Being IDed for alcohol

I just always carry my driving licence. It is annoying. To be fair though I AM under 25.

I used to get asked quite a lot. Still do occasionally.

I don't find it flattering or embarrassing but then I always have ID on me and won't attempt to buy alcohol without it. I generally always have my driving licence in my purse so this isn't difficult.

I would be very embarrassed to try and buy booze only to be refused.

I still take my driving licence on nights out despite not needing it in a bar for about 7 years.

This happened to me last summer and it was even more frustrating because I don't drink alcohol and was buying it for someone else and it made me feel very flustered. I also don't carry ID because I don't do anything that would need IDing for. I convinced the woman I was over 25 and was allowed to purchase the alcohol. Got home and dropped the bottle of wine which then smashed on the floor. I haven't bothered buying any again since.

So my suggestion is give up the alcohol?

I was asked fairly regularly until I was about 25, then it tailed off. It never annoyed me then, as I suppose I was used to it. But now it's infuriating me (irrationally) - I appear to be processing it as an attack on my apparent lack of grown up-ness.

Is it possible there's been a bit of a crackdown on underage alcohol in your area recently so retailers are being more cautious than usual?

This is the crux, I guess. In Vegas, where I was carrying ID all the time, it didn't bother me. But here, where there is a very real possibility that they might not serve me and I'll have to do the walk of shame out of the supermarket, it really bothers me.

Perhaps it's the thought of not getting wine that winds me up

I don't even have a card driving license to flash! But I know that if I apply for a photo one now, I'll never get asked again!

Yeah, completely feasible. Small town, kids in parks with nowhere to go. Maybe the police have been around all the shops. Good shout. Thinking on that, the attempts to buy have all been around home area.

I never used to be ID'd but agree it is happening more now. In fact the week of my 30th a supermarket refused to sell me a 18 rated DVD as I had no ID on me. People said I should be flattered but I was actually rather annoyed as it was a present. They wouldn't even budge despite my plea of age and being obviously very pregnant at the time and haggered looking. My boss found out and after taking the mick offered to buy it for me, even more embarrassing. I find I get flustered and feel guilty when I get asked which is stupid I know.

I'm routinely asked for id, I get really embarrassed by it and even worse when people say 'oh it should be a compliment'

Last time I was refused was in tesco, I was spending £170 on food and there was one bottle of wine in there. Mrmini had my driving liscence so I had no id on me apart from credit cards, my marriage certificate and work id....they still refused do they had to get the supervisor to come over and cancel the bottle if wine off my total. Massive que behind me if course, so embarrassing. I again questioned how many children buy 60 tins if cat food, legs of lamb and two bottles if washing up liquid just to procure a bottle of tesco plonk but apparently that was not well received.

I recognise the fact they have to ask but I think quite often there is a total lack of common sense. I don't look like I am under 18.

I love being ID-ed. Then seeing the vague embarrassment when you prove your almost thirty. I always carry my driving licence around as just another card in my wallet. It would be very annoying if I didn't have any evidence on me to prove my age, but for now I would take it as a compliment.

I would have been so tempted to just leave all the shopping and walk off

The woman who outright refused me had the grace to look very sorry about it all. I could almost see her registering 'Oh f*ck, I've made a mistake here' as I showed her (admittedly circumstantial) evidence from my bag and she took a proper look at me. However, she explained that once they've asked for ID, they have to see it before they can serve you (which is why I know the other supermarkets behaved illegally when they relented).

I get it fairly often (I'm 26). Despite me regulally getting ID'd I still tend to get embarassed for no reason and feel a bit funny when I do.

I guess it's a bit like the police car syndrome. You're doing nothing wrong, sticking to the speed limit etc but you still feel really nervous for no reason when you see a police car go by.

I should have also added that I can see why shop staff ask even the obvious people.

I had a friend who sold someone under-age some alcohol and it turned out to be a crack-down by the police and she personally got fined. She had been totally convinced the person was older than she was and wouldn't have knowingly sold someone underage alcohol.

I get id'd all the time. I even get id'd for scratch cards, paracetamol which is frankly ridiculous, I know your meant to look over 25 but I don't think it takes a great deal of common sense to tell that I'm over 15..

what pees me off is I live in a really small town, I go into the poxy co op every day there are about 3 different checkout girls and all three Id me every time!

Ironically when I was a wee lass I had no problem purchasing alcohol, how things have changed, poor kids!

I like it when they see your date of birth as 1983 and they the person on the till can't quite work out what that means as its 10 years before they were born.

Hahaha yes.

The last time I got IDed was New Year's a couple of years ago, I'm pretty sure the bouncer was doing it as a present to ladies clearly over 30. Made my night... The only time it's really pissed me off was in a pub, at 5pm, when I was buying a pint of coke. Turns out this pub wouldn't serve minors at all, so even though I was getting non alcoholic drink, was wearing a Uni sports team hoodie (I coached), and was 26, they still wouldn't serve me until I produced ID. Ridiculous.

I without fail get IDed in the weeks before/after every birthday!

I got IDed buying fags in the Canaries last year (not even sure what the legal age is out there 18 or 16) either way at 31 I'll take it as a compliment.

Love the Chablis come back!

It pi$$es me off when I have my kids with me, and get ID'd. I know kids have kids, but my eldest is 9 FFS.

It could possibly be the Hello Kitty stuff I wear??

One woman asked me as she said they have to ask a certain amount of people. Told her I didn't have ID, so she said a flash of my debit card would do. It was all a show for the cameras apparantly.

I picked C up from his street dance class tonight, and his teacher thought I was his sister. I look too young to have a 9 yr old it would seem.

