I stopped at a local liquor store to grab a six-pack on the way to band practice. As I paid the cashier, he asked if he could “see my license for a second”. I muttered something under my breath (“I’m 38 fucking years old, you asswipe”, or something to that effect), and handed him my Mass. driver’s license, which has a magnetic strip on the back. He then turns to a magnetic swipe reader and swipes my license!
I told him that they had just lost a customer. He asked me why I objected, and I told him that there’s no valid reason for a permanent record of my presence in his shithole packy, and it was a blatant violation of my privacy rights. If I present an unexpired license and the photo matches, go fuck yourself.
What in the hell was that about? I’ve never seen anything like that in my life! Where does that information go? Is there some Registry of Motor Vehicles computer that sends back a go/no go to the liquor store? What if I had an outstanding warrant? Would the computer dime me out to the cops? This is un-fucking-bearable! Does this system exist in other states?
I’m going to de-magnetize the stripe on my license, this shit ain’t ever happening again!!
There are some bars and other places around Boston that do that to. I always assumed that the machine just reads the data on the stripe to confirm that it is a valid license (not fake) and the information is not stored or sent anywhere. I could be very, very wrong about that though.
I had the same experience once, in Santa Cruz. I bought a pack of smokes and the lady asked if she could see my license. I handed her my license and she fucking swiped it! I asked her what the fuck she thought she was doing and she told me it was “policy” or some such bullshit. I left all pissed off and my wife couldn’t understand it.
Maybe if she had explained the “policy” beforehand, and I had the option to tell her to fuck herself I wouldn’t have been as pissed off. But grabbing my license and doing something I didn’t authorize her to do? Wrong.
Anyhow, the good news is in the last 5 years, I’ve seen the setup that one time, and one additional time a year or two later. It hasn’t become a “catchy” tool for store owners to employ.
In Tallahassee at a liquor store, they did that to me. What I did notice was that the clerk didn’t even glance at my license, just swiped it. For all he knew I could have been 17 and had grabbed my mom’s license for him to swipe. I think it’s less effective in catching underage drinkers than taking the 5 seconds to compare the picture to the person. Not all states have the magnetic strip on the licenses, though.
I didn’t think anything of it then, but now I see how it can be infuriating, what with blah blah homeland security and blah blah patriot act saying that our private lives are open to view by anyone who chooses…
If the reasons for doing this and the details of who gets our info were disclosed beforehand, I probably wouldn’t get upset, but they don’t ask you before they do it. Policy my foot.
See, that’s why you keep it in that clear part of your wallet. Flip the wallet open, and show it to them (while you still hold the wallet). They can’t scan it without taking it out of the wallet, which gives you time to object.
We don’t, as yet, have that in Illinois, but I’m sure it’s coming, though I doubt seriously that there’s an actual record of your purchase, but rather confirmation that the license is not a fraud or fake.
The owners would rather not HAVE to do that, but it;s cheaper than the price of the fines and/or the loss of their license.
You got me curious, so I did a quick look. Thought this one was interesting, and seems to answer some of your questions. Link goes to research information page.
Michigan’s new drivers’ licenses have your picture reproduced in the top right corner, a bit smaller. If you’re over 21, the image is right side up, but if you’re under 21, the image is rotated 90 degrees so it’s on its side (it might be a vice versa [flipped if you’re over 21], I can’t recall since I got my last license just a month before they switched over to that format). I think this is a cool idea because you can tell at a glance whether they’re old enough instead of having to take a little longer to look at the specific date (or swipe the card, which I agree sucks).
FOr the record, my license was in a clear insert and the bitch refused to sell me the smokes without taking the card out for her to inspect. Still no time to object as I stared quizically at her.
Isn’t any ID issued by a state the property of the state? We have the magnetic strip on our IDs, but I’ve never seen it used other than for traffic stops. I always understood (in ND and WI) that any state ID is property of the state and returnable on demand. Hell, state law here requires you to turn in your license to a local DMV or mail it to Bismarck if it’s been revoked/suspended.
Not sure about MA law, but most states say you do not own the card. Rights vs. Privilege type of thing.
Since there are a lot of crooks around the country scanning your credit card info (same magnetic strip) on clandestine scanners at the same time they scan it for legitimate purposes (say, in a restaurant), and since your DL carries your name, address, description and social security number, how are you supposed to prevent identity theft when you have to allow every high school dropout convenience store clerk to scan it?
