More Wal-Mart Adventures

[Slave to the Phone]

I'm looking 50 straight in the eye

A couple of months ago, I went on my break and walked to the corner mom and pop store for cigarettes. I'd done this many times in the past, so when the clerk carded me I assumed she was joking.

(I was walking and didn't bother to carry my purse, so didn't have a driver's license. Besides, I've been smoking since I was 15 and I used to tan. I look my age, which is almost half a century. )

When she refused the sale I was honestly shocked and asked "Really?" in a not whinney tone. The clerk told me that the new store policy was to card everyone, everytime.

I blurted out "Oh, you poor girl! Are you getting yelled at a lot?" She kinda rolled her eyes, nodded and glanced back at the "mirror" behind her. I just wished her good luck, told her to have a good day and left. It never once occurred to me to yell at anyone about it.

I walked across the street to the grocery store, bought my cigarettes and went back to work. Its not like I had ran out 2 hours ago and this was the only store in a hundred miles that sold cigs. It wasn't a big deal at all, much the same as if the store doesn't have my brand in soft packs. I just go somewhere else. The only reason it sticks in my mind is that I'm almost 5 decades old and this is the first and only time I've ever not been able to buy cigs without ID.

I did learn that the grocery store cigs were cheaper than the mom and pop cigs, so I don't know how they are doing with the card everyone everytime policy.

[Broomjockey]

I have to card a member of the group whenever people who look around 18 or younger wanna see an 18A movie. One time I ask a lady for ID, I figured she was probably around 21, but I suck at telling ages, so I always check to make sure.

The lady gets a big grin on her face and yells over to her two friends using the Automatic Box Office "I got ID'd!" Turns out she was over 40.

[AFpheonix]

Gah. If my husband ever did what Juwl's customer did (not that he ever would), he'd end up with my elbow in his ribs and the Look O' Doom faster than he could say "this is rediculous!"

I got ID'ed at Billy Bob's when I went to Texas this summer. They were checking on anyone that looked 16 or younger.....I'm 26. Ah well, I guess that means I have good skin...

[ladodger34]

I have to card a member of the group whenever people who look around 18 or younger wanna see an 18A movie. One time I ask a lady for ID, I figured she was probably around 21, but I suck at telling ages, so I always check to make sure.

Which reminds of the only time I really get snarky about showing my ID. I've bought my fair share of cigs (in a past life), beer, and paid with credit/check cargs enough to show my ID to the point where I don't care. Showing ID for that stuff is pretty normal, common stuff.

I just hate it when a person at the movie theater tells me that "is the law" to show my ID for an R-rated movie. Tell me it's company policy, but please don't tell me it's the law, because it isn't. The MPAA isn't a government organization.

[cpux]

Good ol' dumb kids. Smart enough to know how to buy cigs yet too dumb to remember to keep their underage buddies out of sight.

And how the heck can anyone have problems using a credit card anymore? They've been around only forever. And those PIN pads are some of the most user-friendly hardware I've ever seen. Sometimes I think that some people are just affected by some brain disorder where their intellectual functioning shuts down in the presence of anything more technologically advanced than a light bulb.

[batmoody]

Way back when I was a teenager, even then, I knew not to go in with the guy buying the beer. Duh!
Its funny how its always the ones who just turned 21 a couple years ago are the ones who throw the biggest hissy. Gawd, I hope they stop asking you in 2 more years. Will that make you feel better?

[Kogarashi]

cpux, I love your signature.

Oh, I only get fits from the "just barely" crowd when I have to ID their friends too. The biggest fits I ever got were at the supercenter, where we actually sold alcohol. I had so many elderly folks ranting and raving (and in a few cases, storming out without their purchases) over our brief "card everyone no matter what" policy. As if I were trying to insult them by asking for an ID. As if it was my fault. At least they were usually well-interspersed with the nice old people who thought it was the greatest compliment in the world to be ID'd for beer.

[Imogene]

What was so hard about him showing his ID if he's over 30? What a fool.

From what I remember of that transaction, his whole argument was "But I'm not the one buying the hentai."
M: "I'm not worried abpout who's buying it, sir, I'm worried because you were in it. Plus, I'm a terrible judge of age."