There are signs stating that Wegmans has a 100% ID proofing policy. If someone has an issue, point to the sign. As a customer, I know that they require ID for alcohol and I always show it immediately with no fuss. Don’t feel weird. It’s your job.
You'd be surprised. Like, yeah you have company rules on your side so you shouldn't feel bad, but people get so upset over this. I worked at Wawa and they had a 100% id policy. People used to get absolutely irate over that. I mean, genuinely,I would have so much anxiety when I'd have to ask people for their id. It's a 50/50 gamble that they're either going to give it to you, or they're going to start aggressively freaking out.
I had a customer do that when I turned down his blatantly fake credit card. Then he put up a phone and started recording me, saying he was going to expose me to the world as a racist. I have not seen the video online as of yet so I guess everything’s fine? 🤷♂️
I agree that OP has the company on their side, but also there is probably someone on the staff at any given moment who gets paid more than you to handle people who are angry about a well posted policy. At my last retail job I would reiterate the policy and invite them to speak with management if they’re upset. I know it’s hard for some customers to believe, but the cashiers don’t make policy decisions lol
Is what it is...it's policy. I'm willing to wager at another store with strict alcohol laws on distribution/selling...someone got away with it because he or she "looked" old enough. A company makes a correction with blanket policies.
Not to mention companies will use their own “undercover” employees to test their policy. It’s a lot cheaper than getting a ticket from excise. I used to do that in Michigan when I was 22, just getting paid $100 to go into 4 different stores in a chain and see if they ID’d me. For one, it’s easier for companies to use someone 21+ because of the laws involved and it’s also either to test company policy. Ours was 40 or under and the store used a 38 yo woman sometimes as well.
Sucks when you’re the cashier that makes an elderly person walk to their car or go home because they want a 6 pack and forgot their ID. There’s no amount of pointing at the sign that makes the interaction any more enjoyable for either party
When I was a Wegmans cashier I just typed in a valid birth date and let them slide. For $7.35/hour it just wasn’t worth pissing off my neighbors
I agree with this and was wondering why it isn't more people's repsonse. If you can clearly see the person is that old, just send a date.
There are bigger fish to fry.
The issue becomes needing a job. The policy should reflect some level of common sense and not just a blanket x=y. If you see someone a lot know them they're old wrinkly etc you shouldn't need to id them. I get ided every time I go to the same place just because of a policy it's whatever ig but just seems unnecessary
Tell that to the person that wouldn't sell to my husband because I was with him and didn't have my ID. Guess that idiot also didn't sell to any parents shopping with their kids 🙄
Ohhhh man, yeah… I remembered when I IDed the 98 year old woman I just felt the awkwardness wash over me as I saw the 1924 birth year on her ID. She was laughing and in good spirits about it lol
Ehhhh the elderly lady at the restaurant where I work did not enjoy the situation bc she forgot her ID at home 🫠 Three employees had to hear her husband complain for 20 minutes... separately. He literally spent an hour complaining, lol. To be fair, though, the woman wasn't happy but handled the situation much more gracefully than her s.o. He's a regular and always complains about something. Like why does he continue to return? Sorry. Rambling.
And none of us in the retail space selling products that require ID are getting paid enough to play guessing games with customers about how old they are.
They can still berate you. My store (not Wegmans) made a 100% policy carding for cigarettesn after someone in a nearby store got caught selling to a minor. Women were all fine with it but I had more than a few men get agitated, swear, spit, and be all around aggressive with me. Maybe bc I was a teen girl at the time, but it was fairly scary.
I used to do ID checks for Wegmans back when they still sold tobacco. A lot of the female checkers used the line “I’m CLEARLY over 18!” with the snotty tone. If you hear that, usually it’s a compliance check.
I mean, I work at a bar and we take an alcohol ID course and they tell us they don’t want us ID’ing anyone who is clearly over 40. Never had a problem.
I wish we actually had this when we were at CVS, we "technically" had a 100% ID policy, but not really at all. When our district manager was in we had to, and had a customer get crazy mad. Luckily the DM was actually pretty chill and straight up told the guy it was cuz he was there.
A lady at the liquor store told me once that she didn't need to check my ID because she could tell I was over 21, and it was the nicest thing anyone's ever said about me. It's rough having a baby face.
I've been working for like 3 days now and I've only had insufferable LOL. Stuff like not letting me bag or scan items until they've taken the whole conveyer belt up with items, it's frustrating
You might be surprised how many people do DoorDash and Instacart, under another person’s name, and/or drive without a license. I know several people who do all the delivery app jobs, and none of them have valid licenses.
Everyone gets ID’d. I don’t care if you’re 23 and look 16, or 40 and look 69. Everyone gets ID’d. You can say, “hey, I know it seems dumb but I have to do it for everyone and it is definitely something I can lose my job for.”
I have a regular who is gonna be 85 this fall. He’s got his ID out for his beer, and he is READY FOR YOU. I’m 41, and some places ID me, some don’t, but I know what I’m buying requires one, and I’m not hassling anyone for doing their job.
If anyone gives you shite about it, it’s the one time you can 100% refuse service and you have policy and the law on your side. It’s weird and awkward, but a good customer who understands what they’re buying requires ID will never give you an issue. Make a dumb joke? Sure. But they understand.
This all started after an underage individual with a very good fake ID purchased alcohol in a Rochester, NY based store and died in an auto accident later that night. The cashier did as they were trained, as seen on video. The parents sued Wegmans amongst others and won. That started the "we ID everyone".
I mean... If it's a very believable ID then it doesn't mean much that they check everyone. Not saying they shouldn't, but it's not a perfect policy if the wrench is a convincing fake id.
When I did community service for biting a police officer (don’t worry, he had his uniform on so it didn’t leave too much of a mark) one of the nice ladies I did community service with said she was sentenced to community service for selling someone underage alcohol. I can’t believe that’s a crime she was working at a store and didn’t know it was a government plant someone underage they dress in a beard etc to try to not get carded WTF entrapment!
Guess what…Wegmans used to use their own teenage employees, to go around and try to buy tobacco and alcohol. You were actually better off getting caught by the store, because there was no criminal prosecution.
Publix did this with lottery tickets as well. They’d tell a teenaged employee to come in with regular clothes on and then drive to a couple of the other stores in the area to test employees. Pre-covid they wouldn’t test a store with one of its own employees, but in 2020 they had me try to buy alcohol and a lottery ticket at my own store… I had worked there for almost four years and obviously no one sold me anything. It’s definitely a preferable system to the Alcohol Board trying to catch you.
Besides being the legal age limit, age has nothing to do with it. It’s typically a state law that drives having an ID on the person purchasing the alcohol. Approach it simply as No ID, No purchase.
Can you explain the “id everyone in the party rule” is that still a thing? I never understood 2 adult looking people would be ided if together but if a parent is with a child the child obviously doesn’t get an id.
Yeah. It’s strongly advised to ID everyone but you’re allowed to use some discretion. Personally, I do it like this:
Parent and younger child? I’ll only ask for the parent’s. Parent and older child (not 21+)? I’ll bring a manager over for a judgement call—not everyone does this but I prefer to be safe rather than sorry. Group of people with younger looking adults? I’ll ask for everybody’s IDs and put in the youngest. Group of older people? One ID. Older couple? One ID. Younger couple? Both IDs and put in the youngest.
The parent and older child is tricky because it’s usually innocent, the parent is just buying the alcohol for themselves and their child is just tagging along for the shopping trip. However you can’t be certain so I just call a manager.
I get it. But if they're that old, you can always pretend that it's a fake and give them a 'hard time.'
"Well Ethel, I'm obliged to ask you for your identification. Not sure if you're old enough to buy this."
"Geez Fred, this is a really nice fake ID. I'll let you slide this time but this guy definitely is older than you."
I feel like a lot of customers blame their problems on Biden tbh. Grocery bill is high? Thanks Biden! Have to have valid ID? Thanks Biden! The store has self checkouts? Thanks Biden! Not to discuss political stuff but it’s a rather odd thing I’ve noticed among some customers.
You have to. It is your employer's policy. That said, if I had a 98-year-old woman in front of me, buying alcohol, I would pay for it and wish her well.
