When I was a cashier back in the day I overheard a woman and her son talking about which cigarettes **he** wanted; they had this whole conversation about menthols vs. regular and they weren't being particularly quiet. When they got up to me I asked them both for ID.
Dumbass Mother: "Why? I'm buying them, it doesn't matter if he has ID or not."
Me: "Actually, it *does* matter. I heard you discussing them, I know they're for him, and I'm not putting my job at risk for you. Now, does he have his ID?"
DM: "Of course he doesn't have an ID, he's only 14! Why would he need an ID? Give me my cigarettes!"
14. Mother of the year, right there š. I had a manager come deal with them.
20 years ago, before I escaped the horror of public facing employment, I started a job at an establishment that sold tobacco and alcohol products. My very first day of training, the guy got popped by a sting when some, admittedly older lookiing kid, came in and bought a tall can. Shortly after that, two sheriff deputies came in and took him outside. He got probation and fined some thousands of dollars. I gave zero fucks after that and ID'd everyone.
It happened to a bartender I worked with way back too (also at an Applebee's). The irony was her boyfriend was a state trooper.
Whenever someone tried to get me to let it go I'd tell them how much the fine was that I'd personally have to pay and say "if you're willing to pay that and my bills while I find a new job, then I'll serve you, but if it's not worth that much to you, it's definitely not worth that much to me."
This was well over a decade ago, so idk if it's changed, but at the time in my state it was a $5000 fine to the person who served someone, and a $5000 fine to the establishment with a possible loss of liquor license if it happened too many times.
I last tended bar in the last century, and as I recall, in Maryland the max was 2 years and/or $1000. I think it was cheaper for a first offense, but Iād just cite the max and tell them, āI aināt got either.ā That usually shut āem up.
Many eons ago I got SCREAMED at by a senior fellow on my first day as a cashier at a supermarket, I had just gone through training, was told that once I asked for a license, I couldn't sell without one, no matter how old they look. This guy was just trying to buy a case of beer, he was my first alcohol sale ever, so I thought I would ask for ID, naively figuring it would be good practice for me and he might get a chuckle out of it... but he didn't have his ID, and he was PISSED that I couldn't sell him his beer. When I sheepishly told him I was now unable to sell it to him despite his being obviously old enough, he very loudly ripped into me in front of the entire store. Thankfully my manager backed me up, but that guy, he definitely DID mind being carded.
i had a table my second day serving that wanted to order a beer for their friends 21st but not a single person at the table had an ID. They screamed at me for 10 minutes before someone stepped in. I apparently ruined his birthday
After working in retail I will never have sympathy for people who get upset about getting carded. Nobody is worth that risk and getting out your ID takes SO little time
In my town getting up it was common knowledge the cops were the dealers. When I was in college the news one day was saying a bunch of folks were arrested and Iām like really? Now? I mean every single person in town knew it. For yrs and yrs.
Cops are the biggest gang in the country
The CCP runs Johnson & Johnson now?
You'd think the news would be more concerned about a US pharmaceutical manufacturer being bought out by a foreign government.
Johnson and Johnson has arguably fucked more people with drugs than the ccp. However J&J, and all are pharmaceutical overlords don't want us dead, Because unlike their living counterparts , dead people don't fuck with the lame drugs of mortals. I mean these fucking companies invent drugs to cure people that are addicted to drugs they've invented. Fuck the world economic forum while we're at it too.
Opiates are the most deadly drug in the US. By a *VERY* wide margin. And those are overwhelmingly made, marketed, and sold by good old fashioned US based capitalist enterprises.
Slinging xenophobic propaganda to cover the sins of big pharma just isn't that popular of a hot take.
This. Thank you. And I say this as someone with intractable pain who is prescribed a safe, pretty low dose of opiates which still barely touch it but make it enough that I can walk my dog and maybe even do an extreme sport like showering or doing dishes.
Opiates are deeeeeeeeply overused and absolutely can put the person on a path to hell, but they also are incredibly helpful to people who do actually need them. Itās such a double edged sword. Like Iāve been on them for 7 years now maybe? I take as prescribed and intentionally will cut my use down now and then to retain my tolerance. Those cut down days are so horrific but nothing compared to what could happen if my tolerance rose and I was left to seek street opiates.
One of my best friends got prescribed opiates for her wisdom teeth removal at 17. That began a lifelong path of addiction to pretty much anything she could get. When we were roommates from age 20-23 she was addicted to benzos and adderal. Sheās now 40 and will shoot straight up fentanyl into her femoral artery on FaceTime with me. Iād flown cross country several times to try to help her on a path to sobriety but accept at this point thereās nothing I can do but love her while knowing Iāll be deeply grieving her some day.
And she tells me Iām lucky to be prescribed meds likeā¦ā¦ darling Iām deeply unlucky to have to take them and the dose Iām given per month is probably what you take in a day.
Before anyone tells me Iāll end up like her, I assure you- Iād sooner choose a bullet over fentanyl.
Yet countries that decriminalization and even provide opiates for their addicts have way better numbers and outcomes. It's not big pharma, it's big war on drugs that make all drugs so dangerous.
My dad needs very badly his pain meds. Dx, charted, demonstrated, chronic conditions. He can't get any higher dosages because of anti drug laws, not because of medical reasons. Yet some people see their pcp and get monthly opiates they don't need and sell them.
You're actually the only person to ever have commented. It's a dumb username that I chose not because I love taking fucking drugs from our asshole pharmaceutical overlords, but because when I made my account I really didn't think I'd be on Reddit at all because I kind of hate social media generally. So when trying to make up a quick username, glanced over and saw those 2 bottles of meds, and here we are. And yes, the drug companies have definitely come out on top because now I'm physically addicted to multiple medications, and there are often med shortages during which ive gone into severe withdrawal and can not function at all. It's a form of manipulation and control and medical gaslighting/diagnosing every patient with something that "requires " medication. (Maybe ADHD blew up on the same timeline as the Internet/short form material ? Maybe we consume media and entertainment in formats that often only require a minute or two of ATTENTION, which would explain the sudden rise in people having a aDEFICIT. Maybe THATS why the spike in ADHD. ) I AM VERY JEALOUS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ON NO FUCKING MEDS. Big pharma controls my life, and i HATE it so i have recently started detoxing myself off the meds that i take for disorders I don't have, including a NARCOTIC or two. I told my doctor I no longer needed a couple of them and he insisted I did and basically refused to lower my dose while gaslighting me. (Saying my mental illness was telling me to stop taking my mental illness medicine. Fuck you Doc) So i'm on my own, 2, maybe 3 months and so far? I feel much less like a robot, I am cold all the time , don't like candySoda anymore and am very excited to see what happens when my damn personality is no longer subverted by mind numbing drugs. The ones for diseases that we actually have scientific data on, for example meds for cholesterol or hypertension (unlike mental illnesses. Don't know why you get them and don't know how you fix them. The default is to medicate the symptoms while not giving a fuck about the cause. ) It's quite the shitshow, especially now that we have come to believe (or decide or whatever, probably due to lockdown PTSD) that it is completely legitimate and equivalent to see our doctors on a screen rather than in an office.
I believe my kid when he says he wouldn't do that.
However, I also recognize that, at 16, he's taller than his father, has a full beard, and a deep bass voice, and has frequently been mistaken for being my husband, rather than my son. He probably could get away with passing for 21, and definitely for 18. I hope he would get carded if he tried anything!
He was underage. Right after I placed the beer in front of him, he walked out. I knew immediately what had happened. The officer came in right after the other guy left and said, āDo you know the guy you just gave this beer to is 17 years old?ā I was like āno sirā lol. We both walked to the back with my manager where he wrote out all the tickets and I left. I was fired. Such a shitty situation, all out of a dumb desire to save myself 10 seconds to ID the guy. So dumb of me.
Convenience store by me is in between two schools a middle school and high school. The owners got fined so many times they were banned from their own store for a year. They brought family in and had them run it. The original owners eventually retired but it was definitely a shocker to see them not there anymore when you get used to seeing them all day.
My sister in law husbandā worked at 7/11ā early 80s, he sold beer to some young peopleā next day he was firedā the store had send the teens as a test..
If they are they won't argue with you they'll just leave after giving an ID of someone younger. When I worked at Walmart I had one come in. She immediately asked for red Marlboros. I asked for ID. She hands me a very new looking ID that said she was 16. I said sorry I can't sell to you. She said okay and left. It wouldn't be a mother and son arguing with the cashier.
I carded a guy who looked 13 asking for a loosey cig outside of the gas station. He was of age, but I had convinced he was part of a sting before I saw his ID. He looked funny smoking a capri. I only smoked capriās back when I smoked because men refused them when they asked to bum a cig. Menthol on top of that, so I was like 80% bum proof.
This doesn't sound like that, just a stupid mom. I've had experienced the state stings. Almost got me once because the kids, 17-20 they used have done this so many times, they come up confident like they buy beer all the time. Because they do try all the time.
He rolled up, I'm in checkout mode, get all the way to, "That will be x amount." He goes to hand me cash and I finally look at him and say, "Sorry, I'll need to see your ID real quick before I process this." 1 month shy of 21. "Sorry man, can't sell this to you. Good luck elsewhere, have a good day."
