About a year ago I was at the liquor store buying a case of beer and a couple bottles of wine. At checkout, the guy rung it all up and I handed him my credit card. He looked at it and said “can I see your ID?”
Wow! Heh heh, sure. Very flattering. Feeling good about myself (I was 43 at the time). I handed it to him and said “I haven’t been carded in years, but thanks!”
He pointed to the back of the card where I had written on the signature line “Ask for ID” as a safety precaution. “I’m required to ask, by law”.
I never get carded. I don’t know why, except that when I’m buying alcohol I’m also buying groceries.
The worst part is, I could pass as under 21. (Seriously. I love to have people guess my age and they always guess really low.) And I’m not even quite 30. Aren’t they supposed to card anyone who looks under 30?
I get carded pretty frequently, and there’s no way IN HELL anyone can mistake me for being under 21. I’m wrinkled, balding, and about 15-20% gray. Seriously, WTF?
I love your attitude about it, taking it as a compliment. I waited tables for several years and most people take it the other way.
I work in Texas and the TABC(Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) are really strict bastards so most restaurants, especially chains, are strict about carding. TABC policy is to card anyone who could reasonably pass for 30 or younger. Our store(PF Chang’s) policy was 40 or younger. Usually guys are worse than girls though, especially people in their early 20’s who want to be seen as adults.
I remember one woman who was like 23 and gave me a rude “you don’t think I’m 21?” I wanted so badly to say I thought she looked 39, but I had to card everyone under 40.
I went to a wine bar with some friends a few years ago in San Francisco and as we entered, we went to the counter to buy our tickets. The young lady at the counter was asking everyone ahead of me for ID, so I assumed that it was a requirement. So, my turn came and I had my ID out, but instead of asking to see it, she just asked me how many tickets I wanted. I said, “But, don’t you need to see my ID?” She just gave me a blank stare and said, “Umm, no”. Bitch.
But, I will say that the young people of today definitely look older than kids of my era. I met a co-workers son a few weeks ago for the first time, he’s 19, but could easily pass for 30.
I get asked for my age or ID before parking at Greektown Casino even though I’m almost 29. LOUNE started to get his ID out one of the times they stopped us, but they told him they only wanted to see mine.
My mom likes to tell people that she got carded buying alcohol when she was in her 50s. Then I add that she paid using a credit card.
A few years ago I was hanging out a lot with a bunch of people half my age. When we’d go out to some place with liquor, they’d all have to show their IDs. But I’d never get asked. It kind of sucked, actually.
Locally, [Small town Nevada, so everyone who sold anything also sold alcohol except, perhaps, McDonalds.] everyone in town who sold alcohol was caught in a sting selling to minors so they were all put on a brief probation where they were required to card everyone. So, at age 72 or so I was carded.
There was a longer probationary period where new hires had to card everyone.
I used to live in Harrisburg, PA - Dopers familiar with the city will remember The Spot, a greasy spoon diner renowned citywide and now tragically defunct.
Anyhow, my late wife and I, both aged about 34 at the time, went in there one afternoon and ordered two chili dogs and two lagers. Crazy counter lady looked at us and said “You got ID?”
We both reached into our pockets. She glared at me and barked “Not you!”
I waited tables at a fancy restaurant in college. Over one Parents Weekend the staff were instructed at great length that just because someone was dining with their parents didn’t mean we would serve them alcohol if they were under 21. We were to card politely but firmly.
I was waiting on a table that was pretty obviously a mom and dad and their student daughter. All ordered alcohol. I politely requested the daughter’s ID. She looked puzzled, asked “did somebody put you up to this?” and handed me her driver’s license.
She was 41! Damn she looked good. I could easily have believed she was 20.
The liquor stores around here card everybody. I don’t blame 'em. 'Tis better to do that than get caught selling to minors in a sting. I am surprised though at how some people act. I remember being in line behind one dude who was probably about my age (and there’s just no way I look under 21) who refused to show his ID as he said “on principle.” The store owner told him that was fine but he would not sell the dude any alcohol “on principle.” The fool pulled out his ID and got snickered at by the rest of us in line. Dumbass.
The very worst are young guys out with their girlfriends who either don’t have their ID on them, or it’s expired. Or try to use their college ID. Admitedly I’ve only seen that last stunt pulled trying to buy tobacco, not booze. Usually it ended in alot of name calling, profanity, and thinly veiled threats. And in one case a young lady saying “Screw this, I’m going home”.
Ironically the only place I don’t get carded is in our *state-run *liquor stores (then again the Liquor Control Board can’t very well fine itself now, can it:smack:).
I was visiting some family in Montana the summer I turned 17. My uncle asked me to drive down to a local quickie mart and pick him up a pack of smokes. I freaked, and he just looked at me like I had told him there would be aliens at the store. I mean, I was like 3 weeks past my my 17th birthday! I finally drove down, asked for Marlboro reds, and lo and behold was not carded. Small towns…
Most places I buy liquor have a sign that says they card anyone who looks under 30. I still get carded. I just turned 41 on the first. I’ve never had a problem about getting carded. Once in a while a bartender will look up from the ID and say, “good job!”
I was carded while buying a R-rated DVD at WalMart this week. I was surprised because I’m 49 and they usually just go ahead and push the button that says I’m over 17. Then when I gave the cashier my license she scanned it. Is this something new WalMart is doing?
