Question about IDs for alcohol...

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by over the mountain

state laws are really strict on serving alcohol. last year i know that this kinda new bartender at this real nice bar/restaurant. they were packed. this guy comes up and orders 2 beers. bartender asks for id, looks at it, the guy is over 21 gives him the 2 beers.

the guy was an undercover, busted the bartender for not asking for 2 ids since there were 2 beers. the bar tender as well as the establishment get somethign like a 1000 fine each.

i know you must ask for id before taking cash or handing over any alcohol as well.

the undercover stuff happens or they come into your place at 9:30 pm with their badges and ask to see your liq license even though you have it posted out on your front window b/c they constantly come by to harass you. they just want to come in, flash a badge and pull their shirt up so you can see their gun. pretty f'in lame how some of the younger guys act. then they will try and small talk and hit on the ladies. f'in herbs.

I work in the industry, and I've never once seen any ATF or local enforcement come in and flash badges or guns just to flex. As long as your bartenders make sure they see one ID per drink and they card age appropriately, your establishment will never have an issue. Unless you have employees who have otherwise pissed off the powers that be.

What's funny to me is that in Montgomery County they send their own groups of undercover around looking to bust establishments, yet their own stores - that by law sell all the booze that any restaurant in the county is allowed to sell - are wildly inconsistent and stupid about their ID-ing procedures. Ahhhh, government.

[Trample the Elderly]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

A long time ago the drinking age should've been dropped down to 18 instead of 21.

I'm not sure I follow you girl? Before Nancy Reagan got the Federal government to blackmail the States, the drinking age was 18 in many states.

[FRPLG]

You do live in a college town. I am sure that changes things a little bit. What Scud said is right. They follow the rules...which is pretty easy to do...and they're golden. The only thing I would add is that they also cant serve to someone who is drunk. That one is harder to follow and subject to a great amount of interpretation. A place of business here has been open for 13 years and never once had a violation...that in and of itself is amazing. Then last fall an idiot comes in drunk...the bar-tender who has no idea serves him and they get hit with a 10-day suspension. This place is probably the most diligent place I have ever seen about alcohol and the ABC hits them up. Stupidity.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

I'm not sure if I didn't read right, or maybe I'm nuts, but does anyone know why grocery stores still card both people?

I mean I understand the idea of someone "covering their asses", but I don't see how that is going to stop people who are actually trying to do something sketchy. It's a rule that's inconveniencing law-abiding people 99% of the time. If I was buying for someone underage, I'm not taking them through the line with me and handing it off to them inside the store. I think the store is protecting as long as I'M carded. After that, it's MY fault for getting busted for distributing to a minor.

[BDBohnzie]

As discussed above, depending on the establishment, each drink purchased will have to have legal ID to match. In your case, since there are 2 people line to purchase the alcohol, they have to card both per rules of the establishment. Now, if said establishment sells alcohol to a group of 4 people and only cards one, then you have a case to wonder why you 2 are being carded. I've been to places where I've needed to show more than 1 ID to buy a round of drinks. I think the principle is the same here. If you are in line, it's assumed that you are going to imbibe in the alcohol purchased, or at least in the establishment's eyes. Not that I think it's justified, but if you are concerned about it, speak to the store manager and get clarification.

You do realize that the simple way of getting around this is to have one of you not be in line when you buy the alcohol...

[TheMalcolmConnection]

I know, but I think that's ridiculous. It's just the fact that nowhere else in my entire town, including the ABC store does this happen.

[BDBohnzie]

Sure it's ridiculous and overbearing and inconvenient, but for a store to have such a policy means at one time or another, they've been busted for such an event and are taking precautions to not get busted again. Add on the fact that you're in a college town, and would be easier to add alcohol to a larger purchase than alcohol alone (say freshman and roommate are buying groceries and tries to sneak a 6er past the goaltender) at an ABC store could be why the Kroger is being a big stick in the mud.

Yeah it sucks and annoying and you want to throw cashier boy through the storefront window, but is it really all that bad?

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Meh, kind of.

I only say "kind of" because they're ball-breakers about it. It's one thing with the cashier obviously acts like they don't want to do it, but it's another when they put on their cape are like, I'm "SUPER ID-CASHIER!".

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Originally Posted by BDBohnzie

Sure it's ridiculous and overbearing and inconvenient, but for a store to have such a policy means at one time or another, they've been busted for such an event and are taking precautions to not get busted again. Add on the fact that you're in a college town, and would be easier to add alcohol to a larger purchase than alcohol alone (say freshman and roommate are buying groceries and tries to sneak a 6er past the goaltender) at an ABC store could be why the Kroger is being a big stick in the mud.

Yeah it sucks and annoying and you want to throw cashier boy through the storefront window, but is it really all that bad?

But obviously from my other thread, it kind of puts things in perspective of what I should get upset about...