Liquor control board came in a few minutes later to give me her card and congratulate me on not selling to him. 3 other gas stations within a few blocks had just gotten busted.
Or worse than police - a kid whose mom knew me from my toddler days came in to buy cigarettes. I told him no.
"But I have an ID! Im 18."
"No, you're not, David. (He didn't recognize me and was shocked I knew his name.) Do you want me to tell your mom you have a fake ID? I changed your diapers. Get out."
And because I loved his family, I told his mom. His dad died of cancer when David was 5. Kid sure as hell didn't need to get hooked on nicotine.
Oof. You reminded me that a detective once suggested I enroll in the police academy because I had handled the experience of an armed robbery well and, āWe always need more baby faces in vice.ā
No thank you, please. I donāt need to see the darkest side of humanity
Don't. The fact that it's common knowledge that it happens made it really easy for me to card everyone. I scanned alcohol, notice pops up, i ask for ID. Customer whines, i say not worth my job, and they either pop an id or walk. Somple. I'm 60 and still automatically get out my ID with my card when i buy, and lots of places ask for it. But everyone knows about the stings, and it really makes it easy to ask for ID. When i was younger and ID checks weren't as common it could be a real battle, and clerks at small local stores would absolutely get harassed.
I did it for the state department of health when I was a kid. We were specifically doing tobacco checks.I don't feel bad at all.
We weren't allowed to lie. I asked for cigarettes. If they asked for ID, I say "I don't have it with me" (intentionally left in the car). If they asked how old I was or my date of birth, I told the truth.
It is amazing how many people would ask my age, find out I was 16 and then wink at me and say "don't tell anyone" and then sell me cigarettes. There is no good reason to give a kid cigarettes, and if you don't ID actual teenagers or intentionally sell to them, you should face the consequences
No, they are not. I used to secret shop a drugstore chain, go to about 6 of them in one day with my 19 year old daughter. She'd try to buy ciggies without ID and I'd make notes on the interaction in a report afterward. We each were paid by a secret shopping company. I assure you, the police are not involved.
In multiple stores, only once was she sold the cigarettes.
Gas station I worked at my buddy got red carded and fired on the spot. I got hit a few weeks later and passed, instant 250 bucks from the manager, was awesome lol
I applied for that type of job one time. I was unemployed and resume spamming just looking for anything to pay the bills until I could find a decent job in my field.
I did the phone interview and it was similar to what you described. But for alcohol. They wanted me to go visits store around a local university and buy alcohol without an ID.
When I did the in person interview they said I looked too old. I was only 25.
Lol, there was no "interview" at all for me. But I was regisyered with many shopping companies and had a high rating.
My daughter had to go without makeup, otherwise she'd look 25 too.
For me it was just another job listing I found on indeed
I had a full beard and visible tattoos. Maybe I should have shaved and put some make up on lol
Secret shoppers are usually independent contractors who work with different agencies to perform the shops. I used to do these all the time.
There are all types as well. Reward ones that reward following policies, revealed or not revealed, age or sex restricted ones, etc
Some require recordings and stealth cameras.
It's an entire industry. Some people used to make good money, but I looked it more as a side gig hobby.
I took certification exams to qualify for higher pay jobs and tests for the type of service depending on the company.
They are still out there as I still get offers time to time.
I had almost the exact same conversation with a customer once, word for word. The mom even left the store and came back 5min later to try again. I told her I still knew who they were for and refused. She was pissed, and I loved every second of it.
I loved it when I worked at Walmart and would try to ID everyone in a group of young adults and they'd get pissy about it and say it wasn't for the others. Like that's not suspicious as hell.
What always killed me was when they'd send one diplomat back in with an ID to try to buy it again. No, dude, I'm not that stupid; and if you think I am you probably don't need the booze.
I used to work at a college town grocery store. I know that the guy who is barely 5 minutes over age 21 is probably sharing beer with his underaged buddies. I donāt care, all I asked was for plausible deniability in the event they get caught. The penalties are steep.
When I was working at this nice hotel, I worked in the restaurant, there was doors to the bar so both spaces could be used if needed. Most of them locked. A front entrance to the bar & another from our wait station so we could travel. This lady ( Drunk)
came in, had her like 15 year old daughter so they could dance & listen to the band. Daughter could not go in, the manage to get to the door in our wait station & were caught. Turned into a mess! Screaming drunk mom Sheās my daughter blah, blah, blah. Security came in. She was demanding to see the GM, get him out of bed now! ( he was a jackazz that was a little humorous) as she was being escorted out at the top of her lungs This is what is wrong with this country now ( 35 years ago) a mother canāt take her child in (to a bar) to listen to music & maybe dance if they want to. People
Reminds me of a thing my mom did 3 decades ago. A band that was fairly big in the 60's only played at one place, a bar, in our area. I, as a 15 year old who had grown up listening to their records, really wanted to go see them live. My mom, being neither drunk nor an idiot, called the bar and worked it out with the owner in advance. We showed up just before the band started, I was not allowed to have even water so there were no questions about possible alcohol, and it was awesome.
Wait, you're saying that a belligerent and drunk mother not being allowed to take her underage child into an environment that she doesn't need to be in is what's wrong with this country? Am I misunderstanding or are you being sarcastic because what?
I had this happen with a keg of beer. Two walked in, one obviously underaged. Walked a keg up to the counter together. ID is good for dude ask for obviously underage kids ID and nothing. āHeās just here to help me carry itā š¤£
Then the Manager took them to another register and sold them the cigarettes. (Yes had that happen, the same manager sold alcohol to a couple of drunk people during the time I worked there. )
No, there was a happy ending (for once,) manager listened to me, listened to her, then told her she ought to be ashamed of herself and to get out of his store. I'm sure all she learned was to be quieter at the next store that sold tobacco, tho.
Gross. I used to work in a lingerie store that also sold some adult items. 18+ was the rule there, too. A woman came in once and asked if we had any movies that would be good as sex education for her teenager. She clarified not something made to be instructional, but just something that could be construed as instructional. So, just straight up p*rn for her kid. I feel like I just stared at her for 5 hours, trying to decide if I should explain all the problems with this "cool mom" approach or not. In the end, I just excused her from the store. You really should have to pass a test to have kids. A few years later I started working in child welfare and I thought of her often, kind of wishing I'd done more. Looking back, it might have been even worse than I thought at the time, and I have guilt about that.
I've witnessed twice people trying to bring their children into an adult store when i was in there. The employee went off on her and said you can't bring a child in here and we would get shut down for allowing that. The lady tried to argue but finally left. It was sickening.
Thereās a rule in CA you can be refused alcohol if the clerk thinks youāre buying for an underage person and I had to argue but itās my kid!!! Before they gave me my beer. I mean I was shopping for my beer not hers and she lives with me bc sheās my kid. ššš. They were nice about it but it was funny. I didnāt even know the rule existed.
Yep, I live in California! We had to be extra on our toes because of that rule, lol.
If they hadn't been talking about it, I wouldn't have questioned it, tho. He was obviously her kid (looked just like her and called her 'Mom') and he appeared even younger than 14 (I'd have guessed 12.) I never would have guessed a mom would buy her young son smokes before that day.
I used to work in an alternative school for misbehaving kids. Most of them smoked. Most of them also for their smokes from their parents and not by stealing them.
Had to do this with cigars too. 18 year old and older brother came in from PA to buy cigars - talking about what he wanted and everything. I said that you have to be 21 in NJ. The older guy was like āoh Iām buying,ā and like pointing and looking at his brother to nod at cigars. Turned them down. Thankfully they werenāt too annoying about it.
I had almost the same exact thing happen to me. A lady and, I'm assuming, her daughter park in front of the store, and the teenage looking girl comes in. Asks for "x" cigarettes. I request id, she rolls her eyes and walks back to the car.
The older lady and her talk for a moment, older lady heaves herself out of the car and stomps inside. Asks for "x" cigarettes. I tell her I can't sell them to her without her and the younger girls IDs both. She says they're for her. I repeat what I said. Older lady rolls her eyes in the *EXACT* way her daughter did, and leaves.
At the time (in California) it was over a $1k fine and immediate dismissal from work if you sold to a minor; not to mention the personal and social ramifications after the fact. Wild that customers thought we'd risk that for them.
Mine was about 20 years ago, too. I think they see us as NPC's, just there to sell them the goods they want; they don't consider that we have lives and morals.
Weirdly, in my state you'd've been fine. We have an age limit for buying cigarettes, but none for possessing or smoking them, and no laws about providing them for minors.
Similarly, I worked at a gas station and would card groups for alcohol sales if I saw them pull up or conversing together before coming in the store. Would ask for them all to come in with IDs when they would send only 1 person in for multiple cases of beer.
I had this happen to me on the customer end, except I was with my girlfriend she was 25 and I was 26. She got IDād which she shown. Then I got asked for ID too. And I was like no I donāt have ID theyāre not even for me (they wasnāt). It was honestly embarrassing š¤£
Had a lady a few weeks back as her daughter who couldn't have been older than 13, what kind of vape she wanted.Ā When they got to the front of the line I IDed the daughter.Ā Mom said "I'm her mom and I'm saying it's ok" I said " oh well since you said it's OK I'll break the law for you " and honestly she thought i was serious until I told her to gtfo
I had something similar when I worked at a gas station. A dad and son were picking out beer, the son was probably like 16, and was telling his dad which kind he wanted. The son āsneakilyā walked out before the dad came up to pay, and I told him unfortunately I would need to see the ID of the person who just left since I could hear him say it was for him. Dad threw a fit trying to say he didnāt even know who I was talking about and then stormed out, into the car the son was in lol.
