My first ID failure, and proof I am a gentleman.

[Limescale]

I reference this thread as it covers the same deal as what just happened to me: http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...d.php?t=110702

Thought I'd put it down as a 'sighting' because it's involves myself, and it has a much happier ending.

Basically I've recently moved to a new state and had to transfer my license. Having never done this before I thought the temporary paper license they give you when you hand in your out of state one was all you needed till they mail you the new one.

Well, as my attempt to buy wine this week proved, I was wrong. Cashier took one look at my paper photocopy and informed me that I needed both that and my old license for it to count as valid ID.

"No problem, I've still got that sitting in my car. If you can put the wine aside I'll be right back."

Cashier looks at me suspiciously, for obvious reasons.

"Seriously, I wasn't aware that's how it worked. If you can't put the wine aside just void the transaction and I'll get back in line."

Cashier now looks a little less suspicious, and a bit more bewildered. He suspends my transaction and I promptly run out, grab my old license and run back in to rejoin the line at the register.

Cure Cashier now looking at me with shock that I wasn't trying to pull the typical sucky customer act on him. He waves me over to the bagging area and I hand him the requested document to prove I am as old as I look.

A full two minute pause holds as he looks at the two matching licenses, then at me, then back at my ID. Just as I'm wondering if I've unknowingly broke his brain by not following the routine for these things he hands me back my stuff, finishes ringing me up and then asks if he can shake my hand as a gentleman. For indeed, in his eyes, I am as such for showing that, yes, there's are folk who will admit their mistakes and not cause a scene if they can't get what they want.

I told that seemed a bit harsh, but he was adamant that this had never happened to him before.

[raudf]

Ever get told bad news by a cashier or store/etc employee and see them shrink back or steel themselves as they say it? That's how rare it is for someone to behave like a mature, semi-rational and polite manner. I've seen the poor store person literally steel when they've had to tell me something that could be considered negative. Especially when that negative is because of customer stupidity or not knowing what's what.

And it's really bad when you nearly set that employee crying in relief because you said, "That's kinda what I figured, but I thought I'd ask and see. Thank you," while smiling. Made me want to hunt down the past suctomers and make them repeatedly listen to recordings of themselves ala Clockwork Orange.

[Bright_Star]

Ever get told bad news by a cashier or store/etc employee and see them shrink back or steel themselves as they say it? That's how rare it is for someone to behave like a mature, semi-rational and polite manner. I've seen the poor store person literally steel when they've had to tell me something that could be considered negative. Especially when that negative is because of customer stupidity or not knowing what's what.

And it's really bad when you nearly set that employee crying in relief because you said, "That's kinda what I figured, but I thought I'd ask and see. Thank you," while smiling. Made me want to hunt down the past suctomers and make them repeatedly listen to recordings of themselves ala Clockwork Orange.

That a cashier has to get on the defensive in order to guard against verbal abuse by the buying public is sad. That speaks volumes on how a lot of people behave in retail establishments. & Corp wonders why cashier turn-over is so high?

[Brojekk]

Made me want to hunt down the past suctomers and make them repeatedly listen to recordings of themselves ala Clockwork Orange.

Them as well as spineless managers/corporate that enable SCs to act the way they do. IMHO spineless managers are far worse than SCs for that reason.

[Aragarthiel]

Cashier took one look at my paper photocopy and informed me that I needed both that and my old license for it to count as valid ID.

I thought you had to surrender the old license in order to get a new one. Or does it vary by state?

[mathnerd]

I thought you had to surrender the old license in order to get a new one. Or does it vary by state?

It varies by state. In my experience, states that issue the real licenses on the spot take the old one and states that give you a temporary paper license and mail the real one later punch some sort of hole in the old one to invalidate it and give it back. I'm sure there's exceptions out there, but that's been my experience in all the states where I've had licenses (FL, GA, MI, TN, NC, ND and CA...I've lived briefly in other states but not long enough to get licenses there.)

[Aragarthiel]

I live in GA now, and I didn't get my old license back (well, learner's, but same idea) when they gave me my paper copy. I just had it renewed last week. Maybe the laws have changed since you were here?

[mathnerd]

Probably. Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Michigan were quite some time ago.

[Seanette]

When I moved to California in 1994, I had to surrender my Oregon license (which I did not get back in any form) and was issued a paper temporary until the "real" one arrived in the mail.

For that time period, I was basically up a creek as far as photo ID, since I've never had a passport.

[mathnerd]

California has changed it giving you your old license back. I got a CA license in April of last year. They punched a hole in my ND license and gave it back to me along with the paper temp. There were a few times when I had to present both the paper and the old license in order for it to be accepted (like for purchasing age restricted items, though half the time I resorted to my passport because I could never find the damned paper).

ETA: They did hold on to my ND license for an extra few minutes to pass it around and show each other all the cool and exciting features on a North Dakota license. Who knew ND was a technical innovator in anything????

[Dreamstalker]

That a cashier has to get on the defensive in order to guard against verbal abuse by the buying public is sad. That speaks volumes on how a lot of people behave in retail establishments.

This is part of why I generally decline to be put on register unless it's to cover a break or take care of a momentary rush (SCO attendant should not be on a register anyway...).

For some reason, on SCO SCs will generally accept what I'm telling them; if I'm on register trapped in place (even though I have the magic shirt) I'm a moron and wrong. Interesting.

[Slave to the Phone]

I love it when I get carded. A couple of weeks ago, we went to a semi-fast food Mexican place and got carded for margaritas. We laughed and showed the cashier our ID. A week ago, different cashier, same order, we didn't get carded. I had a sad face. Then I blamed it on him because I was hanging out with an old guy.

[mathnerd]

I blamed it on him because I was hanging out with an old guy.

I get ID'd almost always for alcohol if I'm alone, but I've never been carded when I've been with my boyfriend. He's 22 years my senior, with the grey hair and everything. I've always thought that being obviously his girlfriend (even a year later we still hold hands in public) was the reason why people don't card me when I'm with him, even though they'd be more than likely to card me if I'm alone.

[wolfie]

Mathnerd, that's a server failure. To not card a woman who's with an obviously older man when they would card her if she were alone is SERIOUS bad news - who's to say that the guy's not a predator trying to get an underage woman drunk for nefarious purposes? Logically the same should apply with an obviously older woman and a man of questionable legality, except that society has a double standard (and that one of the effects of alcohol would make it counterproductive for a "cougar" to get her date drunk for nefarious purposes).

[mathnerd]

Oh, I fully agree, Wolfie. It's just something I've noticed. I don't think I look anywhere near 21, and considering I'm 18 years past 21, that's as it should be, but I do know I look younger than I am. I still occasionally get carded for cigarettes, which I find hysterical. I guess being with somebody obviously oder makes me look older in comparison? I don't know. At any rate, bf is 61, and while he looks good for his age, he's obviously past 50.

ETA: And if we're not being all lovey dovey, it still happens. Who's to say I'm not his kid? I'm only 9 years older than his daughters (twins), and while he had his kids on "late", he could have easily have had kids my age. He got married in his early 20's (right after undergrad) just a few months after I was born. (And yes, I do realize this kind of age difference creeps some people out, and when we first met, neither one of us thought of each other as anything but friends, but then life happened, and we're happy, so age difference be damned.)