# Yes, god damnit, I'm 18 years old **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 12, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-god-damnit-im-18-years-old/160764 "2003-03-12T06:04:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-god-damnit-im-18-years-old/160764/41 "2003-03-14T00:17:37Z")
I had a young single mum neighbour for a while who was over 18 but looked about 13. She had no licence nor any other photo ID. She often asked me to buy smokes for her as she found that unless she spent a heap of money in the store she would have ID demanded and would be refused. She accepted this when under 18 but was really fed up now she was of legal age, she also had a kid to feed and not so much money to waste. I took her to the nearest shop but pretended not to know her as I browsed, I watched them say no, no, no, no as she filled a basket with more and more stuff. When the _yes_ finally came I pounced and threatened them with the authorities. She never had a problem again. You do not prove your age by buying stuff! If the ID requirements here actually stopped kids getting smokes and grog I would be all for it but it doesn’t, it just gives shops an opportunity to gouge. The big shops and supermarkets won’t sell to kids, the corner stores will though and their prices are already astronomical before this process even begins. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-god-damnit-im-18-years-old/160764/42 "2003-03-14T00:29:57Z")
You dumbass, **Blalron**! She was flirtin’ with ya! You could have gotten laid! Wise up! 😃 After reading that thread title, I feel its my duty to remind you to go register for the draft at the local post office! (sometimes you just can’t win) * * * Fagjunk Theology: Not just for sodomite propagandists anymore. ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-god-damnit-im-18-years-old/160764/43 "2003-03-14T02:46:32Z")
My amusing carding story. I haven’t been carded for anything since I was about 15 years old, so I have no bitterness and such. I was travelling to Montreal on a student/youth rail ticket with two friends. We were 22 (me), 23 and 24 respectively. The conductor came around to pull our tickets and he asked me for my International Student ID Card. One of my friends said ‘Oh, you need our cards?’ and the conductor said, ‘No, I believe you’re 16’ (points at 23 year old) ‘And I believe you’re 16’ (points at 24 year old), ‘but I don’t believe that you’re 16’ (points at 22 year old). He was quite appalled when he checked the dates on our IDs. He brought us all souvenirs to apologize. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-god-damnit-im-18-years-old/160764/44 "2003-03-14T03:17:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tripler \* > \*\*Holy crap. > > ``` > <snippy> > > ``` > > Tripler > No, really, I’d never even heard about this thing. Where are they? \*\* When I was living in California I _had_ to get a CA I.D. (long story). Upon recieving it I noticed a _magnetic strip_ on the back. When I went to cash my paycheck the teller swiped my CA I.D. I could barely contain my excitement I said WOOHOO! Actually No, that last part isn’t true… But it _was_ nifty… ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-god-damnit-im-18-years-old/160764/45 "2003-03-14T03:18:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by An Arky \* > \*\*Basically, the law that holds the stores responsible for selling to minors is wrong. Minimum-wage cashiers should not be the enforcers of drinking/smoking age laws, they aren’t qualified. Sure, they should have to ask for ID. But they shouldn’t be at all responsible for somebody using fake ID. Stores are there to sell stuff, not enforce laws. \*\* I don’t know if I quite agree that the entire responcibility for behavior should fall onto the cops, but I do agree that $5.15/hr isn’t enough to put up with the crap. I’m a retail cashier, at times. I’m also horrible with ages. Horrid. Mostly because I don’t care. (about age in general or the customers in the store…a whole lot of apathy going on.) Consequently, I card everyone who isn’t grey haired and using a walker. And if they don’t have ID, I don’t sell cigs to them. I may not be able to tell ages, but I can do simple math. I am working the shit job because I have no money. If I had a spare $400 (my personal fine if I get busted) for everyone who “swears” they are old enough, I would not be working retail. Thus my policy of being real sure. (though I usually trust the ID unless it looks like it was handwritten on a napkin.) Furthermore, I’m pretty stunned when people throw total shit fits about being asked for ID. I don’t care if you think you look over 18, you have to look over 30, and currently you are wearing a hoodie, sunglasses, and a bandana. I can’t see much of you to determine what you look like at all, so haul out your card. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-god-damnit-im-18-years-old/160764/46 "2003-03-14T03:44:59Z")
It’s not the asking for ID that I mind. It’s the attitude of some people to insist that my ID is fake (even after scanning it) or that I stole it and accusing me of either forgery, theft or both. **That** pissed me off. If you want ID, fine, I always produce it. If you don’t believe me, fine, just tell me you won’t sell to me and I’ll go somewhere else. But do **not** get snooty and tell me you’re gonna nail my driver’s license to your ‘Wall of Shame’. I will call the police. Every time. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-god-damnit-im-18-years-old/160764/47 "2003-03-14T06:09:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TheFunkySpaceCowboy 24, I seem to get carded in a very haphazard manner. Sometimes I’ll get carded buying tickets to an R rated movie, bottle of wine tossed in with the grocceries ('99 Rosemont Merlot, $8 at Kroger, not a bad find) I get carded, and lectured for still using my **Alaska DL** for ID. I get the same kind of scrutiny at convience stores when buying booze too. Shoot dude! They’re not hassling you because you look young, that’s what Texans **do** to us Alaskans!!! 😃 Cause they know, if we ever cut Alaska in half, they’d be the THIRD largest state, hehe ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-god-damnit-im-18-years-old/160764/48 "2003-03-14T06:52:09Z")
A friend of mine was refuesed entry into a bar. He is 18 (legal age) and was asked for ID. On producing the correct ID he was then informed that it must be fake and not allowed in ayway. Bullshit I say. As a bouncer/bartender/shop assistant, your responsibility stops at sighting something that appears to be valid ID, you have no authority, right, or obligation to make any decision as to whether that ID is legitimate or not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-god-damnit-im-18-years-old/160764.md?page=2)