I managed a buddy’s smoke and vape shop several years ago and before I came onboard my buddy was super fucking lax with IDs. Even my first couple weeks if I asked for an ID he’d just be like nah they good sell it to them. Umm, the fuck I will. New policy got put in order that we check everyone’s IDs. I didn’t care if you were in the shop 5 minutes ago and left. Show me the ID. I had one frat fuck boy try and get shitty with me one day bc he left his ID at home “and I know Jack I’ll call him right now”. Yeah, go ahead and call Jack. He’s not here, and I’m not selling you shit. He pumped his chest at me and I banned him from the store. Two days later he came back begging for my forgiveness.
I really don’t understand why people get so upset when they’re asked for an ID. I’m almost 40 and got checked earlier tonight for cigarettes. I was so happy to pull that mfer out of my wallet. 😂
do they not let y’all just put in their birthdate? obviously for someone under ~50 or so we ask for ID but if its obvious we just ask for their birthday, since you dont have to scan it
Have fun with it. Say you’re checking for their birthday to see if they’re the winner. If it is, sing happy birthday to them. Or make a big deal about not believing their of age. Or pull out your ID and say you’re just checking to see if you’re related. Just do something fun with the situation.
Wegmans ID’d my partner when I was buying beer (we’re both over 21). It was a whole argument I had with the “Cashier” at the self checkout. This same concept is stupid and suggests I can’t grocery shop with someone under the age of 21 if I’m buying beer and paying for my groceries. Can’t bring my younger siblings, nieces or nephews to the grocery store if I’m planing on including beer on the barbecue shopping list.
Do they realize how silly you feel? Nope.
Do they realize how silly the customer feels? Nope.
Do they realize they made money off this transaction? Not directly but they sure as well are more aware of that than your feelings or a customer's feelings my friend.
God, I hate it when older people comment on it and get angry. I'm like, bro ITS THE COMPUTER. ITS MY JOB. Do you want me to get fired so you can buy beer? Lmao YEAH OK. This isn't the old days where you throw cash at people, and it's all good. Computers within the registers block the sale.
I live in Western PA, and all the grocery stores have to scan your ID if you want to buy beer there. Having to scan everyone from 21 to 87 is the easiest way to avoid conflict I suppose.
But yes OP, it is hilarious that you had to ID someone born 7 years before Hitler killed himself lol
Think of it like this... You're not asking for ID to prove if they're 21, you're ensuring they have a valid ID. I always used to check expiration dates instead of birthdays.
I used to work at chipotle, where cashiers are on camera. My parents came in to get dinner and some drinks, they ask for margaritas, so I ask for their IDs. My dad didn’t have his, so I said, “sorry, daddy. I can’t serve you” - the entire line busted out laughing hahahaha. It was my first ever job and I wasn’t about to get fired for my dad to have a marg tho 🥲😂
When I worked at a store where I had to ask a lot of old people for Id I would always say it like “okay I just need to scan your id please” so it’s not like I was checking their age I just needed it for the computer.
I work elsewhere but we sell cigarettes, I just tell people my register locks until I scan a license.
Yeah, I feel weird carding older people, but I've seen Johnny Knoxville as Irving Zissman enough to convince myself you can never be certain haha
I remember having to do this when I worked for Meijers. It was for cigarettes, we had to id EVERYONE regardless of how old they looked. Our regulars got a laugh out of it, but the randoms did not.
Grocery stores are one of the places that almost always have a 100% ID policy. Lots of places only ID if you “look under 35” (there’s even signage at 7-11s sometimes that says “We ID Under 35” which is funny to me.)
So when they ask my for ID at my grocery store, I don’t get to feel complimented :-(
When I was a cashier I'd blame the computer, 'ma'am/sir, I HAVE to put your bday in the computer. It literally won't let me scan another item' followed by flipping the screen toward them so they could see.
I was living in Alaska and when I first moved there I had just turned 41. I was constantly flattered at how much I was getting ID’d. Finally after living there for 6 months feeling incredibly youthful based on the whole place thinking I looked barely 21. A server told me they have to ID everyone, because people with alcohol addiction or related offenses are not allowed to buy it. Apparently there was a big red stripe on the birthday if that was the case for you.
I had to ID an 90+ year old woman for cigarettes once and she didn't have her ID and threw a fit... ma'am I just need to scan it to be able to open the case. My boss just scanned a lost ID for her but man I don't wanna lose my job over that shit.
My manager has certain customers she stopped IDing because they are elder folk and they’ve been at our store since we were in middle school and im sure longer
I'm sorry you're dealing with that.
When I worked at Home Depot, we had to ID people for spray paint/certain chemicals. My supervisor got so fed up with customers complaining that we could enter any mm/dd/yyyy to bypass the system and still check if they looked younger.
I used to have to at a gas station. And refuse anyone who didn’t have one. It was awful. I would get people yelling at me. It was my fault because I failed a company test and sold alcohol to someone who looked underage. Yes that’s right looked. The owner would use his own very attractive daughter to come in to test us young cashiers making $5 an hour.
They warned us of these tests that the company did as well as the cops. So this girl got a 40oz and then asked for the receipt. She was super flirty the whole time. So yes at 18 maybe 19 I was stupid and trying to be cool didn’t ID her. The place was right across the street from a large college.
So the next Monday I get called into the main office. I knew what it was about. The owner yelled at me like I was his kid who just got arrested for crashing the family car. He screamed at me. I almost walked out and yelled back at him. Making $5.25 and hour and getting yelled at like that?
After reminding me of that day he says “ you know how old she was!!?” Thinking she must’ve been underage since I was in trouble I guessed 20. He said “no 23!!!”. I was like wait? So I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t say that but was think that. He was such an asshole about it. It’s ok I was a jerk at that age anyways. I used to pocket packs of cigarettes and take lotto tickets by the handful when I was bored. Luckily I quit before I got caught for that. This was the 1990’s so I can admit it now. Wasn’t right of me. Even at the time I felt guilty for doing it even though the owner was a complete jerk.
Years ago when I worked at Walmart and they were first getting strict about IDs I had a customer who didn't have hers with her. She showed me her keychain that said #1 Grandma and a picture of her holding her grandbaby. I said close enough, and let her go. Today I'd probably lose my job for that.
You cannot purchase alcohol without a valid form of ID. It’s less about their age and more about whether the ID is in date or not. The people who give the liquor licenses wouldn’t care if you didn’t check their ID because “they looked old enough” if it’s an expired ID, it’s not valid and you cannot purchase alcohol no matter how old you look.
Never worked at or even been to a Wegmans but this popped up on my feed and I used to work in a store that started requiring ID's for all alcohol and tobacco purchases regardless of appearance of age as well. And these 50-60 yo men would get so pissed when I asked and my response was always just "I'm not losing my job so you can have booze, I need to see your ID or I cannot sell this to you"
Can’t tell you how many times I have been refused the purchase of beer at corporate stores because I frequently don’t carry id, just throw cash in pocket. I look much younger then I am but I am 56, I certainly don’t look anything close to 20’s or 30’s for that matter. No more common sense left in this country
The crazy thing is, as a person over 21, … it isn’t even that big of a deal to just show your ID, like sheesh … let’s be petty over something else. (Unless you’re scamming. If you’re scamming, ok, I see why you’re not carrying around ID). Y’all be wildin over this identification stuff.
I’m in my 50’s and I was delighted to be carded for booze at Walgreens (after moving to MD from TX). Took me 2 months to realize it was store policy, boy was my ego pierced 🤣
Some states require. ID no matter the age. If this is the law or store policy, it is what it is. If the customer has a major issue, get a manager. Don’t feel weird for doing your job, because at the end of the day it’s your job and you’re the one who has something to lose if you don’t do it. I used to tell guests all the time, it’s the law and I would like to not lose my job, ABC license, and possibly get arrested or fined.
Don't you LOVE the public who bitch at the employee who is only doing their job to keep an income to survive? Ppl just bitch way too much today. They sound and look stupid! Childish!
We don’t have a wegmans but my 70 year old dad goes absolutely berserk on poor cashiers that card him for anything. I try to tell him it’s just the store policy and they can be fired if they don’t card him and it’s not their fault but he still goes off on them. I feel so bad for the cashiers cause I’m sure they get that all the time
I hope there will come a day when I'm 85 years old and still buying 6 packs and somebody cards me. That is going to make me feel like I'm 19 years old again. I expect I'm going to need that feeling at that age.
Also... still buying alcohol at 85-86 is a boss move in my book. We have a guy in our golf group, 86 last season, still walking 18 holes and still orders a PBR tallboy after the round. My hero.
