And it was such a quiet night, too... (long, language)

[ZedOmega]

...up until we had another diva show up. Honestly, shouldn't some of these girls get ego trips once their boyfriend's band at least makes regional status? Seriously?

This time, it was about IDs. Having retaken my TABC course and getting my license renewed, I found out that they made some pretty... odd changes to the laws. Now we can accept any state-issued ID, but international IDs and passports are out of the question, and government and military IDs need to have a state-issued ID to support the info on them.

I'm covering T's shift again, because she needed tonight off to help her daughter get ready for her prom (and if T doesn't show us pics when she comes back, she owes me her soul...), and SC in question has a government ID. I remember carding her a few times when her boyfriend's band played at our bar, but our policies were different those few times. It checks out, too: no signs of tampering, no damage to the card whatsoever (given her attitude, I'm willing to guess that she keeps it in a specially-crafted, hermetically sealed lock box in her fucking attic...), still current, everything. We just have to ask for a driver's license or state ID to back it up. And that's when the shit started.

Me: "Oh, my kingdom for a stun gun and a bottle of Jack right about now..."
SC: The diva in question, whose attitude can do more damage than the high horse she got on.
CBM: Cool Band Member. The ones who know how to calm their girlfriends down no matter how pissed they get. I need to learn their tactics...

Me: "I remember you! You're CBM's girlfriend. I just have to do my job and check IDs because of the cameras."
SC: "Oh, okay." SC pulls out her government ID. "Here you go."
Me: I look it over to check its authenticity, and it checks out. "Alright. Do you have a state-issued ID, also? I'm afraid I can't accept just a government ID."
SC: "What?!"
Me: "There's been some changes to our policies lately that we're all still getting used to, and in order for me to take this ID, I need a driver's license or a st--"
SC: "That's bullshit! I've been here lots of times before, and--"
Me: "I'm sorry, but if it were up to me, I'd take it. We have to follow procedures, though, and there's nothing I can do about it."
SC: "Oh, so every time I come by, you're just gonna change everything around, aren't you?!"
Me: (Yeah. For one, all of us would be able to carry tasers without getting in trouble for it.) "I'm sorry, but--"
SC: She pulled out her BlackBerry and started texting someone at a speed I can't even type at. And I've been clocked at around 90 WPM on a good day. Within seconds, CBM comes rushing down the stairs like the text said 'HELP ME!!!11!1'
CBM: "What's up? What's going on?"
Me: "I can't let her in with just a government ID; she needs a state-issued card also."
CBM: "Isn't there any way she could come in without it?"
Me: "I'd have to mark her as a minor."
SC: "Yeah, and I'm 40 fucking years old."
CBM: Giving her a 'just a second' gesture, he says, "Okay. Hang on a second." He pulls SC outside and talks to her. They're gone for a good five minutes, and they return.
SC: She holding her driver's license in her hand like she wanted to stab me with it. "Here."
Me: Birthday looks good... ID is still current... no damage... "'Kay."
SC: "'69."
Me: "Yep." She hands me a $10, I give her $5 change, and mark her as an adult. The two of them head upstairs, CBM giving me a devil-horns on his way up.

There's an epilogue to this incident, though: CBM runs into me a few minutes later and tells me that SC calmed down a lot. A couple of beers'll do that, I guess. She was even at the upstairs bar jamming out to the band while they were on stage when I closed my register.

A rare happy ending, but... grr.

[Midnight_Angel]

.Now we can accept any state-issued ID, but international IDs and passports are out of the question, and government and military IDs need to have a state-issued ID to support the info on them.

I am perfectly aware that you don't make the rules... but if I interprete your words correctly, any out-of-state citizen, or *gasp* foreigner would be utterly unable to ID themselves then, right?

Maybe I am sucky in that regard, but automatically being classified as a minor just because I do not hail from the glorious US would not be something I consider amusing...

[Magpie]

You probably wouldn't take it out on Zed though.

So she was carrying state ID and decided to throw a fit, which would of course cause you to agree to break the rules, instead of showing it to you? And I have a sneaking suspicion that she's not going to go and complain to someone who might actually have the power to change this.

[sweetj82]

whats wrong with a military ID?? it makes no sense that its considered not valid.

[Cookie]

Wow. Sounds like these new rules are just making things difficult on people like you instead of making anything more secure. Sorry you have to deal with people who don't understand you don't make these rules.

[PixelJockey]

I am perfectly aware that you don't make the rules... but if I interprete your words correctly, any out-of-state citizen, or *gasp* foreigner would be utterly unable to ID themselves then, right?

