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Thursday 12 January 2017

How Old Are You Anyway?

"You don't look very old."

I stared at the grey-haired till operative and considered responding with "No I don't. But you do."

Her question annoyed me. It was clear she was fighting an internal battle over whether to ask for ID or not. I looked young for my age, but there was also an increasingly long line of customers waiting behind me, and insisting on verification would only make the grumpy queue grumpier.


I wouldn't have minded if she'd asked for ID. At the time, I was in my mid-20's but was fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it) to appear in my late teens, so was used to having my age queried.

But she hadn't asked, she'd dithered, and her resulting statement felt more like an unnecessary accusation. Like I was subtly trying to get away with some cheeky underage purchasing and this was my opportunity to own up before she called in the Feds.

To make the situation a whole lot worse, sitting on the conveyor belt between us sat not a bottle of whisky, nor a set of knives. Not even a second-hand AK47. 


Do you want to know what I was buying? A bag of plain, white plastic forks.

PLASTIC FORKS.

Clearly a psychopaths weapon of choice. Do psychopaths shop in Wilkinson's? Maybe on a lucid day.


My second favourite ID-related anecdote concerns the time I bought the Family Guy Star Wars trilogy boxset from a well-known entertainment megastore in Derby. I was 22 or 23 but at the time probably looked about 17 so I wasn't surprised when the young man at the cash desk asked for proof of age. I whipped out my driving licence, paid for the DVDs and left.

Job done.

It wasn't until I got back to the car and glanced at my purchase that I noticed the number inside the little red circle was actually much lower than I had assumed.

It was rated 15. 15! That meant I'd been taken for a 14 year old. 

Nope. No way. I'm refusing to accept it. The guy made the same mistake as me and assumed the DVD was an 18 rating. That's what happened. He made a mistake. Maybe it was his first day on the job. Maybe.

Look, I know it's difficult, weighing up the risk of breaking the law versus the risk of receiving an earful from an offended customer. Do you ask or don't you?

Just ask. Seriously. We'll get over it. 

Eventually.

Do you have any funny stories about being asked for proof of age? I'd love to hear them!

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38 comments:

  1. Haha love this!! I never knew plastic forks had a age requirement!! bang goes my 5 yr old doing his own party shopping!! My brother inlaw was id'd in Orlando on holiday for a bottle of beer he was 44!! I think some people just like to feel they have some sort of power over people. #thatfridaylinky

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    1. Haha neither did I! And 44! Wow! That must be a record... Thanks for reading x

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  2. Haha! I've just turned 30 and still ID'd. I take it as a compliment, but a fork?! Thanks for linking up to #ThatFridayLinky

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  3. Ha ha brilliant.

    I remember when I was 17 and in 6th form, the Boarding house Christmas Party. My friend said we'd get a bottle of Whiskey to drink at it.

    As I was working in the city on a Saturday it was my job to purchase it. Whilst waiting my turn to be served I looked at the bottles. The Johnny Walker black label bottle looked cool.

    When it was my turn I asked for the Johnny Walker Black Label. £27 said the man in the co op. I nearly had a heart attack. Couldn't ask for something cheaper he'd have asked me for id.

    I shortly discovered I didn't like whiskey!!

    Great post I chuckled away whilst reading it.

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    1. Ah how can you not like whiskey?! Haha! Thanks for reading x

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  4. hehehe! I still get ID'd and I am 37!!!
    I'm short and I must look young for my age. lol
    The stupidest thing I have been ID'd for is paracetamol! I was about 20. I had a stinking hangover and in no mood for it.

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    1. Oh no. That's the last thing you need when hungover! Thanks for reading x

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  5. I once got asked for ID while buying deodorant, by someone I'd gone to school with so she knew my age! We'd been best mates for a few years before drifting apart so she couldn't even pretend not to know me! I didn't have ID on me (as I didn't realise I'd need it) so had to shamefacedly put the deodorant back and get my mam to buy it for me. I was 23. Xx

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    1. Oh dear lord! I think that takes the biscuit! Deodorant! Haha thanks for reading!

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  6. Hilarious so very funny I'm old to my children super read Thanks for linking to the #THAT FRIDAY LINKY come back next week please

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  7. Ha! Up until I had X I definitely felt your pain. I got ID'd for EVERYTHING. Lottery tickets, booze, steak knives... but rather oddly, at 17 I quite happily got admitted to clubs without ID. Since I've had X though its fair to say I look my age! Although when I first had him I had some disapproving looks from older people on the bus - I couldn't wear my wedding ring, so I think they assumed I was a really young unwed mother. I was 28 and definitely married (not that it matters, but still!!)
    I've been the other side of it though, working for a DVD shop and in bars - you can be arrested if you serve someone something while they're underage, so you end up being really paranoid about it. I once ID'd a chap for a beer and he turned out to be 43. He took it in good spirits though! #blogstravaganza

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    1. Yeah I have worked in a car before and it is difficult! Better to be safe than sorry though you're right. Thanks for reading x

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    2. That should say bar! 🙄

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  8. I didn't even start getting ID'd until I was well into my 20s even though I was going out from about 15-16, now I'm 34 I get ID'd all the time!