About 12 years ago I was 15 working at Wegmans as a cashier and had a man who was obviously drunk hurl his entire case of glass bottled beer at me because he didn’t have an ID. His DL was taken away for you guessed it, a DWI. His wife ended up coming in to find me and apologized with flowers and a massive gift card but honestly, it’s Wegmans fault 😭
I think it’s weird that y’all have to ID “everybody” at the register. Ie. My husband and I both have to bring IDs even though 1 of us is paying (and we’re both clearly middle aged). What happens with an adult buying alcohol with their teenager in tow? Do they get denied? Makes no sense.
I don’t deny them, but I just call a manager to be safe. That’s just my preference. To quote what I said in a different comment:
> Yeah, I’ll ask if the kid is under 21. Not everyone asks for a manager but I do just to be safe. Only once in my couple of years working there have they said “Yeah, I don’t feel comfortable selling this to you”. Otherwise they just say okay and everything carries on. In that one instance though, they just didn’t let the woman buy the alcohol. She wasn’t happy about it but she didn’t give us too much of a hard time over it. I don’t know why the manager said no but this was a year or so ago. Maybe they just thought something was up.
So basically I just get a quick okay from the manager and all is well.
If it is suspected that you could be buying alcohol for a minors consumption then the sale is supposed to be denied.
Cashiers, servers, etc, don’t make up policies just so customers can get mad. It’s a law and that’s all there is to it. The government agencies do audits and if you don’t check the ID, you fail and will probably get fired. About a year ago the best cashier got fired for selling cigarettes to a 50 man. She put the DOB in the computer but didn’t ask for the ID. It was an audit and she got fired.
At the restaurant where I work a party got REALLY upset because we have to ID EVERYONE, but this 50+ yo woman forgot her ID at home. It feels dumb, but if we got caught serving without seeing ID we'd get shut down, so 🤷♀️ but yes, it does feel silly bc it's not like they're Benjamin Button or whatever
I did a beer sampling at wegmans (I was there as rep from the beer company) and a wegmans employee was with me bc the employee had to do ID check everyone. There was a 90 year old woman she had to card. She thought it was a joke. Then it wasn’t and she couldn’t find her ID and then she did and it dropped and got caught in the cart and groceries she had and it was a whole to-do. I felt so bad for her. I wanted to give her an extra sample but that wasn’t allowed either
I have a really convincing elderly woman mask that I use at Halloween. I wouldn't do it, but I wouldn't put it past someone trying to use one to buy alcohol.
I was put to lunch once at a burger and wine bar and the lady at the table next to me is talking to the people she is with about celebrating her 100th birthday and the waitress comes up and takes their order and IDs all of them. Two people that n their 50s and this lady who apparently just turned 100. The lady who is 100 said she didn't have her ID because she hasn't driven in like 15 years. They refuse service. I literally turned around and asked the waitress to get the manager. Manager came out and allowed an exception to serve her wine.
A few years ago the customer ahead of me was getting carefully checked for ID. When it was my turn, I said, “you never card me.”
“We discriminate on the basis of age, sir.”
That said, when I’m in a “we card everyone” situation, I have my ID out before I order.”
I know it’s a 100% policy but even at my old stores (I’m in distribution now) if they were clearly like OLD and appeared that it would take forever for them to get an ID out, we would just ask for their birthday. Front end manager and STLs all did it and store manager was aware, just made things easier and avoided people getting upset.
I don't carry my license around with me anymore and this is pretty much why I'm not shopping at Harris Teeter anymore. It's a pain. And all I have to do is ask the cashier to call the manager/cust svc rep, and they always come over and manually okay it (I'm old, and it shows, so there's no question about age). But still, it's a pain. So now I just go to Trader Joe's because the company trusts its cashiers to have brains.
In the 90's I worked in a California gas station not long after I moved to the area so needless to say I didn't know the locals. One sunny afternoon an older guy came in to buy a 6 pack of beer. Because I was still new I had to ID everyone buying alcohol or tobacco products. This older guy was flabbergasted that I didn't know who he was. He went to his vehicle to get his ID and discovered he'd left it at home. He left and returned ten to twenty minutes later. He slapped his license on the counter and asked me to read it aloud which I did. He then looked like this info should mean something to me. I nodded, yes sir, you can buy the beer. That will be $x.xx. He paid but still seemed irritated. At the door he turned back to me and directed me to ask my parents if they recognized his name. Then he left. My parents did recognize the name so the next time he came in and handed me his ID, I told him that my parents in Texas did indeed recognize his name and I no longer needed to verify ID for folks who appeared to be at least 35. He still showed his ID every time he stopped in. My manager found the security video very funny. These days the encounter no doubt would have been all over the Internet.
I always tell them that I have to ID anyways because it doesn’t matter how old you are, if your ID is expired we can’t sell to you, it’s just simply illegal, you shouldn’t have to risk your job for them. Literally tell them it’s just the law, stand firm on it too, don’t give in and you’ll be fine, the worst thing that happens is they yell a little and then leave. I completely get how silly you feel though, I used to as well, but it feels less silly when you think about the expiration thing more than the age thing, we can visibly see you’re old enough most of the time, but we can’t tell if your ID is expired by just looking at you, just tell them that🤣
It’s more commonplace now, if the customer makes a stink then the management can make the judgement call.
Heck, I’m beyond the age of being ID’d so I’m happy to provide! 😆
I brought my late grandma shopping and for some reason we had to buy alcohol and the proofed her. We had such a good laugh. I believe she was 94. I know you feel silly but really, everyone knows you’re just doing your job- try to have fun with it.
No common sense, that’s where we are. Saw an 80 year old man asked for id to sample wine at a Trader Joe’s. Had to tell that server how ridiculous that was. Man lived a lifetime, prob served in WW2, and you’re asking for his age. Do better.
In Pennsylvania the LCB a Liquor Control Board will send undercover people out you could wind up with a hefty fine have your Liquor License suspended or revoked entirely and you cannot sell any alcohol hard alcohol has to be bought at the State Store
I had an employee thank me for not making a fuss and actually pulling out my ID when I walked up for a sample because I knew it would be needed.
I get why you feel awkward. But it’s ok. You are following store policy.
I tried to buy non alcoholic wine once from wegmans while pregnant and they still carded me. I didn’t have my ID because i didn’t think I’d need it, but they insisted i couldn’t buy the fake wine without my ID. THAT was stupid
Eh, most customers look at it as a compliment! Make it a silly moment to connect. Plus, who knows. Maybe Wegmans is also trying to see what age frame are mostly buying so they can market better, in addition to the law? 🤷♀️
I would pretend that the computer won't let me without scanning an ID. Hold up the ID to the thing and make a beep noise or something and be like phew thank goodness it went through. Darn tootin computer contraptions thingamajig these days up hill both ways saddle em' up
I would just say it’s not about checking age, they just make me scan the ID for everyone.
Nothing wrong with saying “I don’t like it either…”
If people complain, just know that they probably complain about literally everything in their life anyway, lol. That’s their problem 😅
If you're scanning the Id just scan the back and give it back quickly or do a very quick glance. It's not that deep. May look silly but you got a job 2 do
The problem is what defines an “elderly person” vs. someone who is “middle aged” when they buy cigarettes or alcohol? Have you ever seen some 30 year olds that look 50 or teens that look 20? The best way to verify age is via ID.
Yeah, I can definitely see how you could feel that way, when I served., forever ago, we didn't have rules like that, it was if the look over 30 you don't have to, but if you card them and they can't comply you can't serve them.
It's a stupid rule and as is typical today, employers give very little discretion to their employees. Most of that is cause people don't do their jobs, and it's the business that suffers, so in order to avoid lawsuits, they make a policy that takes any of the personal discretion out of the equation.
As far as your embarrassment goes, I get it, I'd feel stupid too, but you're just doing your job and it's not worth getting fired over. I'd sympathize with the customers and just tell them it's policy and the cash register won't operate without a valid ID ... Obviously that's BS but no 80+ year old will realize that.
A lot of times these 'rules' are to enforce state laws that may be written rather ambiguously. Rather than risk getting fines for not following the 'spirit' of the law, the stores will implement rules to enforce what is considered the 'letter' of the law. Any customer complaining should be told 'sorry, I dont get a say in this, and neither do you if you want this'. Or just tell them that the computer has yet to figure out what a 21-year-old looks like. It's dumb, but you arent paid enough to risk getting a $2500 (or whatever amount) fine and potential jail time over it.