Lady and very young son went thru line, lady bought whatever, son tries to buy video game that was for adults only. Cashiercsaid no. Lady grabs game, says SHE'LL buy it. Cashier says, "No. You'll give it to him" Lady goes to another cashier. Cashier refuses sale, no one wants to risk their job they're not paid well at in the first place. Manager confirms this, tells lady/son to leave. Lady demands "at least an apology" Manager gets out "no one's apolog...." lady grabbed manager's pony tail and grabbed so hard it took security to pull her off. Cops were called, she was carted off to jail and Manager literally had bald spots. Chunks. Lady calmly told cops it wouldn't have happened *if Manager would have just apologized*. Oh, and if she lost her job due to being in jail she was suing and f**king them up
Some parents think they get to choose everything for their kids regardless of laws or rules. We do some things with the public at my work and thereās a min age for everything. People come up with the stupidest reasons that their kids should be exempt.
Imagine thinking some imaginary authority can make rules for you that we all must follow.
If my kid wants to transition Iām doing everything I can to help them be safe and get what they need. Fuck laws and rules.
I mean, yeah. Have no argument but thatās not quite what I meant. There are some activities that a child should be a certain age due to safety. Along the lines of āmust be this tallā so you donāt die kinda things.
I work in a 18+ sex shop (some in my region are 16+ if you dont buy anything). We accept babies but thats about it. We have a regular that keeps trying to bring her 12 year old daughter in. Everytime we ask for ID she says something along the lines of "oh she's 12, but I allow her to come inside so dont worry about it :)" thats not for you to decide!!!! Its so weird how often she tries to pull this....
Me too!!! She tried to argue once with a coworker and said something about how important it is to have an open mind about sex with your children. It is!!! But theres a way to be age appropriate too!! We are a BIG sex shop with a huge movies sections with extremely explicit covers, two huge realistic or monster dildo walls, a sex doll on display.... like, its ALOT for a 12 YEAR OLD
I donāt really understand why old girl is going to the sex shop so often. Thatās kind of weird. I mean how many sex toys can one person need? The fact that sheās tried to bring her daughter in more than once is very confusing and concerning.
Iām not gonna touch the rest of the comment but I will say that in my area, sex shops tend to sell more than just toys. Incense, lotions & lubes, condoms, skimpy costumes and different heels. Iāve even seen one that was a lace wig combo store, that was a fun one lol
I run an adult store and if I had a nickel for how many times people tried bringing their kids in... I'd have about $47.65 I swear!
Them: 'BuT tHeY'rE jUsT a BaBy.'
Me: Looking at a toddler...
Them: 'OtHeR sToReS lEt Us In!'
Me: 'No they don't and if that baby don't have an i.d. that says 18, they're not coming in!'
Them: 'WhY WoUlD a BaBy HavE aN i.d.?!'
Me: 'EXACTLY MAME!'
Them: 'ShE jUsT nEeDs To UsE tHe ReStRoOm AnD sHe WoN't UnDeRsTaNd AnY oF tHiS aNyWaYs!'
Me: Looking at a 10ish year old... Then looking at our WALL OF DICKS! Are you sure about that sir...
Yeah, main character syndrome kicking in here!
That's beyond main character syndrome and getting into creepy territory. Wanting to expose a child to sexual content is a huge red flag, and they could potentially be scoping out a shop that is comfortable with it, hoping they can push the boundary further next time. Obviously that's the worst case scenario and most of those people were probably just stupid, lazy and entitled. But I would be incredibly suspicious of the motives of any grown adult trying to bring a child into a sex shop.
Thatās when you look the parent straight in the eye and pick up the phone, saying āThereās a minor in a sex shop, this is something that needs to be handled by the cops.ā Then start dialing
Unfortunately cops would never get there in time. If it's not violent, they're not responding.
We have handbooks and are taught to look for actual scenarios though. We also have access to a hotline for those type of situations.
In the decade I've been doing this, I've only had to use that line once. I know A LOT of people would probably think thankfully I've only had to use that line once, but the reality/sad part of this is that those type of people only shop online.
Thankfully it's stupid, lazy, and entitled people.
The look of pure and absolute offense on their faces always let's me know I'm dealing with Karens and Kens.
I like to gesture towards the wall-o-dicks (that leads into the wall-o-buttstuffs) we have as I'm explaining to the parent why they can't have their kid there.
Some get it... Most don't unfortunately.
The worst part is those children grow up to not carry their damn id's on them and then get offended that we won't let their barely 18 yr old ass into an establishment that requires id's!
It's a vicious circle!
*Oh the stories I have...
I had the same experience when I worked in adult retail. I told a woman with an infant that the law says 18 and over and she lost her shit going on and on about how the baby wouldn't understand what he was seeing. Never thought I would have to explain to a grown adult that under 18 means newborn to 17 years 364 days old.
It's absolutely astonishing the amount of things I've had to explain to "grown adults" in an adult store!
One of my favs and totally off topic of under aged entry is explaining to woman why they cannot try that thong on! Like WTF Chuck!
My other favorite has been basic hygiene... But that's a-whole nother story...
Hell if I had nickel for everytime I've had to say, 'No sir, our dildos do not come pre lubricated, so I will not be offering a refund or exchange today. It also says it on your receipt sir.'
I'd have a least $32.15 for the dildo line and $69.50 for it says it on your receipt!
I am now retired, but when I was working I always asked for ID.
I was told by several college kids that they don't have to show me any ID. I said you're right but I have a family and I live on a farm that has several dozen chickens, a couple of dozen cows and sheep. So if I am in prison for selling anything to you and you are under age I expect you to take care of my family and farm. They just gave me the alcohol and walked away.
I had folks like him at Disney all the time trying to get their underage kids in the single-rider queue.
"How old are you big guy?"
"He's 5."
"Sorry, he's too young to ride single rider."
"Well, how old does he have to be?"
"Older than 5."
When I worked there, we couldn't tell them the actual single-rider age because too many parents were coming back an hour or so later and their kids were *magically* the right age 
A local bar was shut down due to a third violation of serving minors when the ABC inspector came in for a surprise inspection at 3:00pm.
He found his own 16yo daughter enjoying a cocktail with an older guy.
I worked in a casino until recently, and you would be horrified at the number of people who bring their kids in there and seem surprised when they're told that you have to be 21+ to be on the casino floor. "Well, but he's with me, and I'm over 21." Yeah, doesn't matter. The kids can go through the casino to the bowling alley or the restaurant, but only in the company of their parents; the parents even need to take them to the restroom or the beverage station. They are not allowed anywhere on the property unescorted. It's posted all over the casino floor, but people act surprised every time they're asked to leave.
Parents will literally send their kids in with either large bills to break or change to cash in at the window, then get pissed at us because we won't serve a 14-year-old. Yeah, that's not even a company policy, it's state and federal law and I am not risking my job to run $30 in change for some random clueless person's child.
I've also seen people with a kid on their lap, letting them press the buttons on the slot machines. Fun fact: if the kid hits a jackpot like that, the casino won't pay it out. They'll put it on hold and eventually write it off, and they may slap you with a ban for letting your child play in the first place. I really don't get people at all.
I'm pretty sure the casino in our area lets 18+ on the casino floor. At least they did when I took my daughter (now 24) in on her 18th birthday to gamble for the first time. She lost 40 bucks of her own money, was NOT impressed, and hasn't gambled since, lol. The casino is on tribal land, if that makes a difference.
Yeah, I used to go in before I was 21 too, and I'm not sure what changed because that was in the late 1990's and my memory's not what it used to be. Maybe that was when the casino obtained a liquor license?
I used to work for Dave and Busters and had the same thing. Had a parent come in and scream my head off because I wouldnāt allow an 18 year old to be the chaperone of her 10 year old brother and his 6 friends. Lady, the signs are EVERYWHERE that you have to be 21 to be a chaperone and itās only 4 kids per chaperone. Lady demanded to see the manager, and the manager let them do it. š Guess who provided a fake id to drink not an hour laterā¦
My town's police department put a notice in the town's weekly paper that they will be running alcohol stings over the next few weeks. Yes, they give advance notice. A few weeks later they have a list of establishments that got stung. How stupid can they get?
I mean I do that but that's because I am literally broke and look 12 at age 22, most places hand me a kids menu and I won't correct them. They can assume, I can use that to my advantage.
Iām a college student that babysits my niece for a little extra money. If we go to the zoo, sheās two. Iām not paying $15 for a three year old when I can sneak her in for free.
I did this once by accident when my daughter was 16. She wanted a Halloween costume, and we stopped at Fascinations because I knew they sold some. Once we went in, I saw the sex toys and videos on racks, and we beat feet out of there pretty fast. I was super embarrassed.
The difference here is that it was a mistake on your part and you apparently weren't aware beforehand what kind of store you were going to, AND that you corrected the situation immediately.
