Ohhh, I figured it must be something like that. I guess that also explains why a co-worker told me that Jolt Gum is age-restricted. Makes sense, I guess–I’ve heard a couple (apocryphal?) stories about kids chugging energy drinks to get high because it’s easier than buying cocaine or whatever.
I went to Total Wine a few weeks back to pick up a corkscrew and they wouldn’t sell it to me because I’d forgotten my ID. I asked the manager if it was because it’s drinking gear, and he told me that because the store’s entire purpose is to sell alcoholic beverages, they’d have carded me for a bar of chocolate.
A heaped teaspoon of ground ginger in it and it’s alcoholic ginger beer. Proper GB normally tastes pretty yeasty, but with the ginger in the mix, it’s nice.
I’m pretty sure this is a law in NH, or at least every single store in the state does it. The only exception is if it’s your kid. If it’s obviously a parent/child relationship, the sale can go through. If there’s anyone else with you who’s underage, forget it. I was refused alcohol because my younger sister was with me once.
About store policy though, I’ve been to some places that carded for lighters. I also remember WalMart (when I still went there) wouldn’t sell me lighter fluid for my zippo because I wasn’t 18.
Oh, and the grocery store that wouldn’t sell me sparkling cider, because I wasn’t 21. I never did figure out if it was because it came in a wine bottle or because they thought (despite the 0.0% label on it) that it was like non-alcoholic beer, and actually had 0.02% alcohol in it. Either way, haven’t been to a Market Basket since. Fuckers.
I used to work in a supermarket that did that. If was after the registers were upgraded to prompt for a date of birth. Both the non-alcoholic beer/wine (0.05%) and sparkling grape juice and cider. This was in Pennsylvania were supermarkets aren’t even allowed to sell booze of any kind so it’s not like there was a change of it being confused with something stronger.
When I was in DC you couldn’t buy those tiny little plastic baggies people use to store little things like beads, buttons, seeds, etc. The reasoning was people would use them to sell crack.
I remember when McDonald’s stopped giving out those cute little [del]coke[/del] spoons.
And then of course you get carded for spray paint a lot of places too.
Years ago when I was bartending the young’ns would order Red Bull & vodka, and called it “liquid crack.”
I suppose they’re just discouraging the misuse of certain things.
Do you think it was by law or simply a store policy?
To be fair, I see those baggies blowing in the wind in a number of high drug traffic areas. People with habits buy a couple bags a day, nearly every day. Lots more baggies than hobbyists probably use.
Anecdote: I went to a suburban liquor store with my younger brother a while back. He was stopped at the door by the guy checking ID’s. It seems that that particular store doesn’t accept a valid State ID, issued by the state the store is in, as identification. “Licenses only.” WTF!!
I wanted to burn the place down I was so mad. Bah…Blood’s gettin’ hot just thinking 'bout it…
I’d be willing to bet they’re breaking some state law. I know in Michigan it’s illegal to not take a state ID as ID anywhere they’d take a driver’s license (other then as proof you can drive legally of course).
As a clerk at a movie rental place found out when she wouldn’t take my state ID before I got a license.
I know someone who was turned away because her passport was her only ID. I guess if they don’t have the little booklet showing what the ID’s supposed to look like, they can’t accept it, even if it is really stupid not to.
IIRC, the manager told me that it was a store policy. There’s also a sign on the door that says, “No one under 21 years of age permitted without a parent or guardian,” which I guess just makes it easier for them. I don’t know offhand that it’s a law–I’m pretty sure the signs at liquor stores say that you must be 21 to purchase, but don’t specify age to enter. Could be mistaken, though, because I rarely buy liquor.
That’s what they do with cold medicine now, or are at least trying to. I started a thread about that, a year or two ago. I don’t buy medicine much and it was a surprise when the cashier wanted my driver’s license and swiped it through a reader, where I assume a computer record was kept.
After talking to the store about it, they needed ID, rather than a state driver’s license, so I showed them my military ID, that they can’t swipe through their reader.