for or being asked for ID?

If the point of expiry is to force a new ID picture periodically because the individual may no longer look like the old picture....then, if an individual still does look like their picture, shouldn't expiry be irrelevant for ID purposes? The goal of expiry is to ensure the picture matches the appearance. Mission accomplished, regardless of expiry.
 
Well, I know in some cases you don't need to update your picture. In Illinois, at least, you can just order a new ID by mail if you already have an existing one. Yeah, it's a way to get more money to the state, but I still don't think it's a bad idea to get them updated regularly.
 
Where I work we have a policy called "Think 25". Even though the age you can legally buy alcoholic beverages and cigarettes in the UK is 18, if you look under 25 which actually applies to all age restricted products, I can, as part of my job, ask a person for ID and if they don't supply the ID or they show me one that isn't recognised as a legal form of ID I can refuse sale.

Do you actually think most of these people look young then, or is done more to err on the side of caution?

Personally I don't drink or smoke or whatever, so the need to provide any ID is moot.
 
Do you actually think most of these people look young then, or is done more to err on the side of caution?
It's just so hard to guage people's ages just by looking at them, especially during their teenage years and early twenties. I've known 16-year olds who were losing their hair and growing full beards, and I've known 40-year olds that I thought were younger than me (I'm 26). I don't know what the laws are like everywhere, but in my state, you can get in a lot of trouble for selling alcohol to a minor, anywhere from massive fines to jail time. Better safe than sorry!
 
If the point of expiry is to force a new ID picture periodically because the individual may no longer look like the old picture....then, if an individual still does look like their picture, shouldn't expiry be irrelevant for ID purposes? The goal of expiry is to ensure the picture matches the appearance. Mission accomplished, regardless of expiry.

The goal of expiry dates on drivers' licenses is to make sure the driver keeps his/her skills up to date. That's the way I look at it, anyway.

In any case, the reasons for expiry dates are irrelevant. The fact is that they are there, and any ID that is expired is completely worthless *for any purposes at all*. I don't care if it's just gauging somebody's age. An ID that is expired is an ID that does not exist.

Anybody who is so lax as to let their ID expire and not renew it, has only themselves to blame, and it's not our fault or our problem. :shrug:
 
I'd be annoyed, honestly. I know it's done for a reason, but it sounds somewhat discriminatory. I can't change the way I've grown. People sometimes think I'm still a teenager despite the fact that I'm over 30. I also often get mistaken for a woman due to the way my face looks which frustrates and depresses me and it happens often enough for it to be a problem in my life and how I deal with things. Once I was at a music festival and I happened to be talking to a musician who mistook me for a woman even before I spoke anything and it left a sour taste in my mouth and made me not want to go to his concerts or buy anything of his. So, I don't think it's right to judge.

As for IDs themselves, in the Province of Ontario, we have to have them updated regularly. I think it's once every 2 or 4 years, and then older ones are no longer accepted.
 
Last edited:
The goal of expiry dates on drivers' licenses is to make sure the driver keeps his/her skills up to date. That's the way I look at it, anyway.

In which case, the expiration date has nothing to do with using it as an ID.

If the purpose of a license were simply to enable driving, a photo would not be necessary. Pilot's licenses don't have photos (although there are a few movements under way to have them added). The photo portion is there primarily to serve as an ID.

In any case, the reasons for expiry dates are irrelevant. The fact is that they are there, and any ID that is expired is completely worthless *for any purposes at all*. I don't care if it's just gauging somebody's age. An ID that is expired is an ID that does not exist.

Why? If a passport was good enough to prove your identity yesterday, why is the same object suddenly not good enough today?
 
Well, I know in some cases you don't need to update your picture. In Illinois, at least, you can just order a new ID by mail if you already have an existing one. Yeah, it's a way to get more money to the state, but I still don't think it's a bad idea to get them updated regularly.

I had that sticker on the back of mine to show that it had been extended, but that gave me so much trouble when I first came to CA. I was trying to buy allergy meds and the lady kept telling me I couldn't use an expired ID. I felt like an idiot trying to explain that in IL they just mail you a sticker to put on the back. She totally didn't get it.
 
Well, I know in some cases you don't need to update your picture. In Illinois, at least, you can just order a new ID by mail if you already have an existing one. Yeah, it's a way to get more money to the state, but I still don't think it's a bad idea to get them updated regularly.

I had that sticker on the back of mine to show that it had been extended, but that gave me so much trouble when I first came to CA. I was trying to buy allergy meds and the lady kept telling me I couldn't use an expired ID. I felt like an idiot trying to explain that in IL they just mail you a sticker to put on the back. She totally didn't get it.
In the last couple years, Iowa has started giving 21-year olds temporary paper IDs. My restaurant was on the Mississippi River, so Iowa was literally about 2 minutes away, and we would occasionally get kids trying to pass off these pieces of paper as their ID. We refused service to a lot of kids before we realized that they were valid forms of ID.