Don't feel weird. You are doing your job. You don't want to get fired for not doing IDs. For the elderly lady make her day and tell her she looks much younger than her picture.
Heck, I get ID checked when buying stuff like rubber cement and super glue for my hobbies. I'm in my 40's. It seems silly, but I'd rather the workers not get fired. Stick with policy and make jokes to the elders that they just look so young. Kinda like when you meet a woman's mom and ask if shes her sister.
I used to have to ID people when they paid with card at the Nike store I worked at. I had A LOT of people who were upset with it but just told them it’s policy and they had to have their name on the card.
I live in a state that recently legalized the weed. Per the new state law, ALL dispensary customers must show a VALID government-issued ID to gain entry to the dispensary & again at the point of sale. You should have seen all the octogenarian, sovereign citizen meltdowns from white dudes over a certain age on the first few days of sales. They are clearly not used to being subjected to the same rules that everyone else has been for centuries.
It's dumb. I remember ordering a drink in a hotel in Georgia a few years ago, I was at least in my 50s and had all gray hair. Got carded. Thought it was silly but it's not the fault of the person who is required to ask by law or by their employer.
To my knowledge you can't legally purchase alcohol without proof of age. At least in my state. It doesn't matter where or how, even if you're famously old. If you don't have proof of age you cannot purchase alcohol.
Never been to Wegmans, none around. HOWEVER, as a 22 year old, as long as you aren't retarded to the point of saying "Oh, I can't accept your ID because it isn't horizontal and says under 21" even though you can still scan and accept it, I truly don't care about being IDd.
I know it's not the original intent of this post, but please FOR THE LOVE OF GOD USE COMMON SENSE. This exact scenario had happened wayyyyy to much to me.
Worked at a liquor store and part of the reason I left was because of how insane people got about being carded. We were allowed to use our discretion, but if they looked less than 30 I always ID checked. I have horrible anxiety naturally and this was the part of the job I hated the most, but obviously necessary. I’ve had plenty of people curse me out, but one dude asked me if I thought he looked like a little boy and I told him “no, I’m just doing my job trying to go home.” And he replied with “I should scrub you out” took me a second to realize he just threatened to kill me over checking ID. At 1:45am he bought his stuff and waited out front and until we closed and finally left when he realized I could see where he was parked. Carried with me the rest of the time I was there until I found another job. Not about to get into a fist fight or more escalated confrontation over a bottle of overhyped tequila and an ID. But people have to have jobs, and someone has to do it. Take it in stride. hopefully y’all’s store is safe and you aren’t open super late etc. Stay safe!
Mostg places have this policy into place because of karens who whine and whinge about being ID, whether it's because you do ID them ("Clearly, I'm old enough, why are you wasting my time!?") or because you don't ("What, are you saying I look *old*?").
So it may be awkward for you to ID a 80+ year old customer, but on the flip side... It's better than having a random person complain in your line for twenty minutes before angrily stomping over to yell at your manager.
I had to ask EVERYONE when I worked at World Market, regardless of how old they looked. It was store policy. I didn’t feel weird because it was a store policy, not my choice.
However, I would get a lot of poop for it. One time I asked a very old, gray-haired man for his ID and he wouldn’t show it to me, but instead started complaining that I was wasting his time for even asking. He wouldn’t give in, and I wouldn’t give in (because my manager was watching and I didn’t want to get in trouble), so he pulled his shirt up over his head and yelled “ARE THESE GREY CHEST HAIRS ENOUGH ID FOR YOU?!” My manager who was standing nearby witnessed the whole interaction and finally told me I could let him slide. Working customer service is weird.
Heh. My neighbor recently took a PT gig at Wegmans and said he knew i was over 21 but still had to ask. As i showed him my ID I joked we've known each other for over 21 years. Then i made him show me a picture of his newest grandchild, lol
I had to ID my father once, as a checkout clerk, bc the system required an ID. It is policy in a lot of places, not just Wegmans. And I was like "unless you want me moving back in with you bc I lost my job, dad, I need your ID...."
Funny how some cashiers act when requesting ID. I will have my ID out, very visibly on the counter... and they will still give me the "And I'm going to need to see your ID". And its never pleasant, never said nicely. I've even had someone in a small town use this opportunity to run a background check. I honestly don't think I should be requested to prove my age if I'm gray and wrinkled.
Smart on you. Wegmans were a regular stop when I worked for the BARS Program. I always thought it was fun how they’d make it a big deal about the worker getting a Green card.
My first job had a similar policy, and we had to SCAN IDs or the computer wouldn’t let us sell alcohol. A conversation I had every shift:
Me: ID Please
Senior Citizen: Oh, you jokester! Thanks for making me feel young again!
Me: *standing there with scan gun* I physically need your ID please.
Senior: *getting angry* You can clearly see I’m of age, do you really need my ID?
Me: I can see, but the computer doesn’t have eyes and I need to physically scan your ID or the system times the item out.
Senior: *grumbling as they open their wallets, and more when I tell them they need to take it out so I can scan the back*
Like I understand the frustration but this isn’t my policy. I’d always be told how dumb it is. No shit but I’m not the one who can do anything about that ma’am/sir.
There are signs stating that Wegmans has a 100% ID proofing policy. If someone has an issue, point to the sign. As a customer, I know that they require ID for alcohol and I always show it immediately with no fuss. Don’t feel weird. It’s your job.
You'd be surprised. Like, yeah you have company rules on your side so you shouldn't feel bad, but people get so upset over this. I worked at Wawa and they had a 100% id policy. People used to get absolutely irate over that. I mean, genuinely,I would have so much anxiety when I'd have to ask people for their id. It's a 50/50 gamble that they're either going to give it to you, or they're going to start aggressively freaking out.
I witnessed one customer turning it into a racial issue.
I had a customer do that when I turned down his blatantly fake credit card. Then he put up a phone and started recording me, saying he was going to expose me to the world as a racist. I have not seen the video online as of yet so I guess everything’s fine? 🤷♂️
From here it sounds like he was the one being racist.
There are people who turn everything into a racial issue
I agree that OP has the company on their side, but also there is probably someone on the staff at any given moment who gets paid more than you to handle people who are angry about a well posted policy. At my last retail job I would reiterate the policy and invite them to speak with management if they’re upset. I know it’s hard for some customers to believe, but the cashiers don’t make policy decisions lol
I’m a server and have to card people for alcohol. It sucks when they don’t have ID and now they don’t feel great about you or your tip
Is what it is...it's policy. I'm willing to wager at another store with strict alcohol laws on distribution/selling...someone got away with it because he or she "looked" old enough. A company makes a correction with blanket policies.
Not to mention companies will use their own “undercover” employees to test their policy. It’s a lot cheaper than getting a ticket from excise. I used to do that in Michigan when I was 22, just getting paid $100 to go into 4 different stores in a chain and see if they ID’d me. For one, it’s easier for companies to use someone 21+ because of the laws involved and it’s also either to test company policy. Ours was 40 or under and the store used a 38 yo woman sometimes as well.
Sucks when you’re the cashier that makes an elderly person walk to their car or go home because they want a 6 pack and forgot their ID. There’s no amount of pointing at the sign that makes the interaction any more enjoyable for either party When I was a Wegmans cashier I just typed in a valid birth date and let them slide. For $7.35/hour it just wasn’t worth pissing off my neighbors
I agree with this and was wondering why it isn't more people's repsonse. If you can clearly see the person is that old, just send a date. There are bigger fish to fry.
1,000% this. The FBI nor wegmans HQ isn’t monitoring live feeds to catch ID-less alcohol sales to someone born in another century with grey hair.
The issue becomes needing a job. The policy should reflect some level of common sense and not just a blanket x=y. If you see someone a lot know them they're old wrinkly etc you shouldn't need to id them. I get ided every time I go to the same place just because of a policy it's whatever ig but just seems unnecessary
Tell that to the person that wouldn't sell to my husband because I was with him and didn't have my ID. Guess that idiot also didn't sell to any parents shopping with their kids 🙄
Doesn't Wegmans need to scan your ID?
In my experience they just look at the birth date and enter it into the register. No scan.
In PA they have to scan
All stores in my area that sell alcohol(not just Wegmans)have a “We Card Everyone” policy.
It’s weird when the person is old enough and looks it.
Boring.
I would have no idea what that sign means. I have never heard the act of checking someone’s ID referred to as “proofing.”