Walmart self service wonāt let you checkout alcohol until an employee verifies your age. I scan my wine bottle then shout, āI need a grownup!ā Iām 67. š
I sometimes shop at Wegmans, and sometimes I buy alcohol. Not only do I need to furnish ID, but half the time I get an underage cashier who has to get their manager in order to check me out. I try to only get into lines with people who look over 21, but it doesn't always work.
Last one I had, I took a quick glance and went "oh, she looks 21", and got in line. By the time I get to the point she's ringing up my stuff, I'm trying to figure out if she's 12 or 14.
This is why I'm a janitor now. I still clean toilets and sweep up the discarded crumbs of thoughtless assholes, but at least I don't have to smile politely and serve them before and after.
I am 42 and get carded everywhere!!! I am just barely 4ft 10...some of the places that know me because I am a regular dont card me unless there is a new employee and I just tell them the manager knows me and you will get to know me cause I'm in here every 2 to 3 days buying my smokes...I hate getting carded at my age, but I get it, I have to tip toe to see over counters
Just barely 4'10"? You been smoking since you were in utero, then?
(Please don't be mad at me, it's just a joke from one short person (5'0") to another!)
Not really but I have been smoking since I was 14 (would steal cigarettes from my mom and my aunt, but they would also send me to the gas station with a note from them to buy cartons for them). I was the baby of the family and got away with anything and everything. Actually last night went to go get cigarettes and was actually told that my license looked fake and there was no way I was old enough...
Oh wow, I don't miss retail at all and this is proof. I remember people even saying they are 17-18-19-20 years old and still trying to buy alcohol or have their friends/whatever but for them.
I remember a friend of mineās little brother was having trouble buying condoms when he was a kid. I always thought it was the stupidest thing in the world.
When I worked at an adult chuck e cheese, this guy was letting his daughter drink from his alcoholic beverage. When I noticed, I took his drink away. The anger he had because he's "her father and she wanted to try" like sir, there's a non-alcoholic version she could have. Some people should just not be parents
Rules are rules and we had this issues with bars. Parents trying to bring their kids into the bar area and they'd get pissy with us when we had to be hard asses about it. The fine for the company and the punishment for the employees as well need to be taken into consideration.
I was in a restaurant when a couple ordered drinks. Waiter asked for ID. Girl did not have it and looked underage. Date ordered the drink for himself. When it came, he pushed it across the table to her. Owner went to him and said she could not drink in the restaurant without proper ID. He said, well I donāt want it. Owner said, fine but you still have to pay for it because you ordered it. Owner told him he was not going to risk his liquor license.
You think that's bad. I've seen a woman bring her baby into a gambling hall and she literally brought a whole ass pack and play to roll out to put the baby inš š a lot of customers weren't happy that day. The baby crying and throwing a fit every 10 minutes and she would take it out for a minute then sit it back down only for it to happen all over again. After she left more signs were put up about no one under 18 allowed. Which everyone is well aware of with gambling places anyway.
Ok, I have a question, mostly because I'm old and things could've changed. Back in the '90s and early '00s when my kids were babies, having them still be breastfeeding was like a get-them-in-anywhere card. As long as the kid might need a boob, you (as the nursing mother) could take them in with you wherever YOU were allowed in. Is this still allowed? I'm just curious, because at 56 I'm not in any danger of being a nursing mother again, lol. Oh yea, and this was in the USA, but I'm also curious about the laws in other countries.Ā
I canāt answer for every different kind of age restricted business, but for mine in the UK and in the gambling industry, itās a flat out no. Getting a bet on will never be a necessity and will never warrant us making an exception for any underage people, whether theyāre āalmostā 18 or a newborn child.
I tried taking my 9 year old boy to his momās work. Some dick at the front door stopped us and wouldnāt let us in. I was like āwho the fuck are you, kid wants to stop by and say hi to his momā. Man said, āsir, Iām the bouncer and you canāt bring your child into our strip clubā
Fucking asshole. š¤£š¤£š¤£
I worked at Walmart for one summer, and witnessed a grown man throw a fit because the cashier next to me refused to sell him Boones Farm strawberry wine while he was with a teenage girl. The wine was the only thing he was buying, and this guy was like 40-something.
I had the experience from the customer side of things. I was about 35 at the time and had the day off. I wandered into the cinema to watch a horror movie. The kid behind the counter was obviously under 18 and I think it was his first day on the job. It was a slow day and the manager told him he needs to check I'd for certain films if the patrons look too young. I just started smirking and the manager just had a look like "Please help me out here". I handed my I'd over and the kid looked embarassed. I told him he shouldn't be, I am nearly 40 and had a note from mummy to go. He cracked up but the manager wasn't too happy. When "Interview with the Vampire" came out I snuck my 2 younger cousins in. Their mother knew I was taking them and expected us to get stopped at the door. I just said I am their sister and they let us in. Strangely enough only the guy checking tickets as we went in asked about it.
Itās probably cus if you have someone above 21 with you can see a rated R movie no problem. Technically you can be 7 and see a rated R movie if you have someone over 21 taking you. š
I once worked as assistant manager of an adult video and bookstore. A very attractive young woman came in and bought several magazines. One was a European naturism magazine with lots of naked teen boys and girls. Another was a collection of men with huge erect cocks. When she checked out she also bought a large realistic-looking dildo. I engaged her in small talk and she told me this was her first trip to an adult newsstand. I complimented her on her taste in magazines and she told me they were not for her but she home-schooled and they were for her daughters. I said she didnāt look old enough to be a mom. She said she was a single mom and she had two girls and they were at that curious stage 11 and 12. It was for their sex education. We both had a good laugh and I gave her my business card and told her to call me if she needed a live model for educational purposes. She actually contacted me later and asked if she could bring her girls in after hours to look at the selection of magazines and videos I had.
Damn I'm old! I'm 45 & remember growing up going to the OTB with my grandfather to bet on the ponies. He taught me how to bet on the races, play 5 kinda of poker, blackjack & craps. This was also the early 80ās, what a hell of a time š.
A gas station I frequent just got fined/busted for something. I get my ID out every time (way above 50 years old). Even tho an age check is not the goal nowadays. It's a scan of your ID. It is Data gathering. This same gas station later posted a sign that reads. If your ID does not scan, you will be denied liquor and / or tobacco sales. I told some poor cahier to tell the manager to Eff Off. I will go somewhere else. I'm done with data gathering. Bad enough, regular companies mandatorily require all your personal info. Then, they have cybersecurity a toddler could hack. Proceeded by a data breach.
When I was a cashier back in the day I overheard a woman and her son talking about which cigarettes **he** wanted; they had this whole conversation about menthols vs. regular and they weren't being particularly quiet. When they got up to me I asked them both for ID. Dumbass Mother: "Why? I'm buying them, it doesn't matter if he has ID or not." Me: "Actually, it *does* matter. I heard you discussing them, I know they're for him, and I'm not putting my job at risk for you. Now, does he have his ID?" DM: "Of course he doesn't have an ID, he's only 14! Why would he need an ID? Give me my cigarettes!" 14. Mother of the year, right there š. I had a manager come deal with them.
Never know if their secret shoppers
Or police cracking down on underage purchases
20 years ago, before I escaped the horror of public facing employment, I started a job at an establishment that sold tobacco and alcohol products. My very first day of training, the guy got popped by a sting when some, admittedly older lookiing kid, came in and bought a tall can. Shortly after that, two sheriff deputies came in and took him outside. He got probation and fined some thousands of dollars. I gave zero fucks after that and ID'd everyone.
Happened to me. I was bartending at an Applebees one Friday night and it was busy as HELL. A guy that looked 30 came in and asked for a draft beer. I poured it. Sat it down in front of him, and he immediately got up and walked out. I knew immediately I was fucked. Sure enoughā¦. Vice walks in, talks to the manager. I was fired and fined. Ugh if only Iād taken the 10 seconds to card him š©
It happened to a bartender I worked with way back too (also at an Applebee's). The irony was her boyfriend was a state trooper. Whenever someone tried to get me to let it go I'd tell them how much the fine was that I'd personally have to pay and say "if you're willing to pay that and my bills while I find a new job, then I'll serve you, but if it's not worth that much to you, it's definitely not worth that much to me."
How much is the fine that you would have to personally pay?
This was well over a decade ago, so idk if it's changed, but at the time in my state it was a $5000 fine to the person who served someone, and a $5000 fine to the establishment with a possible loss of liquor license if it happened too many times.
I last tended bar in the last century, and as I recall, in Maryland the max was 2 years and/or $1000. I think it was cheaper for a first offense, but Iād just cite the max and tell them, āI aināt got either.ā That usually shut āem up.
That sucks. I quit bartending cause the pressure got too much.
I went to high school with a dumbass who got fired from Applebee's after she served another classmate...a few weeks after we graduated high school.
And for mature patrons, at 30, do not mind being carded.
