# IDing for alcohol **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 14, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iding-for-alcohol/380438 "2006-11-14T20:56:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iding-for-alcohol/380438/61 "2006-11-18T22:58:35Z")
Kokanee beer commercial (radio): CLERK: Just the Kokanee, Sir? ELDERLY MAN: Yep, that’s all! CLERK: ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iding-for-alcohol/380438/62 "2006-11-18T23:04:16Z")
Arg, what the hell happened? Let me start over: Kokanee beer (imported from British Columbia, I believe) commercial (radio): CLERK: Just the Kokanee, Sir? ELDERLY MAN: Yep, that’s all! CLERK: All right, I’ll need to see your ID. ELDERLY MAN: What? What in tarnation to you need to see my ID for? Just look at me! I’m old and decrepit! CLERK: I can see that, Sir, but it’s not your age we’re interested in. I need to check your address. Supplies of Kokanee are limited, so we only sell it to Washington residents. ELDERLY MAN: Oh! Er, well, I seem to have forgotten to bring my ID. But tell you what - the next time I’m in Washington I’ll be sure to … oops, I just blew it, didn’t I? CLERK: I’m afraid so, Sir. I’ll have to take the Kokanee. ELDERLY MAN: Dagnabbit! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iding-for-alcohol/380438/63 "2006-11-18T23:51:23Z")
[QUOTE=wheresgeorge04] I couldn’t give two fat fucks if a 19-year-old drinks, but I will NOT risk fines from the state and termination from my job. ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control, or something like that) are AGGRESSIVELY stinging stores in my area, and I have PASSED state stings more than once. Joe [/QUOTE] Exactly. Here in PA, we have state stores, so I can’t speak for liquor, but everyone thirty and under (who looks it) had to be carded for cigarettes. And if they didn’t like it, tough shit. My response to those who said, “Well, you’re losing my business” was “Better to lose a sale than lose my job.” And indeed, I would have lost my job. And if it had been a sting operation-which we DID INDEED run into occassionally, the store would have been fined, and I would have been as well. Now tell me it’s “too much hassle for you.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iding-for-alcohol/380438/64 "2006-11-19T00:33:25Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] …thirty and under (who looks it) had to be carded for cigarettes…who said, “Well, you’re losing my business” was “Better to lose a sale than lose my job.”… [/QUOTE] Just this week I had a guy bitch at me because I wouldn’t sell him a 95¢ White Owl without ID. We get fined the same amount whether it’s a 59¢ cigarillo or a 10 cartons of Winston. Oh and we card for lighters and matches too, but I don’t know if that’s state law or just company policy. The supermarket I used to work at sold “_non-alcoholic_” (-.5%ABV) beer and wine. We still had to card people because of the law. One time somebody in head office got overzealous and had all cider and grape juice that was sold in glass bottles coded as being restricted so they came up “Enter birthdate” when scanned. How fucking stupid is that? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iding-for-alcohol/380438/65 "2006-11-19T03:46:36Z")
[QUOTE=Lakai] I am not a lawyer, but our store got the news that other stores were getting fines for this even without seeing the transaction. Until we get word that these fines don’t hold up in court we have to be extra cautious. Can you really blame us? Why would we want to risk getting a serious fine? [/QUOTE] So is it a state requirement that only mind readers can work selling booze? :dubious: If the clerk is unaware of the transaction, then how can they be held responsible? Following this line of reasoning to its logical extreme, you should therefore never sell any booze to any adult. For the simple reason that they might have agreed to buy it for a minor that you are unaware of. :rolleyes: The only exception to this would be if the clerk could read the mind of the customer and determine that no minors are involved. Sorry, gonna need a cite for this. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iding-for-alcohol/380438/66 "2006-11-20T05:06:01Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867] Just this week I had a guy bitch at me because I wouldn’t sell him a 95¢ White Owl without ID. We get fined the same amount whether it’s a 59¢ cigarillo or a 10 cartons of Winston. Oh and we card for lighters and matches too, but I don’t know if that’s state law or just company policy. [/quote] In CA, it’s law, at least so my employer says, but 95% of stores don’t bother IDing for “accessories”. [QUOTE=alphaboi867] The supermarket I used to work at sold “_non-alcoholic_” (-.5%ABV) beer and wine. We still had to card people because of the law. [/QUOTE] We are told, conversely, that this is our company policy, not CA law. :rolleyes: Joe [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iding-for-alcohol/380438.md?page=3)