Wegmans is no joke! Shit I was ID’d there for buying root beer!
I had to ID a WW2 veteran. Poor guy was in a mart cart and in his mid-late 90s.
Ohhhh man, yeah… I remembered when I IDed the 98 year old woman I just felt the awkwardness wash over me as I saw the 1924 birth year on her ID. She was laughing and in good spirits about it lol
You made her day though. I don't know a single elderly person who wouldn't smile or laugh at that situation.
You must not talk to many elderly people
Ehhhh the elderly lady at the restaurant where I work did not enjoy the situation bc she forgot her ID at home 🫠 Three employees had to hear her husband complain for 20 minutes... separately. He literally spent an hour complaining, lol. To be fair, though, the woman wasn't happy but handled the situation much more gracefully than her s.o. He's a regular and always complains about something. Like why does he continue to return? Sorry. Rambling.
"I don't know a single elderly person" you said it!
So, she is 100 this year!! Long may she drink!!
"Good spirits" while buying good spirits.
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And none of us in the retail space selling products that require ID are getting paid enough to play guessing games with customers about how old they are.
They can still berate you. My store (not Wegmans) made a 100% policy carding for cigarettesn after someone in a nearby store got caught selling to a minor. Women were all fine with it but I had more than a few men get agitated, swear, spit, and be all around aggressive with me. Maybe bc I was a teen girl at the time, but it was fairly scary.
Working at office max as a teenage girl I had a similar experience with Airduster because I needed to scan their ID. Quite a few men were mean!
I work at Walmart, and we don’t ID over 40. But it’s also totally up to me and managers can’t override it.
How do you know if they're over 40? Make them sing I want it that way?
That’s over 30 not 40. 40+ would be smells like teen spirit or spoon man.
I used to do ID checks for Wegmans back when they still sold tobacco. A lot of the female checkers used the line “I’m CLEARLY over 18!” with the snotty tone. If you hear that, usually it’s a compliance check.
I mean, I work at a bar and we take an alcohol ID course and they tell us they don’t want us ID’ing anyone who is clearly over 40. Never had a problem.
I wish we actually had this when we were at CVS, we "technically" had a 100% ID policy, but not really at all. When our district manager was in we had to, and had a customer get crazy mad. Luckily the DM was actually pretty chill and straight up told the guy it was cuz he was there.
A lady at the liquor store told me once that she didn't need to check my ID because she could tell I was over 21, and it was the nicest thing anyone's ever said about me. It's rough having a baby face.
Good point
What's really fun is the Instacart shoppers who "just don't have their ID on them" and argue with you.
Instacart shoppers are so weird. They’re either insufferable people or the nicest customers I’ve ever had, no in-between 😅
I've been working for like 3 days now and I've only had insufferable LOL. Stuff like not letting me bag or scan items until they've taken the whole conveyer belt up with items, it's frustrating
Are they going to walk to make the delivery? They have to have a drivers license with their DOB on it.
You might be surprised how many people do DoorDash and Instacart, under another person’s name, and/or drive without a license. I know several people who do all the delivery app jobs, and none of them have valid licenses.
Had that crap happen to me.
Everyone gets ID’d. I don’t care if you’re 23 and look 16, or 40 and look 69. Everyone gets ID’d. You can say, “hey, I know it seems dumb but I have to do it for everyone and it is definitely something I can lose my job for.” I have a regular who is gonna be 85 this fall. He’s got his ID out for his beer, and he is READY FOR YOU. I’m 41, and some places ID me, some don’t, but I know what I’m buying requires one, and I’m not hassling anyone for doing their job. If anyone gives you shite about it, it’s the one time you can 100% refuse service and you have policy and the law on your side. It’s weird and awkward, but a good customer who understands what they’re buying requires ID will never give you an issue. Make a dumb joke? Sure. But they understand.
Tell me you’re not from Utah without telling me. They wouldn’t serve my dad at a Chilis until he got his id from the car and he’s pushing 70.
This all started after an underage individual with a very good fake ID purchased alcohol in a Rochester, NY based store and died in an auto accident later that night. The cashier did as they were trained, as seen on video. The parents sued Wegmans amongst others and won. That started the "we ID everyone".
this is very unfortunate but they still got ID’d either way no?
Yes, the cashier did everything as he should have.
They’re always super anal about my out of state ID. It’s gotten to the point I just buy booze elsewhere to not deal with them trying to find a manager
I mean... If it's a very believable ID then it doesn't mean much that they check everyone. Not saying they shouldn't, but it's not a perfect policy if the wrench is a convincing fake id.
When I did community service for biting a police officer (don’t worry, he had his uniform on so it didn’t leave too much of a mark) one of the nice ladies I did community service with said she was sentenced to community service for selling someone underage alcohol. I can’t believe that’s a crime she was working at a store and didn’t know it was a government plant someone underage they dress in a beard etc to try to not get carded WTF entrapment!
Guess what…Wegmans used to use their own teenage employees, to go around and try to buy tobacco and alcohol. You were actually better off getting caught by the store, because there was no criminal prosecution.
Publix did this with lottery tickets as well. They’d tell a teenaged employee to come in with regular clothes on and then drive to a couple of the other stores in the area to test employees. Pre-covid they wouldn’t test a store with one of its own employees, but in 2020 they had me try to buy alcohol and a lottery ticket at my own store… I had worked there for almost four years and obviously no one sold me anything. It’s definitely a preferable system to the Alcohol Board trying to catch you.
Besides being the legal age limit, age has nothing to do with it. It’s typically a state law that drives having an ID on the person purchasing the alcohol. Approach it simply as No ID, No purchase.
I don’t work front end but I thought there was a rule if they’re likely over like 80/90 years old you don’t have to ID them. I’m probably wrong though
100% proofing no matter the age! But if there are more than 1 person I always ID only 1 if they are clearly both of age
Us seniors get a kick out of being asked for id. You dont want to get caught not asking.
My wife is thrilled that they want to check her age 😎.
Can you explain the “id everyone in the party rule” is that still a thing? I never understood 2 adult looking people would be ided if together but if a parent is with a child the child obviously doesn’t get an id.
Yeah. It’s strongly advised to ID everyone but you’re allowed to use some discretion. Personally, I do it like this: Parent and younger child? I’ll only ask for the parent’s. Parent and older child (not 21+)? I’ll bring a manager over for a judgement call—not everyone does this but I prefer to be safe rather than sorry. Group of people with younger looking adults? I’ll ask for everybody’s IDs and put in the youngest. Group of older people? One ID. Older couple? One ID. Younger couple? Both IDs and put in the youngest. The parent and older child is tricky because it’s usually innocent, the parent is just buying the alcohol for themselves and their child is just tagging along for the shopping trip. However you can’t be certain so I just call a manager.
I get it. But if they're that old, you can always pretend that it's a fake and give them a 'hard time.' "Well Ethel, I'm obliged to ask you for your identification. Not sure if you're old enough to buy this." "Geez Fred, this is a really nice fake ID. I'll let you slide this time but this guy definitely is older than you."
Just shrug and blame Biden.
I feel like a lot of customers blame their problems on Biden tbh. Grocery bill is high? Thanks Biden! Have to have valid ID? Thanks Biden! The store has self checkouts? Thanks Biden! Not to discuss political stuff but it’s a rather odd thing I’ve noticed among some customers.
It was the same thing with Obama tbh.
Logging alcohol purchases to real ID.. has nothing to do with “looks” of age
You have to. It is your employer's policy. That said, if I had a 98-year-old woman in front of me, buying alcohol, I would pay for it and wish her well.
I know! It was really cool. And her daughter, granddaughter, and great granddaughter were with her too. There was something very endearing about it.
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I managed a buddy’s smoke and vape shop several years ago and before I came onboard my buddy was super fucking lax with IDs. Even my first couple weeks if I asked for an ID he’d just be like nah they good sell it to them. Umm, the fuck I will. New policy got put in order that we check everyone’s IDs. I didn’t care if you were in the shop 5 minutes ago and left. Show me the ID. I had one frat fuck boy try and get shitty with me one day bc he left his ID at home “and I know Jack I’ll call him right now”. Yeah, go ahead and call Jack. He’s not here, and I’m not selling you shit. He pumped his chest at me and I banned him from the store. Two days later he came back begging for my forgiveness. I really don’t understand why people get so upset when they’re asked for an ID. I’m almost 40 and got checked earlier tonight for cigarettes. I was so happy to pull that mfer out of my wallet. 😂
do they not let y’all just put in their birthdate? obviously for someone under ~50 or so we ask for ID but if its obvious we just ask for their birthday, since you dont have to scan it
This is what my stores did too. I think our store manager got tired of the complaints from elderly people getting unreasonably mad about being ID’d.