This kind of shit really needs to be the same across the whole country.
 
my old workplace started losing trade due to the Think 25 bullshit because we were told to be rigorous in enforcing it and it was pissing folks off (understandably when they're 5+ years over the damn legal age) and they were going elsewhere. Area Manager ended up having to tell us to throttle it back a bit and aim for the 18-21 bracket more, which was who about 90% of the people i was IDing were any how - people i'd've asked even before Think 21 came in.

i did ID a few ladies who were late 20s or early 30s a couple of times, and they were generally fine with it as they saw it as a compliment i was knocking 7 years off their age or so...

i also once ID'd a woman in her 40s, cuz when she asked for her smokes, she was a) looking down in her bag, and b)had her hair hanging over her face. so i couldn't see her properly. once she looked up and brushed her hair back, i could see she was clearly over 40, but i stood my ground when she got shirty and made her show me the ID and blamed the Think 25 crap.
 
I have just recently turned 18. Since then, I've bought alcohol twice. The first time it was quite a bit, and I did get asked. The second time, I just sailed through, which I was quite surprised about, even though it was a big supermarket. I'm sure I don't look older than 25 at all.

And I had ID with me both times, I do make sure I'm prepared.
 
An ID that is expired is an ID that does not exist.

Why? If a passport was good enough to prove your identity yesterday, why is the same object suddenly not good enough today?

I hate to sound like a broken record, but it's just store policy. We would not be allowed to accept IDs like that even if we wanted to (which we do not). As for why? I don't know. And I confess I don't particularly care, either.

Like I said, though, the reasons that driver's licenses have expiry dates are varied, and also irrelevant. The fact is that it's *EXPIRED*. That alone makes it worthless. A cop won't accept it when he pulls you over, and we won't accept it when you try to buy booze.
 
A cop won't accept it when he pulls you over, and we won't accept it when you try to buy booze.

A cop wont except it because you have invalid driving credentials. If it's a legitimate state-issued ID, the identifying information printed on shouldn't be invalidated simply because the date on the license has passed.

If the purpose is to prevent a person who is underage from buying alcohol or cigarettes, I don't see why that can't be accomplished as long as the salesperson is certain that the person is old enough, regardless if it is a official (but expired) license, or if the person is obviously old enough.

I realize it's just a policy, but it's a stupid one.
 
^ I actually happen to agree with the policy. Renewing an ID isn't exactly rocket science. It doesn't take long. There is no reason not to do it as soon as possible.
 
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?

Quite correct. One should ALWAYS have some form of ID on them when they are out, if for no other reason than that it makes it a hell of a lot easier for the ME to identify you and notify your next of kin. Not to mention that it's good to have it with you on the off chance that you might need medical attention.

A cop won't accept it when he pulls you over, and we won't accept it when you try to buy booze.

A cop wont except it because you have invalid driving credentials. If it's a legitimate state-issued ID, the identifying information printed on shouldn't be invalidated simply because the date on the license has passed.

If the purpose is to prevent a person who is underage from buying alcohol or cigarettes, I don't see why that can't be accomplished as long as the salesperson is certain that the person is old enough, regardless if it is a official (but expired) license, or if the person is obviously old enough.

I realize it's just a policy, but it's a stupid one.

The flip side to this is that whether a driver's license is expired or not, it is still a legal form of identification issued by a state of residence. I don't know about IL, but in Arizona all driver's licenses have your date of birth printed on the front of the ID, right next to your photo. As such, even an expired driver's license here is still a valid identification card. For the purposes of buying smokes, buying alcohol, or entering an adult shop it is perfectly valid.
 
^ I actually happen to agree with the policy. Renewing an ID isn't exactly rocket science. It doesn't take long. There is no reason not to do it as soon as possible.

Still a dumb policy. What if someone decided they didn't want to drive anymore and let their licence lapse, or for some reason could no longer be licensed to drive? It's still an official ID with your official birthdate printed on it whether it's expired or not.

The flip side to this is that whether a driver's license is expired or not, it is still a legal form of identification issued by a state of residence. I don't know about IL, but in Arizona all driver's licenses have your date of birth printed on the front of the ID, right next to your photo. As such, even an expired driver's license here is still a valid identification card. For the purposes of buying smokes, buying alcohol, or entering an adult shop it is perfectly valid.

Exactly how it should be. It's a driver's license, not a cigarette buying license.
 
The fact is that it's *EXPIRED*. That alone makes it worthless. A cop won't accept it when he pulls you over, and we won't accept it when you try to buy booze.

Actually I looked up the regulations, and the TSA explicitly will accept an expired passport as ID (though not for a border crossing) so long as it is within 12 months of expiration. Just FYI.
 
Do you actually think most of these people look young then, or is done more to err on the side of caution?

It's a bit of both to be honest, I'm rubbish at telling someone's age and having a fifteen year old brother who is 6ft3 and could pass for over 18 (until he opens his mouth and talks) and coupled with the fact I don't look 28 and most of my co-workers have admitted they would ID if they didn't know I was that age I err on the side of caution. Also the repercussions of selling age restricted products to people under that age bracket are pretty incredible. Personally I could lose my job at best and worst, have a thousand pound fine and even a criminal record. For the store, we could have a five thousand pound fine and/or lose our alcohol license for as little as a day or until the proper authorities feel it ok to give it back.

Months ago in the Wetherspoons magazine I did read a very good editorial from the Chief Exec of the chain about the way that the Police implement spot checks on licensed premises is a form of entrapment. Sometimes using young people just shy of eighteen to buy alcohol and then when the premises fail to ask for ID the officer monitoring what is happening will step forward and start the procedures that will implement the repercussions I outlined above.
 
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top