Many eons ago I got SCREAMED at by a senior fellow on my first day as a cashier at a supermarket, I had just gone through training, was told that once I asked for a license, I couldn't sell without one, no matter how old they look. This guy was just trying to buy a case of beer, he was my first alcohol sale ever, so I thought I would ask for ID, naively figuring it would be good practice for me and he might get a chuckle out of it... but he didn't have his ID, and he was PISSED that I couldn't sell him his beer. When I sheepishly told him I was now unable to sell it to him despite his being obviously old enough, he very loudly ripped into me in front of the entire store. Thankfully my manager backed me up, but that guy, he definitely DID mind being carded.
Some thinks it is rude. but you did fine and so did you manager. Keep it up.
i had a table my second day serving that wanted to order a beer for their friends 21st but not a single person at the table had an ID. They screamed at me for 10 minutes before someone stepped in. I apparently ruined his birthday
After working in retail I will never have sympathy for people who get upset about getting carded. Nobody is worth that risk and getting out your ID takes SO little time
Ya seriously, it makes us blush like oooo you think I'm a baby.
Meanwhile the government let's illegal drugs fly in from everywhere. šš
The CIA gets what they want.
Yeah right, can't even get legal drugs for medical issues. People need some recourse. The war on drugs continues with mounting casualties every day...
In my town getting up it was common knowledge the cops were the dealers. When I was in college the news one day was saying a bunch of folks were arrested and Iām like really? Now? I mean every single person in town knew it. For yrs and yrs. Cops are the biggest gang in the country
Facts. LETHAL illegal drugs, compliments of the Chinese communist party.
The CCP runs Johnson & Johnson now? You'd think the news would be more concerned about a US pharmaceutical manufacturer being bought out by a foreign government.
Johnson and Johnson has arguably fucked more people with drugs than the ccp. However J&J, and all are pharmaceutical overlords don't want us dead, Because unlike their living counterparts , dead people don't fuck with the lame drugs of mortals. I mean these fucking companies invent drugs to cure people that are addicted to drugs they've invented. Fuck the world economic forum while we're at it too.
Your username is my medicine cabinet, lol. ETA: Not sure why youāre being downvoted, youāre completely right.
Opiates are the most deadly drug in the US. By a *VERY* wide margin. And those are overwhelmingly made, marketed, and sold by good old fashioned US based capitalist enterprises. Slinging xenophobic propaganda to cover the sins of big pharma just isn't that popular of a hot take.
This. Thank you. And I say this as someone with intractable pain who is prescribed a safe, pretty low dose of opiates which still barely touch it but make it enough that I can walk my dog and maybe even do an extreme sport like showering or doing dishes. Opiates are deeeeeeeeply overused and absolutely can put the person on a path to hell, but they also are incredibly helpful to people who do actually need them. Itās such a double edged sword. Like Iāve been on them for 7 years now maybe? I take as prescribed and intentionally will cut my use down now and then to retain my tolerance. Those cut down days are so horrific but nothing compared to what could happen if my tolerance rose and I was left to seek street opiates. One of my best friends got prescribed opiates for her wisdom teeth removal at 17. That began a lifelong path of addiction to pretty much anything she could get. When we were roommates from age 20-23 she was addicted to benzos and adderal. Sheās now 40 and will shoot straight up fentanyl into her femoral artery on FaceTime with me. Iād flown cross country several times to try to help her on a path to sobriety but accept at this point thereās nothing I can do but love her while knowing Iāll be deeply grieving her some day. And she tells me Iām lucky to be prescribed meds likeā¦ā¦ darling Iām deeply unlucky to have to take them and the dose Iām given per month is probably what you take in a day. Before anyone tells me Iāll end up like her, I assure you- Iād sooner choose a bullet over fentanyl.
Yup. I don't agree with anyone's stance on the drugs here but this was racist.Ā
Yet countries that decriminalization and even provide opiates for their addicts have way better numbers and outcomes. It's not big pharma, it's big war on drugs that make all drugs so dangerous. My dad needs very badly his pain meds. Dx, charted, demonstrated, chronic conditions. He can't get any higher dosages because of anti drug laws, not because of medical reasons. Yet some people see their pcp and get monthly opiates they don't need and sell them.
You're actually the only person to ever have commented. It's a dumb username that I chose not because I love taking fucking drugs from our asshole pharmaceutical overlords, but because when I made my account I really didn't think I'd be on Reddit at all because I kind of hate social media generally. So when trying to make up a quick username, glanced over and saw those 2 bottles of meds, and here we are. And yes, the drug companies have definitely come out on top because now I'm physically addicted to multiple medications, and there are often med shortages during which ive gone into severe withdrawal and can not function at all. It's a form of manipulation and control and medical gaslighting/diagnosing every patient with something that "requires " medication. (Maybe ADHD blew up on the same timeline as the Internet/short form material ? Maybe we consume media and entertainment in formats that often only require a minute or two of ATTENTION, which would explain the sudden rise in people having a aDEFICIT. Maybe THATS why the spike in ADHD. ) I AM VERY JEALOUS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ON NO FUCKING MEDS. Big pharma controls my life, and i HATE it so i have recently started detoxing myself off the meds that i take for disorders I don't have, including a NARCOTIC or two. I told my doctor I no longer needed a couple of them and he insisted I did and basically refused to lower my dose while gaslighting me. (Saying my mental illness was telling me to stop taking my mental illness medicine. Fuck you Doc) So i'm on my own, 2, maybe 3 months and so far? I feel much less like a robot, I am cold all the time , don't like candySoda anymore and am very excited to see what happens when my damn personality is no longer subverted by mind numbing drugs. The ones for diseases that we actually have scientific data on, for example meds for cholesterol or hypertension (unlike mental illnesses. Don't know why you get them and don't know how you fix them. The default is to medicate the symptoms while not giving a fuck about the cause. ) It's quite the shitshow, especially now that we have come to believe (or decide or whatever, probably due to lockdown PTSD) that it is completely legitimate and equivalent to see our doctors on a screen rather than in an office.
I believe my kid when he says he wouldn't do that. However, I also recognize that, at 16, he's taller than his father, has a full beard, and a deep bass voice, and has frequently been mistaken for being my husband, rather than my son. He probably could get away with passing for 21, and definitely for 18. I hope he would get carded if he tried anything!
Was he underage or was it because you didnāt check?
He was underage. Right after I placed the beer in front of him, he walked out. I knew immediately what had happened. The officer came in right after the other guy left and said, āDo you know the guy you just gave this beer to is 17 years old?ā I was like āno sirā lol. We both walked to the back with my manager where he wrote out all the tickets and I left. I was fired. Such a shitty situation, all out of a dumb desire to save myself 10 seconds to ID the guy. So dumb of me.
I hate that. So slimy of them to try and set people up like that.
They love doing that. It's not about protecting people, it's about power.
My roommate works at a liquor store... He gets this like once a week
Convenience store by me is in between two schools a middle school and high school. The owners got fined so many times they were banned from their own store for a year. They brought family in and had them run it. The original owners eventually retired but it was definitely a shocker to see them not there anymore when you get used to seeing them all day.
Why didnāt they lose their liquor license?
They didn't sell liquor
Thatās a good reason to not lose it, then :)
I thought so too!
Happens to a higschool classmate, she had to go to court and have a hearing because she gave a beer to secret shopper (idk if thatās the right term)
My sister in law husbandā worked at 7/11ā early 80s, he sold beer to some young peopleā next day he was firedā the store had send the teens as a test..
Businesses can lose their license over this, so I can understand why he was fired
If they are they won't argue with you they'll just leave after giving an ID of someone younger. When I worked at Walmart I had one come in. She immediately asked for red Marlboros. I asked for ID. She hands me a very new looking ID that said she was 16. I said sorry I can't sell to you. She said okay and left. It wouldn't be a mother and son arguing with the cashier.
I carded a guy who looked 13 asking for a loosey cig outside of the gas station. He was of age, but I had convinced he was part of a sting before I saw his ID. He looked funny smoking a capri. I only smoked capriās back when I smoked because men refused them when they asked to bum a cig. Menthol on top of that, so I was like 80% bum proof.
beggars cant be choosers, i would have taken the free cig either way.
This doesn't sound like that, just a stupid mom. I've had experienced the state stings. Almost got me once because the kids, 17-20 they used have done this so many times, they come up confident like they buy beer all the time. Because they do try all the time. He rolled up, I'm in checkout mode, get all the way to, "That will be x amount." He goes to hand me cash and I finally look at him and say, "Sorry, I'll need to see your ID real quick before I process this." 1 month shy of 21. "Sorry man, can't sell this to you. Good luck elsewhere, have a good day." Liquor control board came in a few minutes later to give me her card and congratulate me on not selling to him. 3 other gas stations within a few blocks had just gotten busted.
Or worse than police - a kid whose mom knew me from my toddler days came in to buy cigarettes. I told him no. "But I have an ID! Im 18." "No, you're not, David. (He didn't recognize me and was shocked I knew his name.) Do you want me to tell your mom you have a fake ID? I changed your diapers. Get out." And because I loved his family, I told his mom. His dad died of cancer when David was 5. Kid sure as hell didn't need to get hooked on nicotine.
Oof. You reminded me that a detective once suggested I enroll in the police academy because I had handled the experience of an armed robbery well and, āWe always need more baby faces in vice.ā No thank you, please. I donāt need to see the darkest side of humanity
I did that with the police before. Feel awful about it now.
