Just a clarification, I turned 20 last week and to celebrate, I decided to bring some two friends over. Buses service were stopping early and the shops near my house were closed so I went to buy some at a shop in town before the day was over.
Needless to say, I was denied the Jameson whiskey. Not because I didn’t have the money, or have the incorrect ID but simply because I look like I was 14 (what my friends say).
I know a lot of you will ‘oh boo hoo!, life sucks and tough shit happens’, but honestly that wasn’t the issue. I’ve gotten over it.
In the past I’ve purchased alcohol many times in town and in my area and although I’ve been questioned a lot of times , I was always allowed with the single piece of ID.
I also do not believe that the female cashier behind the till looking a bit grumpy and coming from the rougher areas of Dublin had nothing to do with it (contrary to some people belief that I’m a racist). The whole situation seemed like I was asking a flight attendant post 9/11 entry into the cockpit with a pilot’s ID.
If you just turned 20 (which I assume is legal age to buy Jameson’s in Dublin, which, really, seems kind of mandatory), is it safe to assume you previously used a less-than-valid ID?
If so, is there any chance you had bought from that store using that previous ID, and now you’re using a different ID, but still look like you’re 14?
Most places here in the US can deny you service, as long as they are not denying you service due to your being in a protected class.
Looking young is not a protected class. I once had a cashier threaten to confiscate my license because she didn’t believe it was mine. I offered to call the police, and let them sort it out. Then I grew a beard, hasn’t happened since. (of course, that was 15 years ago, I probably look old enough without beard by now.)
He lives in Ireland. Doesn’t matter, buying alcohol is a privilege, not a right. In the U. S., if a cashier is suspicious of a customer’s age in any way, they are discouraged from making the sale. It isn’t worth getting a fine, losing their job, or possibly even going to jail. Law enforcement agencies will send underage people into an establishment in order to see how closely they check ID.
I understand this. Good logic but I do have to emphasise the fact that she was from the ‘rougher’ parts of town (even though she was working in a posh place).
Firstly to correct Ethirlist, I’ve never used any fake ID. That’s pretty damn stupid especially when trying to argue with a cashier about its legitimacy. :smack:
Secondly, I’ve purchased alcohol since I was 18 in quite a number of places across town and near where I live. Definitely got a few guys suspicious and even asked me to say the date but so far…none refused me. The only one who did was because it was not in the hours of sale.
Probably a bit of racism mixed with genuine skepticism. Would you wager your bets on the former or latter?
How did you know she was from the “rougher” part of town? Do you know her personally?
I don’t doubt you’re old enough to buy liquor and carry the proper ID on you, but you can’t help how you look. If she really thought you looked 14, I’d chalk it up to genuine skepticism on her part rather than racism.
I had a beard by the time I was 16 and only once had a problem buying alcohol. Getting carded is largely based on how old you look and a beard just shouts old enough to drink.
I find that hard to believe unless gross negligence can be demonstrated. Liquor policies where I live are among the strictest anywhere, and have been enhanced to require ID from anyone who “appears to be 25 or less” even though the actual age requirement is 19, and liquor is not supposed to be sold to anyone who is suspected of buying for a minor, nor anyone who has even a whiff of alcohol on their breath. But… if valid government-issued ID in one of the acceptable categories is presented, all of which must include the bearer’s photo, I don’t see on what basis the clerk could possibly get in trouble for selling underage, unless the kid looks to be about 10 and the ID is drawn with a crayon. That’s why these laws and regulations exist – to eliminate the arbitrary judgments and nail it down to objective criteria.
This perhaps bears repeating. It might have been a mistake for the OP to ask the liquor store clerk if she had a “scat fetish” or how she feels about anal sex with a taller woman in an opposite-sex bathroom by means of an erotic object purchased used. I’ve never known anyone to be refused a liquor purchase who had legitimate government-issued ID, but then, I’ve never known anyone like the OP.
