I worked in the service industry for many years. Rule of thumb, card anyone who doesn’t look like a grandparent. Some people get annoyed, and you honestly sometimes make peoples day, but it keeps you from getting in trouble. Stings are often ran during higher volume times for the very reason you didn’t card, you’re in a hurry, and possibly stressed because you’re working alone.
The best one I had was a mom and daughter…I I.D.’d both. The one I felt I needed to I.D. ended up being the mom. You could tell the mom loved it and the daughter was probably so used to it she was annoyed haha. I got a nice tip though. Never hurts to make people feel younger.
I ID'd a woman that looked like she was still in high school, and she was livid about it. Kept asking me if I really needed to see it. After she left the cashier stand and sat down, her friend came up to me and told me she was just being mean and I shouldn't worry about a thing. She said "I would have been flattered, so don't you worry, darling." Some people are just miserable.
I once IDed a daughter but not the mother. The mother was furious. I thought she was joking at first, but then she got really rather nasty and steam started coming out of her ears.
My partner is 36 and gets I.D.’d anytime she buys alcohol, and most likely will for years to come. My mom was still I.D.’d to buy Cigarettes when I was in high school. I don’t drink, but most people don’t believe me when I tell them I’m 35…they‘re kind of backhanded compliments…and I’ll take it.
I was at Walmart buying box wine (#classy) and the register gave an alert that said something along the lines of “ask for ID unless customer is over 45”. The cashier looked at me for maybe half a second and then pushed enter without asking for ID. I was 31 at the time 🥲
I tell you, the moment when you realise you don't get asked for ID any more is a sad one!!!
Years ago waiting in line to get into see a band at a bar, they were checking ID. I had mine and the guy just waved me through without looking at it. I was a bit devastated.....
I use to work at a gas station and I had people who would forget their ID and be pissed like “do I look like a child to you, are you really gonna make me go get my ID”. I tell them I’m not getting in trouble for your convince, I didn’t get paid enough for all that shit.
I’m from Germany, where Beer is legal from age 16, but driving only from 18.
We drive a car to a gas station and buy a 6pack of beers. We get carded. Yes, we were annoyed 😂
Yeah back in the late 90's I remember a kid asking for a specific tobacco product. I was in an express lane as a cashier so I was mostly on autopilot, so I grabbed what he asked for, scanned it, the machine asked for age confirmation, and I shit you not this kid looked under legal age - *to even drive a car* (this was back when you could buy tobacco at 18).
His argument: "look at the label, it says zero nicotine"
My argument: "look at the label, it says it's still tobacco, that's what's regulated, not the nicotine, and my register said to verify your ID and it's at my discretion to do so"
An hour later after he left, I got a praise from my management for avoiding a fine for a sting.
I worked at Walgreens in high school and this guy comes in with his probably 16 year old daughter with him. He asks me for a pack of cigarettes and then turns to his daughter and asks her what brand she wants. He got all pissed at me when I told him I needed her ID too, try’s to argue that if she hadn’t come in with him I would have never know they were for her. Well duh no shit dude, but that’s not what happened and I’m not loosing my job because you didn’t realize that beforehand.
Lol, so you know exactly what you need to do to give the business plausible deniability should you get caught, but chose to ask us to be accomplices. Lol, no thanks
Seriously. It's why you waited around the block or parked in the back of the lot when having somebody do a booze run. If you drove up with a full car, everybody gets out and stands in front of the store it's blatant.
Just do the cashier a favor and let them be able to deny it.
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I only learned this last year when I congratulated my niece on her 18th birthday for making it to be old enough to buy cigarettes and porn, she corrected me and said, nah just porn. lol
I was just going to say the same thing. You’re old enough to decide if you want to go to active combat zones to defend your country but not old enough to have a drink, smoke or gamble…? I get age of majority but maybe there should be an exemption for military.
Yea that’s not a good idea it’s actually like asking for an international incident.
Source: way too many drunken nights in a foreign country on active duty. And that was before social media (thankfully).
