Carding people who think they're so special.

[Roland]

I run into it all the time. Young dude, looks fresh out of high school gets bent out of shape because I ask for I.D. before I sell him cigarettes. He starts name dropping people he knows at the store who allegedly know him and sell him cigs without carding.
I didn't quite put it that way, but I let him know in no uncertain terms that I don't give a damn. I did say I'm legally required to ask for ID and that's what I'm going to do.
I work at a C-store and a liquor store, so I run in to geniuses on a daily basis who think the rules don't apply to them for whatever reason.
I guess they're just that special.

[BrenDAnn]

Little secret people like this don't know: The more they complain, the more often they're likely to be ID'd. Well... that's how I operate, at least. You wanna bitch, you're showing me your ID every time. If you're nice and cool with it, and I remember you, I'm more lenient. Oh, and yes, I am going to ID you when my supervisor is standing directly to my right. I need my job more than you need those smokes.

[Sparklyturtle]

When I was a cashier, it was my experience that the ones who complained the loudest were the ones who weren't of age and were trying to intimidate me into selling them beer. This was back in the 1980s before it was necessary to card for smokes.

As I detailed elsewhere, not too long ago I was carded for buying cough syrup. I'm obviously 55+ and sport gray hair, but the cash register's computer insisted.

[Deserted]

"Hey, could you break the law for me? Or at least bend it a little?"

I once carded a guy (a bazillion years ago, during my brief stint as a C-store clerk) who turned out to be a regular... and an illegal... without any ID. I don't really care about the first part, or the second part (despite what I wrote in another thread), but that last part... once I asked him and he couldn't provide any, I couldn't serve him, period. In fact, I refused to sell alcohol to him the entire time I worked there, because yes, I do remember that you don't have ID, thanks.

Also, when I was a teen, there was a liquor store a few miles from my place that, so far as I know, never carded anyone who looked even remotely legal. I, uh, am totally not speaking from experience... I do have to wonder how much the fines were when they finally got busted.

[VComps]

He starts name dropping people he knows at the store who allegedly know him and sell him cigs without carding.

When they do that, grab a pen and paper, and ask if they could please repeat the names slowly so you can write them down and make sure management is aware that they're breaking the law.

Bet they clam up quickfast!

[CyberLurch]

When I was a cashier, it was my experience that the ones who complained the loudest were the ones who weren't of age and were trying to intimidate me into selling them beer. This was back in the 1980s before it was necessary to card for smokes.

As I detailed elsewhere, not too long ago I was carded for buying cough syrup. I'm obviously 55+ and sport gray hair, but the cash register's computer insisted.

Did they have to swipe the card through your register? If so, it might be recording your ID information, because, if I remember correctly, cough syrup is an ingredient in making meth, and the authorities like to know who's buying what, and how much, of certain items.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Also, when I was a teen, there was a liquor store a few miles from my place that, so far as I know, never carded anyone who looked even remotely legal. I, uh, am totally not speaking from experience... I do have to wonder how much the fines were when they finally got busted.

When I was a teen, there was a newsagent that never carded anyone. I bought smokes from there as a thirteen year old, and the only time the owner ever said anything was one day when I was skiving off school. She asked me, "Are you sure you're sixteen?" I replied, "Well, if I wasn't, I'd be in school, right?" She served me. Later on, the place got busted by a Trading Standards sting.

[Mr Hero]

I have to wonder. How many of these name-droppers go in during a few different shifts, but not to buy age-restricted items, but to learn cashiers' names?

[nutraxfornerves]

a liquor store a few miles from my place that, so far as I know, never carded anyone who looked even remotely legal. I, uh, am totally not speaking from experience...

. Ah, yes. We even had a name for ours, "Sam's Illegal Liquors." It was a sad day when Sam got caught in a sting.

As for the cough syrup, in some US states it is legal to buy cough syrup with codeine, but you must be over 18 and the sale is recorded. Here in California, BTW, the legal age for cigarettes just went up to 21, making it the second state after Hawaii to raise the age.

[taxguykarl]

if I remember correctly, cough syrup is an ingredient in making meth, and the authorities like to know who's buying what, and how much, of certain items.

You might be thinking of pseudophenadrine, an antihistamine. My mother complains that this one is the only one which stops her sneezing without leaving her stoned.

[emax4]

He starts name dropping people he knows at the store who allegedly know him and sell him cigs without carding.

"Ahhh, okay. Those people got fired for not carding customers and risking our cigarette license. Card please, (or GTFO)"

[Ironclad Alibi]

When I was 13 or 14 I bought a pack of cigarettes and nobody carded me. That's probably why they got rid of the cigarette vending machines.

[Deserted]

That's definitely why they got rid of them in Desert Hell. I believe they're not even legal outside of adults-only venues any more... but I can't remember the last time I even saw one. (Of course, I don't go to such places outside of work-related visits.) Most recent that comes to mind, I was still a teen... so late 80's or early 90's.

[Racket_Man]

AHHHHHH the good old days of young kids buying age restricted stuff and not too many cared

I grew up in the 1960's and 70's I could at the time:
1. walk into the corner grocery store and buy a pack of cigarettes no questions asked OH they are for my parents (yes they did smoke at the time)

2. walk up to cigarette vending machines plunk in 50 or 75 cents and buy a pack. The vending machines were EVERYWHERE and I mean everywhere at the time

[Lachrymose]

I grew up in the 1960's and 70's I could at the time:
1. walk into the corner grocery store and buy a pack of cigarettes no questions asked OH they are for my parents (yes they did smoke at the time)

In 1985 I was 7 years old and my mom would send me into Rite Aid to buy cigarettes for her. I can't remember if I ever said they were for my mom or not, but they sold them to me many times.