Sir, I need to scan your ID...

[saturnz_dragon]

Okay, so I have been working at Target for almost 2 years now. I have seen a lot of utter b.s. since working there. One of our policies, which can be rather irritating, is that we have to scan the barcode on the back of people's drivers licenses when the register prompts us. It prompts us for things such as alcohol, cold medicine, nicotene patches, and even cans of air (since kids like to huff them and freeze their brains apparently.)

Well, the only people that have issue with this policy are, of course, old people. This is one of those times:

Me- "Ma'am, I need to scan your ID." (She was purchasing several bottles of wine, as well as a whole cart load of other items.)
SC- "Ok." (She keeps her license in her wallet and simply shows it to me)
Me- "I'm sorry, I actually have to scan the back of it."
SC- (Has a look of shock and anger) "This is ridiculous! Nowhere else does this to me!"
Me- "Ma'am, it's not just you. We have to scan everyone's ID."
SC- "Well just forget it then! It's too hard to get out of my wallet! I only came in for these two bottles of Coke so that's all I'm getting!"

So I rang her up for her Cokes and neither one of us spoke to each other during the transaction. After that, she stormed out of the store and left her cart in front of my register in everyone's way, so I had to walk around and move it so the next person in line could move forward. Stupid old hag.

Here's another one. This time involving an angry old man. Again, he was buying alcohol.

Me- "Sir, could I scan the back of your I.D. for the alcohol?"
SC- "What?"
Me- "We have to scan everyone's I.D. for alcohol."
SC- "BULLS***!"
Me- ........
SC- "Are you even old enough to sell this to me???"
Me- "Yes, I'm 21." (I really am 21, but we don't have to be the legal age in order to sell alcohol as long as a manager is on duty.)
SC- "Well you look like you're 16!!!"
Me- "...Sir, I can promise you that I have not been 16 for quite some time."

He eventually pulled out his ID for me, but he didn't want me to touch it and he when I finally was able to turn it around, there was a piece of paper taped to the back of it so I couldn't scan it. Welllll, if we can't scan an ID, we have to wait for a manager to come over and enter in their employee number to bypass the prompt. He was NOT happy about this and ranted and raved until he finally left.

This job makes me f***ing hate people.

[Anakah]

I love when the strip is on the back of their DL's. Sadly I've seen a few states that don't. When we run their credit card's and have to put in their info, it's easier to swipe the back of their ID cards. That is awesome! I didn't know other places used those too but it makes sense because it holds all their info.

That's neat, I've never heard of that before. What do you do when there isn't a barcode on the back? Maybe I'm thinking of the black strips like on CA DL's that are close to the top on the back. But mine doesn't have that, is it the same thing? It has something on the back but at the moment I can't recall what it looks like.

But honestly I make everybody take out their ID, it's also a good way to see if their ID's are fake.

[Raieth]

I certainly wouldn't make a big fuss, But if a store EVER asks me to hand over my ID so they can scan it, I politely leave my items and leave.

In canada we have laws about how many HOURS they are allowed to keep that information, but it's not regulated to well. And there have been many tales of identity theft that started with the info that registers take.

I'm always really polite about it though. It's not the cashier's fault their store has the policy. There is a liqour store that was on the way home from my old job that started doing that. I declined, and put my purchase back on the shelf. I recomened that they have a sign stating they do that and haven't gone back there since.

[Plaidman]

It is so fun isn't!

Wait until you get the bastards who refuse to, because when we scan their IDs, the goverment knows that they are buying beer and cigs.

Because each ID card has their own special unique barcode that traces to the person buying it.

Even though it be far more effect and, well, CHEAPER, to just have a barcode that just is linked to a birthday.

(yeah, still going to always have those paroniod idiots who think that all the time, its JUST A BIRTHDAY code, it NOT your info!)


Just saying.


Honestly, while the above is numorous and everyday, I do love it when someone gives me a obviously altered ID. I once mentioned a coworker over. I showed her the birthday that was obviously altered from 89 to 80.
I asked the customer if he wanted to hear RoboCop. He just stared at me. I scanned the barcode.

My register exploded with RoboCops voice.

STOP!!!! UNDERAGE!!! STOP!!!!

No beer for you, ya idiot.

[cinema guy]

My register exploded with RoboCops voice.

STOP!!!! UNDERAGE!!! STOP!!!!

That would be so cool for the cinema.

[siead_lietrathua]

In canada we have laws about how many HOURS they are allowed to keep that information, but it's not regulated to well.

i don't think the till actually keeps your name and stuff, it's just a birthday thing. i know in ontario the lotto machines have one where you swipe the magnetic strip on it through the terminal and age pops up, but it doesn't know any other information.

[arminius58]

I always found it a compliment when people asks to see my ID. I don't understand why people get so upset about it.

[ottid]

I think I'd be iffy if you had to scan my DL, you could keep the information to make a "profile" of me and start sending junk mail I didn't want...

On the other hand, the whole age thing, I sell lotto tickets as well, and since they have been pinged recently for selling to under age kids the scratchie tickets (have to be 18) if you look under 25 I'm supposed to check your ID. The other month I IDed someone who was 27 and I apologised, letting her know it wasn't because I thought he was under 18, but that she looked under 25, I think she like that for some reason

[saturnz_dragon]

We don't save any of their information, so there is no chance of identity theft in that way. The computer simply needs their birthdate in order for the prompt to go away. But I have had several paranoid people that think I personally am out to steal their identity and I get lectures on the government and big brother blah blah blahhhh.

And Anakah, I know what you're talking about. Some IDs have barcodes but other states have the strip that looks like a credit card. In my state we have the barcode on the back.

[Mystic]

I refuse to let any store swipe my drivers license. It's been proven that companies actually store the data on ID cards, and frankly, when I buy something from a shop, my relationship with that shop ends there until I decide to buy from them again. There is no need to be storing my data.

However, I also don't throw a fit about it and most places are usually ok with my refusal to allow them to swipe it. If not, I'll put my stuff back myself and leave. I'm sure the person behind the counter doesn't care if I actually buy anything there or not. :P

[Kiwi]

Add me to the list that would also refuse to hand over my ID to be scanned. If they want to look at it they can check it out but I would not allow it to be scanned.

I would remain POLITE about it however and not take it out on the cashier.

[Imogene]

Carding on my self check machine requires I get your birthdate off your ID, and make sure it's a valid ID... I put the birthdate into my hand scanner, and that clears the alert, or tells me to take the item from the customer. I am putting no other info into the scanner, and yet people seem to get angry that I'm doing even that much.

[Mr Hero]

While my hotel doesn't scan ID's, we do get the ID#'s from each one. I don't think I've many complaints about it. Just 1 every four or five months.

[Magpie]

I always found it a compliment when people asks to see my ID. I don't understand why people get so upset about it.

I can't understand why people raise a fuss about it. As for why they get upset though, around here the law says that you don't have to ID everyone. You only have to ID if the person looks under 25. So if I'm getting asked for ID, it's because I look young. Sure, maybe at 50 it's nice to look your age or younger, but when you're in your early 20s you're hoping for an extra 10-20 years, and I really can't see someone in their 50s wanting to look 25. This is why I try to have my ID visibly out before I get to the counter - that way they never have to ask (I can convince myself that they only took it because it was there).

[saturnz_dragon]

Well for me, the only way to get around scanning someone's ID is to type in their birthday (which a lot of people don't like either) and then I have to call my supervisor over to type in her code to bypass the prompt. Sometimes it can take a long time depending on if my supervisor is busy with something else and people get mad about that too. I just have to tell them it's not my policy, it's Target's policy. I just work here. Sheesh.