And? I've only got a photo card a year ago when I moved. Prior to getting the card version I had the paper version neatly folded in a plastic wallet.

Now I have the card & paper part folded & in a plastic wallet which sits permanently in my purse so I never have to worry about finding it when I need to pick up a parcel from the post office. With a bit of origami you can get the address on the paper part to be nicely visible through the wallet.

Also, if you are asked for it by the police the card is useless without the paper part so I always keep them together.

I've only been ID'd once, when I was 19 & in Sainsbury's with my Mum. She asked the cashier if she would serve my sister who was with us. She said she would. Mum then pointed out that my sister was actually only 16 & the cashier seemed very embarrassed!

Poor cashier probably thought you were a mystery shopper!

Yep I've been refused when ive had booze in with a trolley of shopping. I now just keep my ID with me, it's easier. Footling do you not have work ID on you you could use?

When I was 16 the local cops didn't believe me when I said I just bought the booze from any supermarket or off licence I wanted. They insisted that couldn't be true, and I must have a local outlet willing to serve under agers or someone of age supplying me! It was all about attitude! Now I'm having to apply the same tactics!!

Yep. Separate NHS and university ID cards, with full title and photos on. Apparently, anyone can get them.....sigh.

I've been buying alcohol since I was 14 years and only ever been IDed once and that was when I was over 30 years old. It is just so random.......

I don't mind in bars and things but I dont drink so going up to a bar and ordering a coke and being refused for no ID annoys me.

I sometimes go to the coop to get wine for my mum and I am ALWAYS IDd (I am 22 though). What really gets me though is being asked for id for lottery/scratch cards. More so because its always for someone else and I've been refused before in front of a massive queue which embarrassed me a lot. Always get asked if we have alcohol in a weekly shop and annoyingly it's H and I and we've been refused a few times if one of us doesn't have it.

The thing that seems to wind me up most are the few times mum, H, my brother ( 3 years younger) and i have gone to our local ad we order (I always have coke) and I am the only one IDd out the whole group! Or we were buying lottery and scratch cards for something and I got asked and he didn't. He was 15 at the time too.

Saying this though, at Christmas I got asked for ID in John Lewis for a vanilla candle. In front of a massive queue I had to leave it and go and get my mum to buy it.

I used to go to pubs with friends at the age of 14 and wouldn't get ID'd for my poxy glass of WKD or whatever it was. I also went into a Tesco Express to pick up some gin&tonic for OH's grandad as he was coming over that evening for a roast, and I didn't get ID'd.... I am only 19 and I expected to be.

However saying this OH and I both got ID'd for a scratchcard in co op. He is 22. I said 'are you serious?' and she said 'sorry but yes' and I just walked out laughing! We do NOT look 15!!

I always get asked for ID and wouldn't attempt to buy alcohol without having it on me.

I used to be a store manager so can see it from the cashiers POV. Ok, sometimes their peregeption of 25 may be well off but they're just covering their backs. The company I worked for regularly sent in mystery shoppers; serve 1 and you get a verbal warning, serve 2 and get yourself a written warning. Serve 3 within 12 months and you're out. Once they have asked you they absolutely cannot serve you until you have shown a valid form of ID (photo license, passport or citizens card). To do so would be classed as gross miscounduct.

I totally don't blame the shop workers. It isn't their fault. It's the stupid rules they have to follow and they're basically not allowed to use common sense.

What really ticked me off was when our local Sainsbury's started writing notes on anyone who bought booze. They had a little book by each till and every time anyone bought alcohol, the cashier would note it down in their book. And they ALWAYS described me as "young girl buying wine" or whatever. If I was a young girl, would I be buying booze?! NO. "Young woman" would have been acceptable but I felt "young girl" was patronising and possibly sexist (never saw "young boy" if it was H buying it).

I'm 25 and probably get Id'd 9 times out of 10. I think the reason it annoys me is the lack of common sense. The other week I was IDed at lunchtime buying my lunch and ONE bottle of ale for my H's birthday. I always carry my photocard license so it wasn't a problem but really?! One bottle of ale on a weekday lunchtime, is that the sort of thing a 17 year old does? Add to this the fact I was dressed in work clothes and it all seems a bit silly!

I have also in the not too distant past been IDed for scratch cards and ibuprofen. I had no idea there was an age limit on ibuprofen!

The worse one I had though was in our local Tesco. I went to get some choclate with my little sister who was 12 at the time. It was a week night. My mum asked me to get a bottle of wine and a packet of fags as well. When I took them to the till the lady first asked me for my ID (which I produced) she then said she couldn't serve me because I had my sister with me! I tried to politely explain that she was 12 and I was hardly buying them for her but she wouldn't have it. It was only when another member of staff stepped in because she knew my other sister that they let me have them. It was a joke because my dad had been in at the weekend with my little sister and bought almost the same shopping but they didn't quiz him

I got ID'd in Waitrose on Friday - I was buying the office Friday wine and beer.

And then the shop assistant saw my engagement ring, and went 'oh no, it's ok'??!!!!!

My local Morrisons is enforcing the "must look over 25" thing.

I think they have all been briefed to just check everyone as Ive been IDed the last few times ive been in there. at first i was flattered until i realied the tills eitherside were IDing their customers too!

I always carry my driving liscence on me just incase.

I was in Tesco with my firend a few weeks ago and we were buying dinner and a couple of bottles of wine. The cashier asked my friend for ID but she didnt have any. I said I had mine and the cashier asked "who is the wine for"

So of course I just said "me" and she said ok! Really thought she was going to accuse me of buying it for my friend and deny me but no!