Maybe I am sucky in that regard, but automatically being classified as a minor just because I do not hail from the glorious US would not be something I consider amusing...

I was wonderring about that too, as a Canadian 35, with a valid Canadian DL and Passport (and a myriad of other forms of ID, but none issued by the US govt. or the state of Texas) I wouldn't be allowed in except as a minor?

Doesn't that hurt tourism dollars?

[BlaqueKatt]

whats wrong with a military ID??

actually a military ID is TONS easier to fake than a state issued ID

[Sheldonrs]

.....in a specially-crafted, hermetically sealed lock box in her fucking attic...

Is that a euphemism?

[Hyndis]

The passport thing doesn't make any sense. I'm not sure I understand the reasoning.

To be hired for a job you need either two forms of ID or a valid US passport. The passport is considered to be of such a high quality form of ID that by itself it qualifies you, and you do not need two forms of ID when using it.

But its not enough for ID in Texas?

[AccountingDrone]

actually a military ID is TONS easier to fake than a state issued ID

Really? I see a picture of me, with various numbers pertaining to birth day, social security and whatnot, and funky holograms embedded in the plastic, just like my drivers licens, which has a crappy picture of me, numbers pertaining to my age and identity, and holograms embedded in the plastic.

Though my military ID does have a lot of encripted data on the back, but you need a special reader to make sense of that data.

[csquared]

To be hired for a job you need either two forms of ID or a valid US passport. The passport is considered to be of such a high quality form of ID that by itself it qualifies you, and you do not need two forms of ID when using it.

The ID's needed when applying for a job a broken into two categories: proof of Identity and proof of Citizenship/Eligibility for employment. You need one of each. Documents like your birth certificate and SS card do not prove identity. ID's like your driver license does not prove citizenship. You need the two to collaborate each other. It is not that the passport is "high quality". It is merely proof of both.

As a passport is also proof of age, that should be sufficient, US or foreign. I find it hard to believe that if you don't have a US ID, you can't drink. What can a foreigner present as an ID?

The whole Military + State ID make no sense. Just say that you can't accept the Military ID as the State ID is sufficient.

But as Zed pointed out, he don't make the laws...

[ZedOmega]

I was wonderring about that too, as a Canadian 35, with a valid Canadian DL and Passport (and a myriad of other forms of ID, but none issued by the US govt. or the state of Texas) I wouldn't be allowed in except as a minor?

Doesn't that hurt tourism dollars?

It does, and that's one of the reasons I don't like that policy. Most of our out-of-country visitors are from Mexico, but we get the occasional European or Canadian tourist down here. As for the state IDs, we can take any ID or driver's license from the 50 states. I need to ask about the US territories, though...

[Dips]

Pssst! Folks!

Hi there.

Some of you seem to be unaware of the fact that the OP didn't make the laws.

Therefore it is not his job to defend them, justify them or answer questions about them. If you think the law is dumb, take it to fratching. This board is not the place for debating legal issues.

If you have questions about the law dont' ask the OP, ask the people in the OP's state who made those laws. Unless some of our members are state lawmakers, nobody here is going to know the answers to those questions.

Thank you.

[VenomX]

I can accept military ID at my job for cigarettes. Well I believe I still can, but I do not. Not after asking a young looking guy for his ID two years or so ago.

He hands me his military ID and I check, yep his face, turn it over and look at the birthdate.... Whats this? It said he was born in 1998! If true he was 10... no way he was 10 years old. I tell him I can't accept it and he better go and have a talk with the army.

He looks confused and asks me why I can't accpet it as ID. I show him and he just stares at the back of the card for like 10 minutes. He finally said he understood and would have it fixed in the morning and left.

Was it real or fake? I am not sure but it looked very real.

[AccountingDrone]

I can accept military ID at my job for cigarettes. Well I believe I still can, but I do not. Not after asking a young looking guy for his ID two years or so ago.

He hands me his military ID and I check, yep his face, turn it over and look at the birthdate.... Whats this? It said he was born in 1998! If true he was 10... no way he was 10 years old. I tell him I can't accept it and he better go and have a talk with the army.

He looks confused and asks me why I can't accpet it as ID. I show him and he just stares at the back of the card for like 10 minutes. He finally said he understood and would have it fixed in the morning and left.

Was it real or fake? I am not sure but it looked very real.

Oh yes, mistakes happen on military IDs, they are data entered by humans, and people make mistakes =)

He was probably born in 1988, typing numbers is a common mistake. I have been issued a military id with my birthday as 10/37/1961 ... which is a good trick =) That would have made me whatever is after scorpio =)