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    1. I'd take it as a compliment! Thanks for reading x

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  9. Hahaha!!!! When I was a journalist I write a story about a man in his 80s asked for ID to buy a toy catapult!

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  10. I'm just worried someone will ID me to see if I want an OAP pass, this happened to a friend of mine my age! On the opposite side my niece, like you is still ID'd and she is 35 and looks about 19. My teen boys are used to carrying ID with them, it is the new thing and second nature to them. #BigPinkLink

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    1. Its not so bad if you drive because you tend to have your licence with you anyway but before I passed I had to take my passport on nights out! Thanks for reading x

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  11. I've always looked younger then I am and took my A-Levels at 17. Going out to celebrate resulted in the same question; 'Your friend in the corner, has she got any ID?' So annoying!! Eventually I doctored a photocopy of my passport so I could join my friends who didn't all look about 12! Thanks for being a fabulous part of the #bigpinklink

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  12. It is annoying when you get the squinty-eyed scrutiny! (Un)fortunately I stopped being asked for ID soon after my first was born, I'll remind her that she aged me when she's older! I think it's fab you look so youthful! Thanks so much for linking up to #Blogstravaganza, it'd be great to see you again next week xx

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    1. Yeah I dont get asked nowhere near as much since having the boys :( haha thanks for reading x

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  13. Hehe. I always used to get asked for ID. The funniest was when my mum and I went to watch Bridget Jones (15 certificate) at the cinema years ago and we BOTH got ID'd! I also used to find it annoying that I had to make sure I had ID with me whenever I went to do my weekly food shop because there would inevitably be deodorant or bleach or something that I needed to get #bigpinklink

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    1. HAHA both of you?! I bet your mum was chuffed at that! I know mine would be :) Its funny I never think about stuff like deodorant or bleach and whatnot as being IDable but so often they are. Thanks for reading x

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  14. Haha I always get asked for id. I quite like it now but hated it when I was younger x

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  15. I wish I could ID again...never happens. My hubby does and he got all huffy and showed his wedding ring and the pics of his kids!! I think he needs to take it as a compliment. Funny about the DVDS though lovely...oops! Thanks for sharing with #bestandworst x

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    1. Ah bless him! My hubby got ID'd once when he was mid-20's which was hilarious because he was already sporting a bit of a silver fox look. Thanks for reading x

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  16. My mum asked me to get the lottery for her once whilst she finished at the tills, I was about 23 and this was when you could buy them at 16. I was id'd and refused when I didn't have any, and then they refused to sell them to my mum whilst I was with her in case she passed them to me?!
    Being id'd for paracetamol is the worst though, if you don't have id with you. You're never buying it in advance, always when my head is banging!
    On the other side though I went to a club at 17, not id'd at all, and the manager bought shots for us and offered us a weekend job as we were dressed up and getting everyone to dance! We couldn't apply properly because of our age haha! Xx

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    1. There must be something about a girl dressed up with makeup and a pretty smile that makes it ok to let us in - I wonder what that could be?? Haha - thanks for reading x

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  17. That makes me laugh! I always think that too - would an underager really try buying booze along with toothpaste, nappies, lettuce and yoghurts...? HAha, thanks for reading x

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  18. Lol oh dear!!! No funny stories here I`m afraid, but these days I just find myself feeling mildly offended when they dont even glance at me any more before pressing the "Over 21" button on the till when I buy alcohol - could they not just pretend?!
    Thank you for joining us at #SundayBest - hope to see you again tomorrow! xx

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    1. I find myself heading for the old biddy on the tills in the hope she'll ask me! Haha! Thanks for reading x

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  19. A Sainsburys driver once got shirty with me about giving me my groceries because he didn't think I was over 18. I was 30, about 36 weeks pregnant and had my two stepchildren with me. I had nothing age restricted in my shop, so thought it daft enough, but because I was in a flat they don't bring the groceries up the stairs for you. So I said you can bring the groceries up and I will show you ID to prove I can buy bread and milk, but at 36 weeks pregnant I'm not adding any more unnecessary stair climbing to my day! Thanks for linking up to #SundayBest x

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    1. Thats unbelievable! Whatever happened to good ol' fashioned decency! #Sundaybest is one of my favourites ;) Thanks for reading x

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