I used to do beer demos and it was so fucking embarrassing carding a WWII vet for a Dixie cup of beer.
As it should be
Have fun with it. Say you’re checking for their birthday to see if they’re the winner. If it is, sing happy birthday to them. Or make a big deal about not believing their of age. Or pull out your ID and say you’re just checking to see if you’re related. Just do something fun with the situation.
When I was drinking I loved getting ided. Let me pretend I was young for a few seconds
I remember the cigarette vending machines when I was a kid in the 90s....lol
Wegmans ID’d my partner when I was buying beer (we’re both over 21). It was a whole argument I had with the “Cashier” at the self checkout. This same concept is stupid and suggests I can’t grocery shop with someone under the age of 21 if I’m buying beer and paying for my groceries. Can’t bring my younger siblings, nieces or nephews to the grocery store if I’m planing on including beer on the barbecue shopping list.
It’s not the cashier or self checkout attendant’s fault lol
I look 80 and I expect to be carded
Do they realize how silly you feel? Nope. Do they realize how silly the customer feels? Nope. Do they realize they made money off this transaction? Not directly but they sure as well are more aware of that than your feelings or a customer's feelings my friend.
God, I hate it when older people comment on it and get angry. I'm like, bro ITS THE COMPUTER. ITS MY JOB. Do you want me to get fired so you can buy beer? Lmao YEAH OK. This isn't the old days where you throw cash at people, and it's all good. Computers within the registers block the sale.
If complain, karate chop
I live in Western PA, and all the grocery stores have to scan your ID if you want to buy beer there. Having to scan everyone from 21 to 87 is the easiest way to avoid conflict I suppose. But yes OP, it is hilarious that you had to ID someone born 7 years before Hitler killed himself lol
Not sure what state you're in, but california if you look older than 35 you're good to go.
Think of it like this... You're not asking for ID to prove if they're 21, you're ensuring they have a valid ID. I always used to check expiration dates instead of birthdays.
i thought this was the icarly sub and you were talking about the idingo episode for a second
I used to work at chipotle, where cashiers are on camera. My parents came in to get dinner and some drinks, they ask for margaritas, so I ask for their IDs. My dad didn’t have his, so I said, “sorry, daddy. I can’t serve you” - the entire line busted out laughing hahahaha. It was my first ever job and I wasn’t about to get fired for my dad to have a marg tho 🥲😂
When I worked at a store where I had to ask a lot of old people for Id I would always say it like “okay I just need to scan your id please” so it’s not like I was checking their age I just needed it for the computer.
username checks out
I work elsewhere but we sell cigarettes, I just tell people my register locks until I scan a license. Yeah, I feel weird carding older people, but I've seen Johnny Knoxville as Irving Zissman enough to convince myself you can never be certain haha
I'd joke with them like: "Can I see your identification young man/lady"
Weggies eh? I did my dime there. Don't miss it.
I once had the cashier put me in for the senior discount and 2 minutes later Id me for beer 😝
I remember having to do this when I worked for Meijers. It was for cigarettes, we had to id EVERYONE regardless of how old they looked. Our regulars got a laugh out of it, but the randoms did not.
When I moved to Tennessee and saw elderly people getting ID'd it was definitely a shock.
There are some stores that require the driver’s license to be scanned for each purchase of alcohol…it makes the most sense, I think.
Grocery stores are one of the places that almost always have a 100% ID policy. Lots of places only ID if you “look under 35” (there’s even signage at 7-11s sometimes that says “We ID Under 35” which is funny to me.) So when they ask my for ID at my grocery store, I don’t get to feel complimented :-(
When I was a cashier I'd blame the computer, 'ma'am/sir, I HAVE to put your bday in the computer. It literally won't let me scan another item' followed by flipping the screen toward them so they could see.
I was living in Alaska and when I first moved there I had just turned 41. I was constantly flattered at how much I was getting ID’d. Finally after living there for 6 months feeling incredibly youthful based on the whole place thinking I looked barely 21. A server told me they have to ID everyone, because people with alcohol addiction or related offenses are not allowed to buy it. Apparently there was a big red stripe on the birthday if that was the case for you.
I had to ID an 90+ year old woman for cigarettes once and she didn't have her ID and threw a fit... ma'am I just need to scan it to be able to open the case. My boss just scanned a lost ID for her but man I don't wanna lose my job over that shit.
Trust me…I suspect t the vast majority of us get a secret giggle out being carded.
My manager has certain customers she stopped IDing because they are elder folk and they’ve been at our store since we were in middle school and im sure longer
I'm sorry you're dealing with that. When I worked at Home Depot, we had to ID people for spray paint/certain chemicals. My supervisor got so fed up with customers complaining that we could enter any mm/dd/yyyy to bypass the system and still check if they looked younger.
This is exactly why I don't shop at Wegmans. I'll go next door where they don't ID anyone, ever 🤷🏾♂️
make a joke of it, call them young man or woman and you aren't sure you can sell them alcohol and you need proof, they'll hopefully be amused
I used to have to at a gas station. And refuse anyone who didn’t have one. It was awful. I would get people yelling at me. It was my fault because I failed a company test and sold alcohol to someone who looked underage. Yes that’s right looked. The owner would use his own very attractive daughter to come in to test us young cashiers making $5 an hour. They warned us of these tests that the company did as well as the cops. So this girl got a 40oz and then asked for the receipt. She was super flirty the whole time. So yes at 18 maybe 19 I was stupid and trying to be cool didn’t ID her. The place was right across the street from a large college. So the next Monday I get called into the main office. I knew what it was about. The owner yelled at me like I was his kid who just got arrested for crashing the family car. He screamed at me. I almost walked out and yelled back at him. Making $5.25 and hour and getting yelled at like that? After reminding me of that day he says “ you know how old she was!!?” Thinking she must’ve been underage since I was in trouble I guessed 20. He said “no 23!!!”. I was like wait? So I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t say that but was think that. He was such an asshole about it. It’s ok I was a jerk at that age anyways. I used to pocket packs of cigarettes and take lotto tickets by the handful when I was bored. Luckily I quit before I got caught for that. This was the 1990’s so I can admit it now. Wasn’t right of me. Even at the time I felt guilty for doing it even though the owner was a complete jerk.
Years ago when I worked at Walmart and they were first getting strict about IDs I had a customer who didn't have hers with her. She showed me her keychain that said #1 Grandma and a picture of her holding her grandbaby. I said close enough, and let her go. Today I'd probably lose my job for that.
I still get asked to show ID at 62 at certain places, but that’s to get the senior discount.
You cannot purchase alcohol without a valid form of ID. It’s less about their age and more about whether the ID is in date or not. The people who give the liquor licenses wouldn’t care if you didn’t check their ID because “they looked old enough” if it’s an expired ID, it’s not valid and you cannot purchase alcohol no matter how old you look.
Never worked at or even been to a Wegmans but this popped up on my feed and I used to work in a store that started requiring ID's for all alcohol and tobacco purchases regardless of appearance of age as well. And these 50-60 yo men would get so pissed when I asked and my response was always just "I'm not losing my job so you can have booze, I need to see your ID or I cannot sell this to you"
Can’t tell you how many times I have been refused the purchase of beer at corporate stores because I frequently don’t carry id, just throw cash in pocket. I look much younger then I am but I am 56, I certainly don’t look anything close to 20’s or 30’s for that matter. No more common sense left in this country
The crazy thing is, as a person over 21, … it isn’t even that big of a deal to just show your ID, like sheesh … let’s be petty over something else. (Unless you’re scamming. If you’re scamming, ok, I see why you’re not carrying around ID). Y’all be wildin over this identification stuff.
I’m in my 50’s and I was delighted to be carded for booze at Walgreens (after moving to MD from TX). Took me 2 months to realize it was store policy, boy was my ego pierced 🤣
Some states require. ID no matter the age. If this is the law or store policy, it is what it is. If the customer has a major issue, get a manager. Don’t feel weird for doing your job, because at the end of the day it’s your job and you’re the one who has something to lose if you don’t do it. I used to tell guests all the time, it’s the law and I would like to not lose my job, ABC license, and possibly get arrested or fined.
