When did having appropriate ID become suspicious?

[Whiskey]

I live one block from my grocery store. They're having a sale on my favorite beer, so in celebration of my impromptu night off, I went and grabbed a box. I get to the register, ID in hand like always. She scans my stuff, gets to the beer, and I reach out to hand her my ID.

Cashier: Are you 21?
Me: *nods lightly, turns ID face-forward so she can take it*
Cashier: Are you 21????
Me: *side eyes* Yeah? *shakes my ID a little* I'm actually 23
Bagger: You have it out and ready
Me: Yeah, everyone asks for it, might as well.
Cashier: *looks at me, takes ID, punches in birthdate* So whens your birthday??
Me: October 23rd 1986.
Cashier: Oh so its your birthday soon.
Me: Yeah, another year and I get a cut on my car insurance.
Bagger: (all of 19 maybe) Oh jeez I pay like 135 a month its terrible
Me: *nods*
Cashier: Okay your total is x.xx.

Whats with the 21 questions here. They ALWAYS check my ID, I always have it out, we never have any problems. This woman seemed incredibly suspicious that i had my ID on me and ready. Its not really sucky on her part, it just caught me off guard. I thought she was going to decline the sale and say my DL was fake.

edit: well, in her defense, I am a brunette in my DL picture (currently platinum blonde). My face still looks like my face though.

[Anakah]

Weird. I'd have been grateful that you had it handy. And instead of asking if you're twenty one, just ask for the freaking ID. That was kinda weird.

[arminius58]

I have a feeling this is her usual customer response:
Course I'm 21, *long line of expletives*

It was the sanity that threw her off.

[infinitemonkies]

It's simple. You didn't bitch, whine or scream about having to show id, you didn't make threats or accusations. In short, you didn't act like a normal customer at all. And since you were acting so weird by not being an SC, she assumed you were up to something.

[GunshinZero]

Yeah, maybe you should have asked her if she can read when she asked your birth date. BTW 86 was a good year and 23rd was a good day. Sorry about your month though lol. Should have been June.

just saying that cause mine is 6/23/86

[jedikuonji]

It's simple. You didn't bitch, whine or scream about having to show id, you didn't make threats or accusations. In short, you didn't act like a normal customer at all. And since you were acting so weird by not being an SC, she assumed you were up to something.

This is sad but probably the truth.

[Peppergirl]

It's simple. You didn't bitch, whine or scream about having to show id, you didn't make threats or accusations. In short, you didn't act like a normal customer at all. And since you were acting so weird by not being an SC, she assumed you were up to something.

I was thinking this too. Or was so shocked at the reasonable behavior that Whiskey showed, she simply didn't know how to handle it.

[blas]

Some people just don't belong in customer service.

I nearly got into it with two gas station clerks right after my 18th birthday because neither of them felt the need to know the damn date.

It's imperative to know the damn date, as much as it is to know what today's date was 18 and 21 years ago if you are selling liquor.

[PepperElf]

i actually know why they did it.

I sold alcohol once at the VA beach amphitheater - it's a volunteer job where the money you "earn" goes towards your group. (my group was my command's parent command for their christmas party).

Before we sold alcohol though we had to be trained on spotting fake IDs. One of the things they told us to look for was "anyone who seemed eager to show you the ID"

The video they showed us went like this....
Teen with fake ID: *orders beer* And I have my ID!!! *proud smile*
Good worker: *scrutinizes ID and sees that it's fake* Sorry, I can't sell to you.

According to the training, most adults would forget about the ID until you asked for it.

I only recently started taking my ID card out before they ask for it (at Wegmans cos they always ID), and it's been over 5 years since I had that training, if not longer.

[Whiskey]

According to the training, most adults would forget about the ID until you asked for it.

I figured it was something like this. Maybe the other cashiers see me around buying regular groceries and recognize me. Ever since I went platinum blonde, I get ID'd constantly.

Brunette: I look about 27
Blonde: I look about 19

I dont blame the cashier it was just an O_O experience from a store i'm in all the time

[tigger222]

I didn't know that I always have my id out and ready because I look a lot younger than I am (I've been told that I look 16 at the most and I'm really 25).

[malmalthekiller]

I get carded a lot by myself, since I look younger, but when I'm with my sister (who's actually a 2 1/2 years older, but she's tiny 5'2), I don't get ID'd. *shrug*

[elsporko]

Maybe the clerk couldn't actually find the date and didn't want to stand their silent. Ever since I got one of those IDs that let you into Canada clerks can never find my birthdate right away

[Chromatix]

I usually have my passport out of my pocket but not open, if I think it'll be needed in a retail context. I think that makes a good compromise.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Cashier: *looks at me, takes ID, punches in birthdate* So whens your birthday??
Me: October 23rd 1986.

Yeah, maybe you should have asked her if she can read when she asked your birth date.

She might have asked since in her experience underage people generally don't remember the fake birthdate on their fake IDs.