But they're not with me! (long)

[Clover]

As a lot of you know, I worked at a major pharmacy chain for a while, and after I quit there (getting jerked around too much, and I was moving anyway), after having worked at a stand selling piercing jewelry (nose studs, ect.) which was full of it's own stories, I worked at the biggest grocery chain in America (sometimes known as Wally World).

One evening while I was on register (I switched between registers, manning the self-checkouts and the customer service desks regularly) one of my CSM's came up to me and told me that there was a group of kids running around and they were getting massive amounts of alcohol, and that only one of them looked even remotely old enough to buy it, so to make sure I checked ALL their ID's, since they were clearly in a group, and she pointed them out to me, before going to tell the other cashiers the same thing.

It's worth noting here that I look a LOT younger than I actually am (I just turned twenty-one yesterday, and I still get mistaken for a twelve year old and have people asking me if I'm lost or looking for my mommy when I'm out somewhere by myself), and this has had the effect of a LOT of customers thinking they can get away with things with me that they wouldn't be able to do with other cashiers because they think that I'm young enough to not know better than to give in to whatever they want, and are shocked when not only do I not give in, but I use large words quite easily in my speech. (I almost got in trouble for calling a co-worker a miscreant when he purposely scared the heck out of me-he thought it was a racial slur of some kind, and my manager didn't even know what it meant either! For those who don't know, it basically means hooligan or trouble-maker)

Anyway, evidently I looked easier to fool because the group came up to me with two full, overflowing cartloads of liquor, the one older one coming up to make the purchase after the others handed him some cash. Then this exchange took place:

Me:
SC1: The older guy
SC2-5:The kids with him

Me: Is that all for today?
SC1: Sure is, cutie. *clearly not looking at my face, making me wish I'd worn a shirt with a higher collar*
Me: *suppressing gag reflex* Alright, I'll need to see your ID.
SC1: Alright, sweetheart. *hands it over*
Me: *checks it* Sir, I need to see their ID's as well.
SC1: What? Why?
Me: It's a precaution we always take, when groups come in and buy anything that has an age requirement we must check the ID of everyone in said group.
SC1: But they're not with me!
SC2: Yeah, we're not with him! We were just behind him!
Me: So you are getting two full cartloads of alcohol for just yourself?
SC1: Uhh...yes?
Me: And you allowed them to select some of the alcohol for you and put it in your cart?
SC1: Um...
Me: Yeeah. I need to see their ID's, or we can't allow you to buy any of this.
SC1: That's bullshit!
Me: That's the law.
SC3: Then can we just buy our stuff and leave so he can buy his stuff (the alcohol)?
Me: No. You're all clearly in a group, you helped choose those drinks, I'll need to see all of your ID's or none of you are buying those drinks. You can still buy the other items, just not the alcohol.
SC1: This is f**king ridiculous!
Me: Would you like to speak to a manager? (we're told that if a customer starts getting aggressive or swearing, to call a superior immediately)
SC1: F**k this!
SC4: We're really not with him, you know. (pleading eyes)
Me: Hmm. No ID, no sale.

They finally left, without buying anything, after arguing for a bit longer about how they totally weren't a group, with the older guy coming in a bit later by himself, trying to find the carts with the drinks and all they'd left behind. I took great pleasure in informing him that all the items had been returned to their proper place on the shelves. He left for good with quite a bit more cursing, and we didn't see him again.

Really, you come in with a bunch of kids, travel the store with them, they select things and put them in your cart, and come up to the front with you, and HAND YOU MONEY RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, and you think you can convince me that you're not buying it for them?! Yeah. Maybe that works in stores where the cashiers don't have two braincells to rub together, or where they just don't care, but that doesn't fly with me.

Anyone else had to deal with things like this?

[blas]

Cigarettes, not alcohol, but people just had absolutely no tact and common sense when buying for minors or people without ID.

I mean, you parked right in front of the door (big pet peeve of mine anyway), didn't have ID, minutes later, your buddy walks in and wants the same kind of cigarettes. I don't think so.

Or people who walk in together, one wants a pack of Marlboro Reds AND Lights. I card them both, guess what? Other doesn't have ID. "But they aren't for me!"

What the hell ever.

I mean, I didn't care if it was someone with a toddler or a young kid, because my Dad had to take me with him on errands all the time when I was a kid, and that was always the beer store as well (but I got free candy there!), but it's different when one is 18 with ID and the other has no ID, or one is 21 with ID for beer and the other has no ID.

Heck, I'd go to the beer store with my Dad as an older teen, but they'd sell to him anyway because they knew I didn't drink beer.

