... whose management doesn't trust their employees.

I get carded on occasion too, even with a head full of grey hair.

I miss it.

they would sell it to you.

We could get beer at 12 years old.

I'm picturing me as a young'un on my tippy-toes.

if I was over 21. I said responded that I had over 21 gray hairs. Ka-ching!

The one that irks me is when they insist on ID from everyone in the group (e.g. both me and my wife, obviously long past 21).

I always want to ask what they do when people are shopping with their children: no wine for mom or dad because the toddlers are under 21?

children.

That way the clerk doesn't have to ask and I don't have to waste time looking for it.

(and there's no mistaking me for under 21 either, trust me on that)

I seldom buy any. I used to sell it though and my rule of thumb was to card anyone who looked under thirty.

as a way to discourage people with id's buying for someone outside who is underage.

the logical side of my brain interferes and says

Some places have trouble with the cops because they sold to someone underage, and they just institute a hundred percent ID policy because they can't trust their cashiers to use appropriate judgment.

In Oregon that's what they base it on is the cashier's judgement to tell if the person is 21 or over. I can see if I were an owner implementing a rule that everyone is carded. If one of their employees screws up and gets busted in a sting it is very expensive and the owners usually lose their license to sell for a period of time.

if they don't ID everyone.

... enforcement of liquor laws.

The bars I know of have a zero tolerance policy - no I.D. no entrance.

I think he was likely only doing what his bosses told him to do.

I realize he probably had to do what he was told to do, but if he was being rude to a paying customer and a repeat customer, which I am, I'd say his bosses need a review. This was a national retail store that I may not patronize again.

I am actually pretty quick to complain on customer service issues given the fact that I have a background in the area, both as a grunt and a manager. On top of that I have a MBA and DBA both in international business.

I got lucky and he just gave me a warning. BUT, in the box for "hair type" on the form he wrote, "bald".

Now, I'm fully aware of my lack of hair. However, seeing it written down by someone else was kind of deflating. I guess it's official when a cop writes it on a citation. sigh.

I have no words to denounce how awful that is.

and they never card me. Maybe my age is also on my little discount card? Or perhaps they hire people that can tell

in the package store just over the county line on a dirt road. I always let the oldest looking among us do it. Plus, I was still worried about God's revenge.

The first time a Safeway clerk asked me, I said, "You're kidding, right?"

I guess they got that so much that they now print on the receipt, ID waved (or something similar).

allow the punk kid to ask to see ID, but they wanted to SWIPE my drivers lisence. Nah huh. Nope. I was 60 at the time.

if that had been the case.

And if they don't and sell to an under age person, the clerk is the one who gets arrested. So it's safer for the clerk to card everyone and never accept anyone's word for their age.

Florida is one of those states and has a zero tolerance policy for the minimum wage clerks who get accused of being " alittle piss ant" or "napoleonic" - and he was absolutely correct. If you had not shown your ID he would be following the law to refuse to sell you the booze. Would YOU go to jail for some smart ass senior who thought they were above the law?

I was working at was popular among young people. I never had to be rude. I told them to come back when they were twenty one and I would buy them a birthday drink and I did on many occasions when I was taken up on it. The person in question only needed to say it was store policy and that would have been the end of that. But that being said, I didn't Make an issue of it nor reported him to the manager.

And I wonder how many dozens of seemingly adult people try to bluff their way through being carded - or take offense at the request? The clerk was probably fed up with having to insist.

Also, it's his job even if it means dealing with all manners of people, he should be polite ar all times.

But unless his tone was really obnoxious saying "he didn't have to sell it to me if I didn't comply" is not rude - it could just be the truth. If it is the law, he would be perfectly correct to not sell booze to someone who refused to provide ID. As I indicated in some states he could end up in jail if he did.

Just because some places do not card you does not indicate what the law is. The other places could be lax in their enforcement. If it's a state like Florida, some lowly clerk WILL get caught and arrested. Florida law enforcement often sets up stings using underage drinkers they've caught to go in and attempt to buy booze without getting carded. LE really loves finding some kid that looks old for their age just so they can trap some poor clerk who is harried and overworked. They really love sending those kids in when the place is busy with long lines.

Businesses may not bother with teaching them this law and these LE methods in their training since the businesses don't get charged generally and they can just fire the clerk and move on with no consequences - and no unemployment.

...there's probably been some recent trouble with sales to minors, either by the specific store or in the county. Usually the order to CARD EVERYONE - NO EXCEPTIONS comes from on high.

I get the impression that the ID preferred/required is issued by the state. (I could and may well be wrong.) But is a Texas ID acceptable in California?

And what about us furriners? Is a passport acceptable?

I think your passport might work, if it has a picture and if the person carding you has a little knowledge of your language.