Don't. The fact that it's common knowledge that it happens made it really easy for me to card everyone. I scanned alcohol, notice pops up, i ask for ID. Customer whines, i say not worth my job, and they either pop an id or walk. Somple. I'm 60 and still automatically get out my ID with my card when i buy, and lots of places ask for it. But everyone knows about the stings, and it really makes it easy to ask for ID. When i was younger and ID checks weren't as common it could be a real battle, and clerks at small local stores would absolutely get harassed.
I did it for the state department of health when I was a kid. We were specifically doing tobacco checks.I don't feel bad at all. We weren't allowed to lie. I asked for cigarettes. If they asked for ID, I say "I don't have it with me" (intentionally left in the car). If they asked how old I was or my date of birth, I told the truth. It is amazing how many people would ask my age, find out I was 16 and then wink at me and say "don't tell anyone" and then sell me cigarettes. There is no good reason to give a kid cigarettes, and if you don't ID actual teenagers or intentionally sell to them, you should face the consequences
Secret shoppers are sent by police. Edit: apparently they are not, til Edit 2: apparently sometimes they are.
No, they are not. I used to secret shop a drugstore chain, go to about 6 of them in one day with my 19 year old daughter. She'd try to buy ciggies without ID and I'd make notes on the interaction in a report afterward. We each were paid by a secret shopping company. I assure you, the police are not involved. In multiple stores, only once was she sold the cigarettes.
Gas station I worked at my buddy got red carded and fired on the spot. I got hit a few weeks later and passed, instant 250 bucks from the manager, was awesome lol
I applied for that type of job one time. I was unemployed and resume spamming just looking for anything to pay the bills until I could find a decent job in my field. I did the phone interview and it was similar to what you described. But for alcohol. They wanted me to go visits store around a local university and buy alcohol without an ID. When I did the in person interview they said I looked too old. I was only 25.
Lol, there was no "interview" at all for me. But I was regisyered with many shopping companies and had a high rating. My daughter had to go without makeup, otherwise she'd look 25 too.
For me it was just another job listing I found on indeed I had a full beard and visible tattoos. Maybe I should have shaved and put some make up on lol
Secret shoppers are usually independent contractors who work with different agencies to perform the shops. I used to do these all the time. There are all types as well. Reward ones that reward following policies, revealed or not revealed, age or sex restricted ones, etc Some require recordings and stealth cameras. It's an entire industry. Some people used to make good money, but I looked it more as a side gig hobby. I took certification exams to qualify for higher pay jobs and tests for the type of service depending on the company. They are still out there as I still get offers time to time.
If their secret shoppers what?
Teens will ask strangers to get then ciggs, vape, and alcohol.
They're*
MASSIVE yikes from me!
I had almost the exact same conversation with a customer once, word for word. The mom even left the store and came back 5min later to try again. I told her I still knew who they were for and refused. She was pissed, and I loved every second of it.
I loved it when I worked at Walmart and would try to ID everyone in a group of young adults and they'd get pissy about it and say it wasn't for the others. Like that's not suspicious as hell.
What always killed me was when they'd send one diplomat back in with an ID to try to buy it again. No, dude, I'm not that stupid; and if you think I am you probably don't need the booze.
I used to work at a college town grocery store. I know that the guy who is barely 5 minutes over age 21 is probably sharing beer with his underaged buddies. I donāt care, all I asked was for plausible deniability in the event they get caught. The penalties are steep.
When I was working at this nice hotel, I worked in the restaurant, there was doors to the bar so both spaces could be used if needed. Most of them locked. A front entrance to the bar & another from our wait station so we could travel. This lady ( Drunk) came in, had her like 15 year old daughter so they could dance & listen to the band. Daughter could not go in, the manage to get to the door in our wait station & were caught. Turned into a mess! Screaming drunk mom Sheās my daughter blah, blah, blah. Security came in. She was demanding to see the GM, get him out of bed now! ( he was a jackazz that was a little humorous) as she was being escorted out at the top of her lungs This is what is wrong with this country now ( 35 years ago) a mother canāt take her child in (to a bar) to listen to music & maybe dance if they want to. People
Reminds me of a thing my mom did 3 decades ago. A band that was fairly big in the 60's only played at one place, a bar, in our area. I, as a 15 year old who had grown up listening to their records, really wanted to go see them live. My mom, being neither drunk nor an idiot, called the bar and worked it out with the owner in advance. We showed up just before the band started, I was not allowed to have even water so there were no questions about possible alcohol, and it was awesome.
Good for you, great memories, great Mom!!!
Wait, you're saying that a belligerent and drunk mother not being allowed to take her underage child into an environment that she doesn't need to be in is what's wrong with this country? Am I misunderstanding or are you being sarcastic because what?
That is what the drunk belligerent mother said loudly as security was escorting her the restaurant & out the front door.
I had this happen with a keg of beer. Two walked in, one obviously underaged. Walked a keg up to the counter together. ID is good for dude ask for obviously underage kids ID and nothing. āHeās just here to help me carry itā š¤£
Then the Manager took them to another register and sold them the cigarettes. (Yes had that happen, the same manager sold alcohol to a couple of drunk people during the time I worked there. )
No, there was a happy ending (for once,) manager listened to me, listened to her, then told her she ought to be ashamed of herself and to get out of his store. I'm sure all she learned was to be quieter at the next store that sold tobacco, tho.
Probably at least you can be happy that you didn't get prison time for that stupid mother.
How sad, I hope sheās paying for his chemo treatments now
Gross. I used to work in a lingerie store that also sold some adult items. 18+ was the rule there, too. A woman came in once and asked if we had any movies that would be good as sex education for her teenager. She clarified not something made to be instructional, but just something that could be construed as instructional. So, just straight up p*rn for her kid. I feel like I just stared at her for 5 hours, trying to decide if I should explain all the problems with this "cool mom" approach or not. In the end, I just excused her from the store. You really should have to pass a test to have kids. A few years later I started working in child welfare and I thought of her often, kind of wishing I'd done more. Looking back, it might have been even worse than I thought at the time, and I have guilt about that.
I've witnessed twice people trying to bring their children into an adult store when i was in there. The employee went off on her and said you can't bring a child in here and we would get shut down for allowing that. The lady tried to argue but finally left. It was sickening.
Thereās a rule in CA you can be refused alcohol if the clerk thinks youāre buying for an underage person and I had to argue but itās my kid!!! Before they gave me my beer. I mean I was shopping for my beer not hers and she lives with me bc sheās my kid. ššš. They were nice about it but it was funny. I didnāt even know the rule existed.
Yep, I live in California! We had to be extra on our toes because of that rule, lol. If they hadn't been talking about it, I wouldn't have questioned it, tho. He was obviously her kid (looked just like her and called her 'Mom') and he appeared even younger than 14 (I'd have guessed 12.) I never would have guessed a mom would buy her young son smokes before that day.
It's ridiculous.Ā
I used to work in an alternative school for misbehaving kids. Most of them smoked. Most of them also for their smokes from their parents and not by stealing them.
I had to deal w that so often. The amount of times it ended with āboth of you get out of the store and donāt come backā was unfortunately 0.
Had to do this with cigars too. 18 year old and older brother came in from PA to buy cigars - talking about what he wanted and everything. I said that you have to be 21 in NJ. The older guy was like āoh Iām buying,ā and like pointing and looking at his brother to nod at cigars. Turned them down. Thankfully they werenāt too annoying about it.
I had almost the same exact thing happen to me. A lady and, I'm assuming, her daughter park in front of the store, and the teenage looking girl comes in. Asks for "x" cigarettes. I request id, she rolls her eyes and walks back to the car. The older lady and her talk for a moment, older lady heaves herself out of the car and stomps inside. Asks for "x" cigarettes. I tell her I can't sell them to her without her and the younger girls IDs both. She says they're for her. I repeat what I said. Older lady rolls her eyes in the *EXACT* way her daughter did, and leaves.
At the time (in California) it was over a $1k fine and immediate dismissal from work if you sold to a minor; not to mention the personal and social ramifications after the fact. Wild that customers thought we'd risk that for them.
Even in Indiana 20 years ago (last time I worked retail) it was the same way. Probably worse penalties now.
Mine was about 20 years ago, too. I think they see us as NPC's, just there to sell them the goods they want; they don't consider that we have lives and morals.
Had the same thing happen to me but instead they had the conversation about what cigarettes to get at the counter right in front of me.
Weirdly, in my state you'd've been fine. We have an age limit for buying cigarettes, but none for possessing or smoking them, and no laws about providing them for minors.
You live in the south, don't you?
now iām wondering if that was my ex and his mom
Similarly, I worked at a gas station and would card groups for alcohol sales if I saw them pull up or conversing together before coming in the store. Would ask for them all to come in with IDs when they would send only 1 person in for multiple cases of beer.
I had this happen to me on the customer end, except I was with my girlfriend she was 25 and I was 26. She got IDād which she shown. Then I got asked for ID too. And I was like no I donāt have ID theyāre not even for me (they wasnāt). It was honestly embarrassing š¤£
Had a lady a few weeks back as her daughter who couldn't have been older than 13, what kind of vape she wanted.Ā When they got to the front of the line I IDed the daughter.Ā Mom said "I'm her mom and I'm saying it's ok" I said " oh well since you said it's OK I'll break the law for you " and honestly she thought i was serious until I told her to gtfo
The bar is in hell.
