Valid picture ID?

[El Pollo Guerrera]

I don't start many threads here, but this happened today and I couldn't help but think that it would make the board laugh.

One of our store policies is that if you want to pay with a cheque, we need a valid picture ID and a credit card. After that, we keep your name in our computer and there's no problems after that (unless the cheque comes back, but that's rare).

Today, woman wants to pay with a cheque. I point out the sign ( it's right on the surface of the counter) and she pulls out her 'picture ID'...

It's a photograph of her with her family. A snapshot... just a picture.

"That's me..."

I was stunned stupid for a second by that...

When I told her we needed a government issued, valid picture ID, she got mad and stormed out, saying she'd never come back.

[bainsidhe]

Ugh. Soon as I saw your title, I groaned inside. I get sooooo many people who show me their college ID (it's state issued, isn't it?!? Whiiiiiinnnneeee), their work ID (look, it has my picture blargle blargle), their social security card (WTF??) or is with a buddy who says "Yup, he's over 21". That, or they'll point to their offspring and declare "Lookit these kids, you don't think I'm over 21?!?! blargle blargle blargle"

*sigh*

[Kullervo]

I think that would have been great if they were just joking.

Question: why do they have to have a credit card too?

[LillFilly]

Bwahahahaha!!! That's great. I'll bet she was just mad at herself for looking like an idiot.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

I think that would have been great if they were just joking.

Question: why do they have to have a credit card too?

I'm not completely sure... I think that the boss believes that he can still get the money owed from the credit card if the cheque bounces. I see it more as a sign that the person does have a valid credit line that we may be able to hunt down.

More often than not, the person trying to use the cheque ends up paying with the credit card anyways and avoids the hassle.

If it's a customer I've dealt with at other businesses, friends of the family, people I've known, etc., I just take the cheque without the credit card... sometimes even without the ID. I'll just put my name on their 'listing' in the computer with an explanation as to why I didn't take ID. So far, after doing this for 8 years (has it been that long?) I haven't had one come back on me. I just have the feeling that the lady who picks up my mother to go to church ain't gonna bounce a cheque for $20!

My boss, on the other hand, does not have the same level of judgment that I have... A few people HE'S let slide have had to go to collections.

The thing about the lady was... she wasn't joking about the picture. And this wasn't an old lady who has 'never had to have ID before' (I have met a few women who actually never had ID because everything was in their husband's name and they dealt with all money matters). She was in her mid-20's, not 'well dressed' but not 'white trash' either, just average...

Now I'm wishing I caught the name on the cheque, to see if it was stolen...

[CarcinogenCrunchies]

I get sooooo many people who show me their college ID...

I once purchased alcohol using my college ID, my voter registration card and a casino "points" card. The college ID had my photo, name and address. My voter reg had the matching name and address along with my date of birth. The casino card bore my name and in my state, the gambling age is 21.

I don't recall why I didn't have my license on me at the time, but I got my beer!

[RetailSlave]

Back in April our state changed the requirements where we have to see the ID of anyone appearing to be under the age of 40 (it was previously 30). So lots of people who didn't have to have ID previously are now having to produce one. And on our UScans the attendants have to go to the individual robot and approve the sale. I had one older gentleman in his 70s yell at me because he had to wait for approval. He said, "Someone of my age shouldn't have to get approval!" I told him that the computer doesn't know how old he is so we have to do it for everyone. If he had gone thru a regular lane it wouldn't have been a problem.

Since we started using Telecheck we rarely have to ask for ID on a check. Our registers will only accept a state, US Government or Military ID.

[KMCA]

I do bouncer work sometimes and ID was always fun. The bar we were hired to "assist" inhouse. Bar policy? ID EVERYONE.
Drivers licences were scanned for validity. Passport photos and out of province licences were written down in a log book. Drinking age is 19 in Ontario and we were near the student residences for 2 universities. We were hardcore, we were told to ASK if the person had anything to drink. 1 drink was enough to get us to turn you away.

[prb]

I do bouncer work sometimes and ID was always fun. The bar we were hired to "assist" inhouse. Bar policy? ID EVERYONE.
Drivers licences were scanned for validity.

I hate that, simply because I opted for the new Enhanced licence. Which means it has no magnetic stripe. At OLG slots Fort Erie, it was the first one they guy ever saw. Kinda odd seeing as it's a border town and all, half the IDs I saw were US Passports and NY licences. I presented my Health Card as well, issued in Feb this year but with a photo from 3 years ago. His response "well, the photos don't match". Me: sigh... *passes him my student ID issued 2 months ago*, he sees me giving him it and gives me back my licence and health card and says "just go in then"

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

"If you need proof of my identity, I wrote my name on my underwear, Oh wait, these aren't mine!"

[KhirasHY]

I once purchased alcohol using my college ID, my voter registration card and a casino "points" card. The college ID had my photo, name and address. My voter reg had the matching name and address along with my date of birth. The casino card bore my name and in my state, the gambling age is 21.

I don't recall why I didn't have my license on me at the time, but I got my beer!

That...actually would amuse me quite a bit if it happened to me. The first thing that popped into my head was "This guy is like the MacGuyver of ID cards!"

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

"If you need proof of my identity, I wrote my name on my underwear, Oh wait, these aren't mine!"

Good ol Irv, the man with a Simpsons quote for every circumstance.

At work recently I had a guy give me his car insurance card when I asked for ID because it's all he had.

I used to go to a bar that had the ID everyone policy and I didn't mind it one bit. I don't understand folks who pitch a fit about getting ID'd. It's the frickin LAW!

[bsaana]

My state recently went to a new drivers licensing system. We went from get your real plastic card right now to you get a paper license and the real one mailed out. The state just started this in the middle of July. The first couple of weeks I heard about people being denied at bars and restaurants because they didn't believe the paper ones (valid only 30 days) were real.

[Sonoma]

Part of one of my old job was processing reimbursements for "not-so-big anymore car manufacturer". One of the requirements that they had to process a repair reimbursement was the original repair order (so that we would only process one reimbursement), proof of payment, and proof of ownership. I had one guy send in a picture of the truck as proof of ownership. If it was only that easy, I could prove I owned anything I see.

[ShadedWings]

I get this problem where I work too... to rent movies/books on cd/games you have to...

a) have your rental card
b) have your driver's license/state ID
c) have ANY ID THAT HAS YOUR NAME AND PICTURE... student id, certain club cards, credit card...
d) have a person with you that's listed as secondary on the account (or even on their own if they know your name) and THEY have an ID of any of the above...

Basically ANYTHING that is identification of WHO YOU ARE will work.

Got two tonight and get regularly people who don't have ANY form of identification on them.

(I honestly don't get this... what if something horrible happened and they needed to ID you fast and not by dental? Or if you get arrested? Or SOMETHING where you needed ID?!)

Said people proceeded to all but beg me to let them rent movies anyway... just this once.. it's been done before for them (didn't you say JUST THIS ONCE?)...

Sorry but I don't care if you can list every single bit of information on the account. Some people have good memories or memorize on purpose this info if they want to scam or steal identities. I need PHOTO proof you are who you say you are, that has been through some sort of official system. School, state, club, whatever.

Why don't people get this??!