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Mon 20 Feb, 2012 03:59 pm
So today I sprung for a bottle of whiskey and a bunch of lemons; no honey, since I already have some. Soon there'll be a hot toddy waiting for me and my galumphing bronchitis. (Well, maybe after I put together the ravioli..
The cashier asked me for my i.d. In that store, new clerks ask me; clerks who've been there as long as I've been shopping there tend to ask me for my birth date. I remember Dys telling me they ever only asked for his birthdate.
I politely said, hmm, they usually only ask me for my birthday (this was a long time clerk). She spoke fast and low (I sympathize with Sozobe on this, say what? eh?) that it is mandatory, ending the few paragraphs with a mention of a clerk recently being fired since she didn't ask someone and there was a person from the board of alcohol, or whatever they call it here, behind that customer in line.
This is patently stupid to me - I am seventy and look it. The woman behind me in line was laughing, and said "I usually say, thank you!", and I laughed back.
She was good, we'd already discussed bronchitis while in line, she saying bronchitis is her middle name. The clerk wasn't laughing and I can see why, both putting up with the rule and with customers like me.
Now, I can see it could get tricky with people who may or may not be over twenty one (or whatever the age is here, I haven't looked it up), but fifty years on, there is no one on earth who would think I'm only twenty.
Could there be some legal leeway in this? Do any of you know the basis for asking even a centennarian his or her age?
Segue - this all reminds me re the business of TSA inspecting the elderly woman's diapers, or whatever that story was. That tests my credulity, but I see the reasoning, re ploys of malefactors using dupes if there weren't random screening.
But that doesn't make sense re the allowed age for alcohol purchase.
Comments?
@ossobuco,
Its not the clerks... BB is watching you...
@ossobuco,
Not much comment. I ran into this at Walgreens. I'm pretty much sure it's an individual store policy. If you say to card everyone that looks under forty, the next person in line is going to be upset regardless of age. They like blanket policies that remove the clerk from the decision making.
This is one that I don't really consider objectional, for some reason.
@roger,
I see your point, it's a clear demand, do it, no judgement involved.
There is a comedic element to it that overwhelms that I may possibly understand the store manager's point of view. I too think it is the individual store or chain of stores decision on how to deal with the Board demand.
@Fido,
I just looked it up in New Mexico (I'm a relatively new here) -
New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department
Alcohol and Gaming Division
(snort..)
Will have to check out the site.
@ossobuco,
Perhaps those kindly folk in the Roundhouse are worried that marauding youngsters will masquerade as adults in order to purchase booze and smokes.
Oddly, the only time I was requested to provide an ID was in Santa Fe. Maybe it's a New Mexico tradition.
Figure it this way, they were asking the birthdate before this, this just takes it a little further.
@Sturgis,
smoky got carded for cigarettes a coupla days ago.
he's 81 and looks 100...
he was not a very happy camper, but did have his license.
the funny part is they would not let me go ahead and show mine while he looked for his.
there is another rule about that...
@Sturgis,
I can see some thinking alcohol and drugs shouldn't be regulated at all, but that isn't my own pov, though that's a big subject that I'm working on: I'm fairly laissez faire. Given my present view that it is probably a good that alcohol not be able to be purchased by a nine year old and that a state board watching sales is useful for health and welfare (as they used to say in California re a guide for people with licensing), I'll posit that making someone in medicare years prove they are over 21 is silly, and takes away from any dignity the rule has, never mind lese majeste. Gabby Hayes proving he is twenty one comes to mind.
So, Gabby Hayes gets off his horse (did he have a horse?) and goes into a falling down store/bar and doesn't have proper i.d.. Would the guy behind the counter (did they have counters?) refuse him because he might be young?
@Rockhead,
Smoky carded for cigarettes?
This is getting weirder.
@ossobuco,
got carded buying beer once in bahstin -- when i was ~30.
that was the first and last time i went into that puhticular store.
the place i've been frequenting ever since has never asked me to show ID...
@Region Philbis,
That happened in bahstin? My uncles would be amazed.
@ossobuco,
Gabby mostly rode the chuckwagon
@ossobuco,
i think at the time it was new store policy due to them selling to minors.
they're not far from a police station, so...
@Sturgis,
Sturgis wrote:
Oddly, the only time I was requested to provide an ID was in Santa Fe. Maybe it's a New Mexico tradition.
A lot of tribal people here, you know. And, I surmise but am not sure, fear of them, perhaps mixed with guilt. That's a ball of conjecture based on no knowledge, including that I don't know about other states and their rules. Bob could tell us more about this re the general area.
Last place I lived in California was home of at least twelve tribes - I don't remember this kind of strictness there. I knew people in an inter tribal council re design work, and ever so slightly a specific tribe re design work but not personally talking. Closest to an artist I still love in the effulgent admiration sense, but also we liked each other as friends, who has a studio in that tribal area. We still email, I should ask her about this stuff.
What's wrong with using common sense? There is no way, Osso, that you, I, or Roger look under-age... hello?
I was in a liquour store the other day and someone got carded. When it was my turn, I asked, "Aren't you going to ask me for ID?" She replied, "It's not seniors' day" - shee-it. LOL
@Mame,
Well, sheee - it, I guess they are saner where you are.
I suppose what's next is audits of who ordered what when, and why.
Kidding, kidding. But where is Vonnegut when I need him?
@ossobuco,
In the UK there are signs up saying that you will be asked for id if you look under 25. The legal age for buying alcohol is 18. I've never been asked for id since turning 19.
@Rockhead,
Rockhead wrote:
smoky got carded for cigarettes a coupla days ago.
he's 81 and looks 100...
he was not a very happy camper, but did have his license.
the funny part is they would not let me go ahead and show mine while he looked for his.
there is another rule about that...
Some one should tell him it will stunt his growth...
@ossobuco,
ossobuco wrote:
Smoky carded for cigarettes?
This is getting weirder.
Think of what a huff he would be in if he had to pass an intelligence test with a passing grade...
@izzythepush,
In US they started doing all this to us (who are not even close top 25) since the 9/11 tragedies. Allegedly it's desuigned to increase security,...allegedly connected to the events of 2001. Farbeit from me to understand how effective it is at providing
any added security.
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