[bankworking]

This will show my age, since I don't know any place that doesn't have at least a "card if they look under 29" rule now-a-days, but back when I was in high school, I ended up buying cigarettes for my best friend all the time. The funny thing was, she WAS old enough to buy, since she was two years older than me, while I was NOT old enough to buy. But I looked older so she always got carded while they never carded me. Since she had a bad habit of leaving her state ID at home (I was the driver), I always ended up buying them for her.

[Lachrymose]

I used to buy cigarettes for my mom when I was 7.

[dalesys]

I used to buy cigarettes for my mom when I was 7.

*I* used to chew cigarette filters... when I was four. And my parents never smoked.

[EricKei]

I ended up buying cigarettes for my best friend all the time.

For me it was my grandmother. It helped that the people at the drugstore knew me well enough to know that I'm a teetotaler and nonsmoker anyway. The vague look of disgust I occasionally wore without realizing it when I asked for the cigs helped, I would imagine.

[XCashier]

Really, you come in with a bunch of kids, travel the store with them, they select things and put them in your cart, and come up to the front with you, and HAND YOU MONEY RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, and you think you can convince me that you're not buying it for them?! Yeah. Maybe that works in stores where the cashiers don't have two braincells to rub together, or where they just don't care, but that doesn't fly with me.

That's the thing; all they had to do was figure out what they wanted beforehand, then send the one legal guy to get it all. Then they could party 'til they puked! But nooo, they had to be stupid enough to all go in a group, so they got NOTHING! STUPID! You're so STUPID! (cookies for the reference)

I am so glad that I work where I never have to deal with age-restricted substances.

[Misanthropical]

When I moved from South Dakota to California I still carried my SD drivers license since I wasn't driving and really wasn't planning on driving.

I had just started dating Mr. Mis, and we decided one fine evening to go the grocery store and get some wine. I put the wine on the belt to pay and get carded. I have always looked younger than I actually am (like Clover) , so no problem, right? Wrong, the clerk tells me she can't accept my South Dakota drivers license since there is a college nearby and the store was always getting fake IDs. I was very confused by that, since I figured states had some way to tell true IDs from different states. Mr. Mis tells the clerk he will buy it, which she had no problem with even though she knew we were together.

I never had a problem using the ID I had at the bars that I went to to see Mr. Mis playing gigs with his band, so I was really confused as to why the grocery store wouldn't accept it.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

STUPID! You're so STUPID! (cookies for the reference)

I know I should've taken the red snapper instead of the box.

What a bunch of dickpickles.

[Mystic]

I use to card everyone at my shop... even those that weren't in the shop.

If you pulled up in a car with a buttload of kids in it, I would make them come in and show me their IDs as well.

[XCashier]

I know I should've taken the red snapper instead of the box.

"A red snapper! Mmm, very tasty!" Yep, you get the cookies, Irv.

[Kogarashi]

Ugh, I've had this a few times. Worst was the first store I cashiered at.

Group of four girls, late teens/early twenties, comes to my register. They're laughing and giggling with each other, clearly a group. Girl1 puts a bunch of stuff on the belt, including a case of beer. One of the other girls has a few items that she puts separately as well.

I get to the beer, and card Girl1. She hands me her ID, and sure enough, she's old enough. I then ask for the other girls' IDs. Cue Girl1. "But I'm the one buying it! They're not drinking it! Why do you need to see their IDs?" I, of course, explain the "card everyone in the group" rule, and get yelled at some more by Girl1. Of course, two of the other girls are underage, so I ended up keeping the beer behind the counter and ringing Girl1 up for everything else, all while she complained bloody murder.

I had one other that went over a little better than that, at the second store (which didn't sell alcohol, but did sell cigarettes). Two ladies came through, with two purchases, but definitely together. Both looked like they might be old enough, but possibly under the "card them anyway" age. First lady requests a pack of cigarettes. I card her, she seems surprised, and hands over her ID. Yep, old enough. First lady finishes her transaction. Then the second lady asks for a pack of cigarettes, and before I can even turn toward the cigarette racks, says, "And I know you're going to card me and I don't have my ID with me." So I stop and try to smile sympathetically and say, "Well, then, I'm afraid I can't sell you cigarettes." So the second lady turns to the first and says, "Oh, I'll just have you buy them for me." Nope, no can do. I tell the second lady I can't allow that either, because I'd still need to see second lady's ID. Both ladies then try to get by with rattling off some numbers that I realize are supposed to be her birthdate. Seriously, what part of I need to see the ID don't you ladies get? The second lady didn't end up getting her cigarettes that day, and I don't feel bad about it.

Seriously. You want to buy age-restricted products? I don't care if you look like my 90-year-old great-grandmother. Bring your ID with you.



Aww, I wanted cookies. I love that part of UHF.