I stopped in last night to buy some beer at the local corner market, and the guy asked to see my ID. I don’t think he realized what an excellent compliment that was. I’m currently 34, so I’ve been of legal age for a number of years. But I absolutely love the idea that someone can still think there’s a possibility that I might be underage. With every passing year, I enjoy it more and more. Sometimes, the person at the counter is disconcerted by the glee with which I present my ID and reveal my true agedness (yeah, I know, 34 isn’t necessarily old, but for purposes of this thread, you get my drift).
The funny thing is, I have a distinct memory of buying booze when I first turned 21. I had bought beer before (not due to a fake ID, but due to varying combinations of “guy at the counter doesn’t care” and “managed to fake enough false confidence to make it work”). But, once I was actually of age, I made a point of visiting various liquor stores to revel in my alcohol legality. Much to my dismay, not a single person carded me that day.
I don’t really have a point here, but this section specifies mundane and pointless things that I feel compelled to share, so…
I love being carded, too. It always seems to surprise the clerk or bartender that I’m happy about it, though. Apparently some people get really pissy about being carded. My response is, “Hey, it’s your job.”
In a related-but-not-really story, a few weeks ago I was covering an event for work and someone asked me if I was an intern. I said, “No, but thank you for thinking that I could be!”
I’m with dalej42. I don’t like it, but the only place it ever happens to me is a place that cards everyone. And even when they did it, I just laughed and declined. She explained that it was corporate policy, blah blah blah. Long story short, a manager agreed that I’m ancient enough - funny, both sides managed to keep the entire episode friendly. They must have had other recalcitrant old coots in addition to me, because they don’t even try any more. Heck, if I looked like this and I was underage, they should *give *me all the booze in the store out of sympathy.
Um, you probably got carded because the store cards everyone, not because of your dewy blush of youth. I was at the grocery yesterday, coincidentlly buying alcohol, and the cashier carded a 73 year old man in front of me.
I was in the grocery store the other day and they happily served me samples of wine and beer without carding me, but oddly enough the checkout girl always does.
I used to like it. Now, however, if they have to card everyone, and the checker sighs and makes it clear he doesn’t think I’m too young to be buying alcohol but he has to card me anyway…well, I just get depressed.
Interestingly, I was in a Publix about a week ago. Happened to be there with my Dad, and we were both excited to see that they had wine samples available. We very clearly abused the idea of “samples” for wine, but it was pretty funny to see the guy’s reluctance to let me partake. We had a good laugh about it later…
I’m 32 and love being carded. And the store I usually shop at doesn’t have a card-everybody policy, so if I do get carded it’s a new cashier who hasn’t seen me before. Go right ahead and card away!
They can get in huge amounts of trouble if they get caught selling to somebody underage, so I don’t mind.
I went out to lunch with some coworkers a year ago. The waitress took my then-manager’s drink order first, and then somebody else ordered a beer. The waitress apologized and asked for ID, explaining that they have a strict under-30 policy for carding people.
“If that’s the case,” my manager said, “I’ll have a beer too.” So the waitress took her order and then went to get the drinks.
A minute later my manager realized something. “Damnit, she didn’t card me!”
I still get carded at age 45…of course, they’re carding most everybody, anyway, but I do still get a few :eek: s when they see my DOB, which I guess is what passes for a compliment these days.
Much like spontaneous erections, I only miss it now that I’ve noticed it happening less often.
There’s always a moment of awkward hesitation: will the cashier really ask for my ID? When she does, it’s often no more than a cursory glance, a formality. Or if she’s feeling cruel, she may simply ask my birthdate or worse, type some random set of keystrokes that I’m sure are reserved for their “old enough, I mean, just look at him” clientele. January 1st, 1901, maybe.
Meantime I have my card at the ready, just in case. But there again, it’s dicey; I hold it half-concealed, not wanting her to see me proffer it, lest she think to herself “aww, that’s so sad, he really thinks he still looks young.” Then as a gesture of pure pity, I’m asked to present it. An abbreviated squint (so help me, there could be a photo of Chewbacca and it wouldn’t get noticed) and it’s handed back as she keys in my age: 107. And doesn’t he look good, I mean, considering?
If it’s a policy, I’m unaware of it. This was a little mom-n-pop package liquor place, and when I asked him if he was kidding, he said no. Then he looked at my ID, did the math, and his jaw dropped.
I have to admit I like it more and more as each birthday passes. It’s rare I don’t get carded. At the bar, at the liquor store, wine shop, whatever. I still get carded for cigarettes when I buy them for my husband. About the only place I usually don’t get carded is at a restaurant, but now with the braces I’m even being asked for ID when dining out.
A couple of months ago my son and I were together and each buying a bottle of wine at BevMo. The teller carded me, but as I went to pull out my ID, my son said “I’ll get it, Mom.” And the guy didn’t even card him!