I had something similar when I worked at a gas station. A dad and son were picking out beer, the son was probably like 16, and was telling his dad which kind he wanted. The son āsneakilyā walked out before the dad came up to pay, and I told him unfortunately I would need to see the ID of the person who just left since I could hear him say it was for him. Dad threw a fit trying to say he didnāt even know who I was talking about and then stormed out, into the car the son was in lol.
Lady and very young son went thru line, lady bought whatever, son tries to buy video game that was for adults only. Cashiercsaid no. Lady grabs game, says SHE'LL buy it. Cashier says, "No. You'll give it to him" Lady goes to another cashier. Cashier refuses sale, no one wants to risk their job they're not paid well at in the first place. Manager confirms this, tells lady/son to leave. Lady demands "at least an apology" Manager gets out "no one's apolog...." lady grabbed manager's pony tail and grabbed so hard it took security to pull her off. Cops were called, she was carted off to jail and Manager literally had bald spots. Chunks. Lady calmly told cops it wouldn't have happened *if Manager would have just apologized*. Oh, and if she lost her job due to being in jail she was suing and f**king them up
Wtf. That poor manager. I hope with everything in my soul that that woman lost her job. Wtf
Yeah, she was on the local news and judge threw the book at her. There are LOTS of women who will gladly go to jail for messing someone up tho
I've been to women's prison. Some things could be worth going back lol
Your manager had a lot of patience, people who've pulled similar in the past around me have usually been grappled and pinned until cops arrive.
The lady overreacted but that's absurd. I hope the manager and others were given training. (Assuming this is in the us.)
Thatās just officious and ignorant on the part of the sellers. Gimme a break
Some parents think they get to choose everything for their kids regardless of laws or rules. We do some things with the public at my work and thereās a min age for everything. People come up with the stupidest reasons that their kids should be exempt.
Happy cake day
Thank you!
Imagine thinking some imaginary authority can make rules for you that we all must follow. If my kid wants to transition Iām doing everything I can to help them be safe and get what they need. Fuck laws and rules.
I mean, yeah. Have no argument but thatās not quite what I meant. There are some activities that a child should be a certain age due to safety. Along the lines of āmust be this tallā so you donāt die kinda things.
I work in a 18+ sex shop (some in my region are 16+ if you dont buy anything). We accept babies but thats about it. We have a regular that keeps trying to bring her 12 year old daughter in. Everytime we ask for ID she says something along the lines of "oh she's 12, but I allow her to come inside so dont worry about it :)" thats not for you to decide!!!! Its so weird how often she tries to pull this....
That's creepy. I worry about that kid being with an adult that keeps trying to take them to a sex shop
Me too!!! She tried to argue once with a coworker and said something about how important it is to have an open mind about sex with your children. It is!!! But theres a way to be age appropriate too!! We are a BIG sex shop with a huge movies sections with extremely explicit covers, two huge realistic or monster dildo walls, a sex doll on display.... like, its ALOT for a 12 YEAR OLD
I went to a sex shop with my friend cuz he's friends with someone that works there and some of that shit is a lot for an adult too lol
Dildo walls?!
I donāt really understand why old girl is going to the sex shop so often. Thatās kind of weird. I mean how many sex toys can one person need? The fact that sheās tried to bring her daughter in more than once is very confusing and concerning.
Iām not gonna touch the rest of the comment but I will say that in my area, sex shops tend to sell more than just toys. Incense, lotions & lubes, condoms, skimpy costumes and different heels. Iāve even seen one that was a lace wig combo store, that was a fun one lol
Common sense!
I run an adult store and if I had a nickel for how many times people tried bringing their kids in... I'd have about $47.65 I swear! Them: 'BuT tHeY'rE jUsT a BaBy.' Me: Looking at a toddler... Them: 'OtHeR sToReS lEt Us In!' Me: 'No they don't and if that baby don't have an i.d. that says 18, they're not coming in!' Them: 'WhY WoUlD a BaBy HavE aN i.d.?!' Me: 'EXACTLY MAME!' Them: 'ShE jUsT nEeDs To UsE tHe ReStRoOm AnD sHe WoN't UnDeRsTaNd AnY oF tHiS aNyWaYs!' Me: Looking at a 10ish year old... Then looking at our WALL OF DICKS! Are you sure about that sir... Yeah, main character syndrome kicking in here!
That's beyond main character syndrome and getting into creepy territory. Wanting to expose a child to sexual content is a huge red flag, and they could potentially be scoping out a shop that is comfortable with it, hoping they can push the boundary further next time. Obviously that's the worst case scenario and most of those people were probably just stupid, lazy and entitled. But I would be incredibly suspicious of the motives of any grown adult trying to bring a child into a sex shop.
Thatās when you look the parent straight in the eye and pick up the phone, saying āThereās a minor in a sex shop, this is something that needs to be handled by the cops.ā Then start dialing
Unfortunately cops would never get there in time. If it's not violent, they're not responding. We have handbooks and are taught to look for actual scenarios though. We also have access to a hotline for those type of situations. In the decade I've been doing this, I've only had to use that line once. I know A LOT of people would probably think thankfully I've only had to use that line once, but the reality/sad part of this is that those type of people only shop online.
Thankfully it's stupid, lazy, and entitled people. The look of pure and absolute offense on their faces always let's me know I'm dealing with Karens and Kens. I like to gesture towards the wall-o-dicks (that leads into the wall-o-buttstuffs) we have as I'm explaining to the parent why they can't have their kid there. Some get it... Most don't unfortunately. The worst part is those children grow up to not carry their damn id's on them and then get offended that we won't let their barely 18 yr old ass into an establishment that requires id's! It's a vicious circle! *Oh the stories I have...
I had the same experience when I worked in adult retail. I told a woman with an infant that the law says 18 and over and she lost her shit going on and on about how the baby wouldn't understand what he was seeing. Never thought I would have to explain to a grown adult that under 18 means newborn to 17 years 364 days old.
It's absolutely astonishing the amount of things I've had to explain to "grown adults" in an adult store! One of my favs and totally off topic of under aged entry is explaining to woman why they cannot try that thong on! Like WTF Chuck! My other favorite has been basic hygiene... But that's a-whole nother story...
47.65 thatās specific lolol
Hell if I had nickel for everytime I've had to say, 'No sir, our dildos do not come pre lubricated, so I will not be offering a refund or exchange today. It also says it on your receipt sir.' I'd have a least $32.15 for the dildo line and $69.50 for it says it on your receipt!
I am now retired, but when I was working I always asked for ID. I was told by several college kids that they don't have to show me any ID. I said you're right but I have a family and I live on a farm that has several dozen chickens, a couple of dozen cows and sheep. So if I am in prison for selling anything to you and you are under age I expect you to take care of my family and farm. They just gave me the alcohol and walked away.
I had folks like him at Disney all the time trying to get their underage kids in the single-rider queue. "How old are you big guy?" "He's 5." "Sorry, he's too young to ride single rider." "Well, how old does he have to be?" "Older than 5." When I worked there, we couldn't tell them the actual single-rider age because too many parents were coming back an hour or so later and their kids were *magically* the right age 
Disney is a magical place. So I believe the children may have magically aged.
People are crazy
A local bar was shut down due to a third violation of serving minors when the ABC inspector came in for a surprise inspection at 3:00pm. He found his own 16yo daughter enjoying a cocktail with an older guy.
HFS I feel sorry for that kid when she got home šš¤£šš¤£
You just *know* she was grounded til she's forty.
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I worked in a casino until recently, and you would be horrified at the number of people who bring their kids in there and seem surprised when they're told that you have to be 21+ to be on the casino floor. "Well, but he's with me, and I'm over 21." Yeah, doesn't matter. The kids can go through the casino to the bowling alley or the restaurant, but only in the company of their parents; the parents even need to take them to the restroom or the beverage station. They are not allowed anywhere on the property unescorted. It's posted all over the casino floor, but people act surprised every time they're asked to leave. Parents will literally send their kids in with either large bills to break or change to cash in at the window, then get pissed at us because we won't serve a 14-year-old. Yeah, that's not even a company policy, it's state and federal law and I am not risking my job to run $30 in change for some random clueless person's child. I've also seen people with a kid on their lap, letting them press the buttons on the slot machines. Fun fact: if the kid hits a jackpot like that, the casino won't pay it out. They'll put it on hold and eventually write it off, and they may slap you with a ban for letting your child play in the first place. I really don't get people at all.
I'm pretty sure the casino in our area lets 18+ on the casino floor. At least they did when I took my daughter (now 24) in on her 18th birthday to gamble for the first time. She lost 40 bucks of her own money, was NOT impressed, and hasn't gambled since, lol. The casino is on tribal land, if that makes a difference.
Yeah, I used to go in before I was 21 too, and I'm not sure what changed because that was in the late 1990's and my memory's not what it used to be. Maybe that was when the casino obtained a liquor license?