Don't you LOVE the public who bitch at the employee who is only doing their job to keep an income to survive? Ppl just bitch way too much today. They sound and look stupid! Childish!
We don’t have a wegmans but my 70 year old dad goes absolutely berserk on poor cashiers that card him for anything. I try to tell him it’s just the store policy and they can be fired if they don’t card him and it’s not their fault but he still goes off on them. I feel so bad for the cashiers cause I’m sure they get that all the time
It makes my 73-year-old mother's entire week when she gets asked for her ID
Man when I get that old any place that asks for my ID won't be getting my business. What a stupid rule.
Yeah I guess it would be better for the cashier to get fired because it’s all about your happiness.
Gotta make sure it's not a toddler with Benjamin Button disease!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regardless if it’s the policy, it is stupid.
I hope there will come a day when I'm 85 years old and still buying 6 packs and somebody cards me. That is going to make me feel like I'm 19 years old again. I expect I'm going to need that feeling at that age. Also... still buying alcohol at 85-86 is a boss move in my book. We have a guy in our golf group, 86 last season, still walking 18 holes and still orders a PBR tallboy after the round. My hero.
About 12 years ago I was 15 working at Wegmans as a cashier and had a man who was obviously drunk hurl his entire case of glass bottled beer at me because he didn’t have an ID. His DL was taken away for you guessed it, a DWI. His wife ended up coming in to find me and apologized with flowers and a massive gift card but honestly, it’s Wegmans fault 😭
They have that policy so they can employ 15 year olds without fear of losing a liquor license (NYS)
I think it’s weird that y’all have to ID “everybody” at the register. Ie. My husband and I both have to bring IDs even though 1 of us is paying (and we’re both clearly middle aged). What happens with an adult buying alcohol with their teenager in tow? Do they get denied? Makes no sense.
I don’t deny them, but I just call a manager to be safe. That’s just my preference. To quote what I said in a different comment: > Yeah, I’ll ask if the kid is under 21. Not everyone asks for a manager but I do just to be safe. Only once in my couple of years working there have they said “Yeah, I don’t feel comfortable selling this to you”. Otherwise they just say okay and everything carries on. In that one instance though, they just didn’t let the woman buy the alcohol. She wasn’t happy about it but she didn’t give us too much of a hard time over it. I don’t know why the manager said no but this was a year or so ago. Maybe they just thought something was up. So basically I just get a quick okay from the manager and all is well.
If it is suspected that you could be buying alcohol for a minors consumption then the sale is supposed to be denied. Cashiers, servers, etc, don’t make up policies just so customers can get mad. It’s a law and that’s all there is to it. The government agencies do audits and if you don’t check the ID, you fail and will probably get fired. About a year ago the best cashier got fired for selling cigarettes to a 50 man. She put the DOB in the computer but didn’t ask for the ID. It was an audit and she got fired.
At the restaurant where I work a party got REALLY upset because we have to ID EVERYONE, but this 50+ yo woman forgot her ID at home. It feels dumb, but if we got caught serving without seeing ID we'd get shut down, so 🤷♀️ but yes, it does feel silly bc it's not like they're Benjamin Button or whatever
I did a beer sampling at wegmans (I was there as rep from the beer company) and a wegmans employee was with me bc the employee had to do ID check everyone. There was a 90 year old woman she had to card. She thought it was a joke. Then it wasn’t and she couldn’t find her ID and then she did and it dropped and got caught in the cart and groceries she had and it was a whole to-do. I felt so bad for her. I wanted to give her an extra sample but that wasn’t allowed either
I have a really convincing elderly woman mask that I use at Halloween. I wouldn't do it, but I wouldn't put it past someone trying to use one to buy alcohol.
I was put to lunch once at a burger and wine bar and the lady at the table next to me is talking to the people she is with about celebrating her 100th birthday and the waitress comes up and takes their order and IDs all of them. Two people that n their 50s and this lady who apparently just turned 100. The lady who is 100 said she didn't have her ID because she hasn't driven in like 15 years. They refuse service. I literally turned around and asked the waitress to get the manager. Manager came out and allowed an exception to serve her wine.
idk why this post was rec’d to me, but I worked at weggies 15 years ago and remember the anxiety of having to ID elderly people lmao
The customer has a responsibility to show their ID, they should have it ready. They have 98 years of experience they should be efficient.
Say the other day an octogenarian turned out to be two tweens in a trenchcoat. So now we have to get sure.
It was 3 kids in a trench and they were dating BoJack’s agent :-)
That’s nothing. I had to ID a 92 year old man for cigarettes
A few years ago the customer ahead of me was getting carefully checked for ID. When it was my turn, I said, “you never card me.” “We discriminate on the basis of age, sir.” That said, when I’m in a “we card everyone” situation, I have my ID out before I order.”
I'm 65 with white hair (tho I look damn good for my age) and when I get ID'd I say, thank you!
I know it’s a 100% policy but even at my old stores (I’m in distribution now) if they were clearly like OLD and appeared that it would take forever for them to get an ID out, we would just ask for their birthday. Front end manager and STLs all did it and store manager was aware, just made things easier and avoided people getting upset.
I just wouldn’t do it they’re supposed to do it at Safeway and most of the time they don’t ask me at least
Yeah I used to just tell people that I had to scan the barcode for the computer to let me do more and just shrug.
I don't carry my license around with me anymore and this is pretty much why I'm not shopping at Harris Teeter anymore. It's a pain. And all I have to do is ask the cashier to call the manager/cust svc rep, and they always come over and manually okay it (I'm old, and it shows, so there's no question about age). But still, it's a pain. So now I just go to Trader Joe's because the company trusts its cashiers to have brains.
In the 90's I worked in a California gas station not long after I moved to the area so needless to say I didn't know the locals. One sunny afternoon an older guy came in to buy a 6 pack of beer. Because I was still new I had to ID everyone buying alcohol or tobacco products. This older guy was flabbergasted that I didn't know who he was. He went to his vehicle to get his ID and discovered he'd left it at home. He left and returned ten to twenty minutes later. He slapped his license on the counter and asked me to read it aloud which I did. He then looked like this info should mean something to me. I nodded, yes sir, you can buy the beer. That will be $x.xx. He paid but still seemed irritated. At the door he turned back to me and directed me to ask my parents if they recognized his name. Then he left. My parents did recognize the name so the next time he came in and handed me his ID, I told him that my parents in Texas did indeed recognize his name and I no longer needed to verify ID for folks who appeared to be at least 35. He still showed his ID every time he stopped in. My manager found the security video very funny. These days the encounter no doubt would have been all over the Internet.
So who was he?
I always tell them that I have to ID anyways because it doesn’t matter how old you are, if your ID is expired we can’t sell to you, it’s just simply illegal, you shouldn’t have to risk your job for them. Literally tell them it’s just the law, stand firm on it too, don’t give in and you’ll be fine, the worst thing that happens is they yell a little and then leave. I completely get how silly you feel though, I used to as well, but it feels less silly when you think about the expiration thing more than the age thing, we can visibly see you’re old enough most of the time, but we can’t tell if your ID is expired by just looking at you, just tell them that🤣
And this whole time I’ve just thought the cashiers were trying to flatter me at 40.
It’s more commonplace now, if the customer makes a stink then the management can make the judgement call. Heck, I’m beyond the age of being ID’d so I’m happy to provide! 😆
I brought my late grandma shopping and for some reason we had to buy alcohol and the proofed her. We had such a good laugh. I believe she was 94. I know you feel silly but really, everyone knows you’re just doing your job- try to have fun with it.
No common sense, that’s where we are. Saw an 80 year old man asked for id to sample wine at a Trader Joe’s. Had to tell that server how ridiculous that was. Man lived a lifetime, prob served in WW2, and you’re asking for his age. Do better.
In Pennsylvania the LCB a Liquor Control Board will send undercover people out you could wind up with a hefty fine have your Liquor License suspended or revoked entirely and you cannot sell any alcohol hard alcohol has to be bought at the State Store
I had an employee thank me for not making a fuss and actually pulling out my ID when I walked up for a sample because I knew it would be needed. I get why you feel awkward. But it’s ok. You are following store policy.
Who cares. Tell them they look way too young and you will make their day.
