The "if you don't look 21" rule

[SidewinderINC]

I hate getting IDed more than once at each club/pub. It rarely happens, but when it does it's a royal PITA. Why ID me at the door if I'm going to get IDed at the bar anyway (and vise versa)?

ive never been ID'd after "getting in" to a pub/club with doormen on.
well, i was once and i just said "the guy at the door just Id'd us" and the barmaid said, oh fair enough.

my friend ian on the other hand looks about 12 and he kept getting ID'd in a club one night and we didnt laugh so hard in ages!

 

[The_TailGunner]

I hate getting IDed more than once at each club/pub. It rarely happens, but when it does it's a royal PITA. Why ID me at the door if I'm going to get IDed at the bar anyway (and vise versa)?

because the door staff are rarely employed by the venue- most doormen work on a self-employed basis...

the door staff ask to cover themselves

the bar staff ask to cover the licensee and themselves.

 

[Vixen]

I couldn't care less either way. If you're over 18, you'll get to drink - it's not as if they have changed the legal age to 21. I'll be 22 next week, and I still get asked for ID frequently. I always carry my drivers licence in my purse, so it's no deal for me at all.

 

[Boycie]

We run the challenge 21 system at at our place and we have to write down anyone who doesn't have ID, just a description of what they look like and what drink they order then we have been instructed to hold weekly bar staff meetings and notify the door staff and the bar staff of people who have been ID'd before and not been able to prove their age or if they produce fake ID. We also got some of funniest posters to stick up in the place 'If you are lucky enough to look under 21 please don't be offended if we ask you to prove your age' gave us a few giggles in the office.

 

[Nix]

We also got some of funniest posters to stick up in the place 'If you are lucky enough to look under 21 please don't be offended if we ask you to prove your age' gave us a few giggles in the office.

Steal that from Tesco?

 

[GSXRMovistar]

Think they could raise the actual age to 21 in the future then?

Thing is at the moment by the time we hit 21 we have at least 3 years of drinking so we are used to it and normally behave when out at that age.

Increasing the minimum age limit to 21 would just mean you would get a load of 21 years olds acting like idiots as drinking it new to them.

 

[Amoeba]

They'd bloody well better not. I'm 17 and I've been buying alcohol back when I was 13 to drink on the streets, down the park or whatever with my mates, past two years I've been drinking in pubs, never once been ID'd my whole life lol I don't understand that, why would you have to look 21 to get served when you only need to look 18, I've never seen that but if that happened round ere they'd lose my custom that's for sure.

Oh and... FOUR DAYS TILL I'M LEGAL

Well for starters, you don't need to LOOK 18, you need to BE 18. That's the main problem as many kiddies can look 18 whilst only being 16 or whatever. However these kids will most likely not look 21, and so will be IDd (when they otherwise wouldn't have been). Why will this annoy you when you reach 18?

 

[D.P.]

I think 21 is an arbitrary figure, possibly influenced by US licencing laws.

In the US it is much more strict. If you look under 40 is the comon rule used in shops. Some go as far as saying if you don't jhave grey hair then get your ID out! My mum who is >50<60 got ID'd!

 

[Boycie]

Steal that from Tesco?

No we got sent a pack through from Staffordshire Police with posters, a note book to record people down in and a test for the bar staff to do to make sure they know the law etc.

 

[D.P.]

oh yeah, I was in Carlise the other day and an alcohol shop had a big sign saying 21 and over only, I guess they're trying to cut down on the 18-20 year old that are still not mature enough to drink properly.

 

[Vixen]

We run the challenge 21 system at at our place and we have to write down anyone who doesn't have ID, just a description of what they look like and what drink they order then we have been instructed to hold weekly bar staff meetings and notify the door staff and the bar staff of people who have been ID'd before and not been able to prove their age or if they produce fake ID. We also got some of funniest posters to stick up in the place 'If you are lucky enough to look under 21 please don't be offended if we ask you to prove your age' gave us a few giggles in the office.

What's the point in asking for ID if you're going to question people and then let them in regardless? Fair enough, keeping track of people who constantly chance it, but if under-agers know that you will let people in without ID, they'll still turn up.

 

[Morba]

we were doing this over 8 years ago when i started working the doors, its a good idea, as girls especially can look 18+ yet not be old enough.

as for kids buying booze at 13, thats not because you looked 18 im sure, but more the person selling didnt give a damn.

 

[Morba]

What's the point in asking for ID if you're going to question people and then let them in regardless? Fair enough, keeping track of people who constantly chance it, but if under-agers know that you will let people in without ID, they'll still turn up.

i have never seen a single place where every person entering has been asked for ID.
barstaff have to protect the licensee and ask anyone who they think are too young to provide ID, regardless if you should be over 18 to be in the building.

 

[Tru]

In the US it is much more strict. If you look under 40 is the comon rule used in shops. Some go as far as saying if you don't jhave grey hair then get your ID out! My mum who is >50<60 got ID'd!

That's what I'd heard, I'm only 27 so I took my passpost to every bar I went to, I didn't get ID'd once though. I was with a couple of younger ladies (giggedy) and they didn't get asked either.

 

[Vixen]

i have never seen a single place where every person entering has been asked for ID.
barstaff have to protect the licensee and ask anyone who they think are too young to provide ID, regardless if you should be over 18 to be in the building.

Did you even read the post I quoted?

 

[Boycie]

What's the point in asking for ID if you're going to question people and then let them in regardless? Fair enough, keeping track of people who constantly chance it, but if under-agers know that you will let people in without ID, they'll still turn up.

Not if the door staff know who they are and what they look like they won't get back in unless they can produce a valid form of ID.

 

[Morba]

Did you even read the post I quoted?

im guessing boycie is barstaff, the doorstaff may not have asked these particular people for ID, so its not like they have been asked and then let it regardless.

 

[Una]

I get ID'd quite often (im 21) but I look young. It does not bother me that much since I always carry it on me.

 

[FTM]

law has chnaged as well regarding the fines

its not the licensee who runs the risk now..its the person actually selling the alcohol...so they have to give a damn now or they get the fine

it was easy to turn a blind eye and sell to blatatly under age drinkers as there was no real come back to you..but now you get slapped with the fine if you get caught..

 

[Boycie]

im guessing boycie is barstaff, the doorstaff may not have asked these particular people for ID, so its not like they have been asked and then let it regardless.

I'm one of four licensees that run the venue but i also work behind the bar from time to time and Morba is exactly right, the bar staff cant rely on the door staff to ID people so we have to instruct the bar staff to be just as vigilant. Also if heaven forbid we do get underage drinkers in it converse the licensees backs because we can show the authorities that we took every reasonable to prevent underage drinkers. We also make all bar staff sign disclaimers that they will not serve people underage. Because of the new law anyone can get prosicuted including the underage person the bar staff, the licensee and the DPS.