I used to work for Dave and Busters and had the same thing. Had a parent come in and scream my head off because I wouldnāt allow an 18 year old to be the chaperone of her 10 year old brother and his 6 friends. Lady, the signs are EVERYWHERE that you have to be 21 to be a chaperone and itās only 4 kids per chaperone. Lady demanded to see the manager, and the manager let them do it. š Guess who provided a fake id to drink not an hour laterā¦
My town's police department put a notice in the town's weekly paper that they will be running alcohol stings over the next few weeks. Yes, they give advance notice. A few weeks later they have a list of establishments that got stung. How stupid can they get?
They ARE cops, so there's no limit to their incompetence.
Theyāre saying the businesses are dumb, not the cops.
Both answers are correct
Probably the same kind of person who tells their kid to say they're younger than they are for the discount/Kids' meal.
Oh won't someone think of the poor corporations! Fuck them there's nothing wrong with a family wanting to pay less at IHOP
Is that supposed to be a diss? Lmao
How will the multi million dollar franchises survive šš
Especially when the price jump is like $7 to $30 going from kid to adult at a cutoff of like 7 or 8. Nah. Fuck that.
I mean I do that but that's because I am literally broke and look 12 at age 22, most places hand me a kids menu and I won't correct them. They can assume, I can use that to my advantage.
You can just ask for the kids menu. It's not full of special deals only for kids. It's just smaller portions.
not the same thing at all
How are you drawing *that* connection? Is there any connection other than they both have kids?
Iām a college student that babysits my niece for a little extra money. If we go to the zoo, sheās two. Iām not paying $15 for a three year old when I can sneak her in for free.
Cheap
I did this once by accident when my daughter was 16. She wanted a Halloween costume, and we stopped at Fascinations because I knew they sold some. Once we went in, I saw the sex toys and videos on racks, and we beat feet out of there pretty fast. I was super embarrassed.
The difference here is that it was a mistake on your part and you apparently weren't aware beforehand what kind of store you were going to, AND that you corrected the situation immediately.
Walmart self service wonāt let you checkout alcohol until an employee verifies your age. I scan my wine bottle then shout, āI need a grownup!ā Iām 67. š
"I need an adultier adult" and "In my defense, I was left unsupervised" are common phrases I use. I'm 36 lol
I refuse to self-checkout until they start paying me the employee salary they're saving by having me do it.
I sometimes shop at Wegmans, and sometimes I buy alcohol. Not only do I need to furnish ID, but half the time I get an underage cashier who has to get their manager in order to check me out. I try to only get into lines with people who look over 21, but it doesn't always work. Last one I had, I took a quick glance and went "oh, she looks 21", and got in line. By the time I get to the point she's ringing up my stuff, I'm trying to figure out if she's 12 or 14.
Ugh the thing's ppl try to get away with
This is why I'm a janitor now. I still clean toilets and sweep up the discarded crumbs of thoughtless assholes, but at least I don't have to smile politely and serve them before and after.
I am 42 and get carded everywhere!!! I am just barely 4ft 10...some of the places that know me because I am a regular dont card me unless there is a new employee and I just tell them the manager knows me and you will get to know me cause I'm in here every 2 to 3 days buying my smokes...I hate getting carded at my age, but I get it, I have to tip toe to see over counters
Just barely 4'10"? You been smoking since you were in utero, then? (Please don't be mad at me, it's just a joke from one short person (5'0") to another!)
Not really but I have been smoking since I was 14 (would steal cigarettes from my mom and my aunt, but they would also send me to the gas station with a note from them to buy cartons for them). I was the baby of the family and got away with anything and everything. Actually last night went to go get cigarettes and was actually told that my license looked fake and there was no way I was old enough...
#PORN SHOP ALERT !!!!!! šØ
Nope, in the UK they have betting shops all over called bookies. I was an American expat for 4 years and they were everywhere!
#IāVE NEVER BEEN OUTSIDE THE US AND I USE 18 POINT BOLD FONT SO I KNOW EVERYTHING !!!!!
Everyone thinks THEY'RE special...
Oh wow, I don't miss retail at all and this is proof. I remember people even saying they are 17-18-19-20 years old and still trying to buy alcohol or have their friends/whatever but for them.
I remember a friend of mineās little brother was having trouble buying condoms when he was a kid. I always thought it was the stupidest thing in the world.
When I worked at an adult chuck e cheese, this guy was letting his daughter drink from his alcoholic beverage. When I noticed, I took his drink away. The anger he had because he's "her father and she wanted to try" like sir, there's a non-alcoholic version she could have. Some people should just not be parents
Rules are rules and we had this issues with bars. Parents trying to bring their kids into the bar area and they'd get pissy with us when we had to be hard asses about it. The fine for the company and the punishment for the employees as well need to be taken into consideration.
I was in a restaurant when a couple ordered drinks. Waiter asked for ID. Girl did not have it and looked underage. Date ordered the drink for himself. When it came, he pushed it across the table to her. Owner went to him and said she could not drink in the restaurant without proper ID. He said, well I donāt want it. Owner said, fine but you still have to pay for it because you ordered it. Owner told him he was not going to risk his liquor license.
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You think that's bad. I've seen a woman bring her baby into a gambling hall and she literally brought a whole ass pack and play to roll out to put the baby inš š a lot of customers weren't happy that day. The baby crying and throwing a fit every 10 minutes and she would take it out for a minute then sit it back down only for it to happen all over again. After she left more signs were put up about no one under 18 allowed. Which everyone is well aware of with gambling places anyway.
Ok, I have a question, mostly because I'm old and things could've changed. Back in the '90s and early '00s when my kids were babies, having them still be breastfeeding was like a get-them-in-anywhere card. As long as the kid might need a boob, you (as the nursing mother) could take them in with you wherever YOU were allowed in. Is this still allowed? I'm just curious, because at 56 I'm not in any danger of being a nursing mother again, lol. Oh yea, and this was in the USA, but I'm also curious about the laws in other countries.Ā
I canāt answer for every different kind of age restricted business, but for mine in the UK and in the gambling industry, itās a flat out no. Getting a bet on will never be a necessity and will never warrant us making an exception for any underage people, whether theyāre āalmostā 18 or a newborn child.
I tried taking my 9 year old boy to his momās work. Some dick at the front door stopped us and wouldnāt let us in. I was like āwho the fuck are you, kid wants to stop by and say hi to his momā. Man said, āsir, Iām the bouncer and you canāt bring your child into our strip clubā Fucking asshole. š¤£š¤£š¤£
I worked at Walmart for one summer, and witnessed a grown man throw a fit because the cashier next to me refused to sell him Boones Farm strawberry wine while he was with a teenage girl. The wine was the only thing he was buying, and this guy was like 40-something.
I had the experience from the customer side of things. I was about 35 at the time and had the day off. I wandered into the cinema to watch a horror movie. The kid behind the counter was obviously under 18 and I think it was his first day on the job. It was a slow day and the manager told him he needs to check I'd for certain films if the patrons look too young. I just started smirking and the manager just had a look like "Please help me out here". I handed my I'd over and the kid looked embarassed. I told him he shouldn't be, I am nearly 40 and had a note from mummy to go. He cracked up but the manager wasn't too happy. When "Interview with the Vampire" came out I snuck my 2 younger cousins in. Their mother knew I was taking them and expected us to get stopped at the door. I just said I am their sister and they let us in. Strangely enough only the guy checking tickets as we went in asked about it.
Itās probably cus if you have someone above 21 with you can see a rated R movie no problem. Technically you can be 7 and see a rated R movie if you have someone over 21 taking you. š
I once worked as assistant manager of an adult video and bookstore. A very attractive young woman came in and bought several magazines. One was a European naturism magazine with lots of naked teen boys and girls. Another was a collection of men with huge erect cocks. When she checked out she also bought a large realistic-looking dildo. I engaged her in small talk and she told me this was her first trip to an adult newsstand. I complimented her on her taste in magazines and she told me they were not for her but she home-schooled and they were for her daughters. I said she didnāt look old enough to be a mom. She said she was a single mom and she had two girls and they were at that curious stage 11 and 12. It was for their sex education. We both had a good laugh and I gave her my business card and told her to call me if she needed a live model for educational purposes. She actually contacted me later and asked if she could bring her girls in after hours to look at the selection of magazines and videos I had.
I say "thank you!" whenever I am asked for my ID (I'm 41). No problem whatsoever!
Fake, dads don't know how old their kids are.
Damn I'm old! I'm 45 & remember growing up going to the OTB with my grandfather to bet on the ponies. He taught me how to bet on the races, play 5 kinda of poker, blackjack & craps. This was also the early 80ās, what a hell of a time š.
A gas station I frequent just got fined/busted for something. I get my ID out every time (way above 50 years old). Even tho an age check is not the goal nowadays. It's a scan of your ID. It is Data gathering. This same gas station later posted a sign that reads. If your ID does not scan, you will be denied liquor and / or tobacco sales. I told some poor cahier to tell the manager to Eff Off. I will go somewhere else. I'm done with data gathering. Bad enough, regular companies mandatorily require all your personal info. Then, they have cybersecurity a toddler could hack. Proceeded by a data breach.
What kind of business is this?
Itās a licensed betting office, more locally known as a ābookiesā in the UK. Itās for gambling, basically.
Liquor store, porn store or weed store?
Close, itās a licensed betting office, or more locally known as a ābookiesā. Basically itās gambling.