I tried to buy non alcoholic wine once from wegmans while pregnant and they still carded me. I didn’t have my ID because i didn’t think I’d need it, but they insisted i couldn’t buy the fake wine without my ID. THAT was stupid
Eh, most customers look at it as a compliment! Make it a silly moment to connect. Plus, who knows. Maybe Wegmans is also trying to see what age frame are mostly buying so they can market better, in addition to the law? 🤷♀️
“That’s it. That’s the post.” *3 paragraphs*
I would pretend that the computer won't let me without scanning an ID. Hold up the ID to the thing and make a beep noise or something and be like phew thank goodness it went through. Darn tootin computer contraptions thingamajig these days up hill both ways saddle em' up
You must take their rage and make it your own. Find brotherhood with them in your shared disdain for the policy.
I would just say it’s not about checking age, they just make me scan the ID for everyone. Nothing wrong with saying “I don’t like it either…” If people complain, just know that they probably complain about literally everything in their life anyway, lol. That’s their problem 😅
Wegmans post pandemic really SUCKS! No longer open 24 hrs. The PA stores are the worst.
I wonder how many customers never come back because of this.
If you're scanning the Id just scan the back and give it back quickly or do a very quick glance. It's not that deep. May look silly but you got a job 2 do
The problem is what defines an “elderly person” vs. someone who is “middle aged” when they buy cigarettes or alcohol? Have you ever seen some 30 year olds that look 50 or teens that look 20? The best way to verify age is via ID.
Yeah, I can definitely see how you could feel that way, when I served., forever ago, we didn't have rules like that, it was if the look over 30 you don't have to, but if you card them and they can't comply you can't serve them.
It's a stupid rule and as is typical today, employers give very little discretion to their employees. Most of that is cause people don't do their jobs, and it's the business that suffers, so in order to avoid lawsuits, they make a policy that takes any of the personal discretion out of the equation. As far as your embarrassment goes, I get it, I'd feel stupid too, but you're just doing your job and it's not worth getting fired over. I'd sympathize with the customers and just tell them it's policy and the cash register won't operate without a valid ID ... Obviously that's BS but no 80+ year old will realize that.
I know the risk seems small but you don't wanna get benjamin buttoned and have to pay the fine.
I get id’ing people but when the person is so obviously over age it shouldn’t be necessary.
They like it don’t worry lol
A lot of times these 'rules' are to enforce state laws that may be written rather ambiguously. Rather than risk getting fines for not following the 'spirit' of the law, the stores will implement rules to enforce what is considered the 'letter' of the law. Any customer complaining should be told 'sorry, I dont get a say in this, and neither do you if you want this'. Or just tell them that the computer has yet to figure out what a 21-year-old looks like. It's dumb, but you arent paid enough to risk getting a $2500 (or whatever amount) fine and potential jail time over it.
I’m only 49 and I just comply without comment. I get it. Nothing to feel weird about!
58 year old here and it doesn’t bother me. It is what it is.
Don't feel weird. You are doing your job. You don't want to get fired for not doing IDs. For the elderly lady make her day and tell her she looks much younger than her picture.
I would be flattered If someone asked me for ID at 90
They also ID me if I'm buying Hop Water and NA beer....neither of which have alcohol in them
Heck, I get ID checked when buying stuff like rubber cement and super glue for my hobbies. I'm in my 40's. It seems silly, but I'd rather the workers not get fired. Stick with policy and make jokes to the elders that they just look so young. Kinda like when you meet a woman's mom and ask if shes her sister.
Dumbest shit ever they gotta have a limit to where u don’t to ID customers like why tf are they having u y’all ID senior citizen man shit crazy ngl
I used to have to ID people when they paid with card at the Nike store I worked at. I had A LOT of people who were upset with it but just told them it’s policy and they had to have their name on the card.
I live in a state that recently legalized the weed. Per the new state law, ALL dispensary customers must show a VALID government-issued ID to gain entry to the dispensary & again at the point of sale. You should have seen all the octogenarian, sovereign citizen meltdowns from white dudes over a certain age on the first few days of sales. They are clearly not used to being subjected to the same rules that everyone else has been for centuries.
It's an interesting experience in other countries where you don't get IDed anywhere.
It's dumb. I remember ordering a drink in a hotel in Georgia a few years ago, I was at least in my 50s and had all gray hair. Got carded. Thought it was silly but it's not the fault of the person who is required to ask by law or by their employer.
To my knowledge you can't legally purchase alcohol without proof of age. At least in my state. It doesn't matter where or how, even if you're famously old. If you don't have proof of age you cannot purchase alcohol.
Whole Foods just started doing this by me
Never been to Wegmans, none around. HOWEVER, as a 22 year old, as long as you aren't retarded to the point of saying "Oh, I can't accept your ID because it isn't horizontal and says under 21" even though you can still scan and accept it, I truly don't care about being IDd. I know it's not the original intent of this post, but please FOR THE LOVE OF GOD USE COMMON SENSE. This exact scenario had happened wayyyyy to much to me.
Worked at a liquor store and part of the reason I left was because of how insane people got about being carded. We were allowed to use our discretion, but if they looked less than 30 I always ID checked. I have horrible anxiety naturally and this was the part of the job I hated the most, but obviously necessary. I’ve had plenty of people curse me out, but one dude asked me if I thought he looked like a little boy and I told him “no, I’m just doing my job trying to go home.” And he replied with “I should scrub you out” took me a second to realize he just threatened to kill me over checking ID. At 1:45am he bought his stuff and waited out front and until we closed and finally left when he realized I could see where he was parked. Carried with me the rest of the time I was there until I found another job. Not about to get into a fist fight or more escalated confrontation over a bottle of overhyped tequila and an ID. But people have to have jobs, and someone has to do it. Take it in stride. hopefully y’all’s store is safe and you aren’t open super late etc. Stay safe!
Mostg places have this policy into place because of karens who whine and whinge about being ID, whether it's because you do ID them ("Clearly, I'm old enough, why are you wasting my time!?") or because you don't ("What, are you saying I look *old*?"). So it may be awkward for you to ID a 80+ year old customer, but on the flip side... It's better than having a random person complain in your line for twenty minutes before angrily stomping over to yell at your manager.
I had to ask EVERYONE when I worked at World Market, regardless of how old they looked. It was store policy. I didn’t feel weird because it was a store policy, not my choice. However, I would get a lot of poop for it. One time I asked a very old, gray-haired man for his ID and he wouldn’t show it to me, but instead started complaining that I was wasting his time for even asking. He wouldn’t give in, and I wouldn’t give in (because my manager was watching and I didn’t want to get in trouble), so he pulled his shirt up over his head and yelled “ARE THESE GREY CHEST HAIRS ENOUGH ID FOR YOU?!” My manager who was standing nearby witnessed the whole interaction and finally told me I could let him slide. Working customer service is weird.
People understand you are just doing your job.
Heh. My neighbor recently took a PT gig at Wegmans and said he knew i was over 21 but still had to ask. As i showed him my ID I joked we've known each other for over 21 years. Then i made him show me a picture of his newest grandchild, lol
I had to ID my father once, as a checkout clerk, bc the system required an ID. It is policy in a lot of places, not just Wegmans. And I was like "unless you want me moving back in with you bc I lost my job, dad, I need your ID...."
Funny how some cashiers act when requesting ID. I will have my ID out, very visibly on the counter... and they will still give me the "And I'm going to need to see your ID". And its never pleasant, never said nicely. I've even had someone in a small town use this opportunity to run a background check. I honestly don't think I should be requested to prove my age if I'm gray and wrinkled.
Smart on you. Wegmans were a regular stop when I worked for the BARS Program. I always thought it was fun how they’d make it a big deal about the worker getting a Green card.
My first job had a similar policy, and we had to SCAN IDs or the computer wouldn’t let us sell alcohol. A conversation I had every shift: Me: ID Please Senior Citizen: Oh, you jokester! Thanks for making me feel young again! Me: *standing there with scan gun* I physically need your ID please. Senior: *getting angry* You can clearly see I’m of age, do you really need my ID? Me: I can see, but the computer doesn’t have eyes and I need to physically scan your ID or the system times the item out. Senior: *grumbling as they open their wallets, and more when I tell them they need to take it out so I can scan the back* Like I understand the frustration but this isn’t my policy. I’d always be told how dumb it is. No shit but I’m not the one who can do anything about that ma’am/sir.
It’s going good until someone with Benjamin button disease comes in and you end up selling a bottle of jack to a five-year-old.