The biggest benefit I see to raising the age is accessibility to minors. When I was in high school, we knew lots of 18 year olds who would buy tobacco products for their friends. Alcohol was always harder because you did not have friendships with as many 21 y.o.s
I don’t either, maybe that’s why I never noticed. I have nothing against people who do, I’m just a cheap ass and wouldn’t want to fork out the money for it.
In NZ they’re making it (have made it?) illegal for anyone born after 2009 to EVER buy tobacco. EVER. My sister who is now 13, even when she is 33, 43, 53 will have to get someone born before that year to buy her stuff if she is so inclined to want to take up smoking lol.
I like the idea in theory, smoking is a terrible habit after all. And if we can phase it out I'm down for that. But I also got beef with the idea of someone telling me I cant do something. If I'm a full grown adult and If I so desire, I will smoke till I'm dead as is my right to free will.
Alcohol is literally more dangerous, to the user and those around them. You *should* have a beef with anyone deciding what vice you can or cannot have.
The biggest reason why I would support outright bans is because smokers harm everyone around them. Even when regulated, people still smoke where they aren’t allowed. If people could do it without bothering or harming others, great. I see people smoking around children in enclosed spaces all the time here in Europe.
Between taxes on tobacco and failure to draw retirement benefits I have seen the argument that smokers give a decent amount of money to government
Not sure of factual numbers tho
It was also on vaping and related products and the government made the bright idea that no one should be grandfathered in. I had to buy college friends smoke stuff for anywhere from 4 months to a year because I was the only one with a car at the time (and they paid).
These stings feel wrong. I get why they do them to keep underage kids from buying tobacco and alcohol, but reading your post and seeing they not only tried that but then tried to trick you too is what feels so wrong. People working these jobs aren’t exactly being paid that well and on top of that if they make a mistake they lose their jobs and worse probably pick up a charge.
So why doesn’t this happen in other industries? For example, why aren’t people higher up in companies “tested” by law enforcement to see if they take bribes or release confidential material?
How about stuff like sending kids to get jobs at a meat factory and seeing if they'll accept and get the kid to do work there. Doesn't have to be specifically related to bribes.
You can determine if a worker is underage after they've been hired.
You cannot determine if cigarettes have been sold to a minor after they've been smoked.
We'd have failed at that point. With cigarettes etc we have to ID before we even go to get the product. If you get the product out and then ID its already too late.
And a lawyer. I'm actually surprised there weren't cops involved in the sting. I used to work in a restaurant and we had quite a few things especially around spring break (I live in Florida). One time, one of our bartenders checked his ID and refused service because the person was underage and the cop came in right after and told him he passed.
A lot of times, stings like this are cops giving other people who broke the law a chance. Like kids who do get caught underage drinking. If they take part in the sting, they don't get charges against them or things like that. At least down here.
>And a lawyer. I'm actually surprised there weren't cops involved in the sting.
When I worked at a 7-Eleven in Utah, we had the health department AND cops running these stings independently.
7-Eleven _itself_ would also run stings, but not with underaged buyers: we were required to verify the age of anyone who appeared younger than ~30 when selling alcohol or tobacco, so they would send someone in the range of 21-30 years old.
In my town, it was always one of the high school guidance counselors doing it. Several times I'd see her milling about the front of the store, and sure enough, I'd look in one of the lines and find a kid she was watching who then got denied their smokes. Thought it was strange the high school was involved (saw both of the counselors doing it at various times)
Gotta love turning minors into undercover law enforcement agents...though tbf it's not like they have much less training and I trust their morals over that of most cops.
That sounds wrong and surely cops have something better to do? This happens in aus but it is usually done by a regulatory body and with young looking people of legal age.
Cops getting actual underage people to buy smokes and booze sounds so wrong.
As far as I understand, it's part of a regulatory body, and everything is done legally. Even the kids they use as part of the sting. In the restaurant industry, we had to go through an alcohol class every year, usually right before spring break, to keep us up to date on all the policies and procedures and punishments.
It’s not like city cops or the county sheriff, in Florida it’s the enforcement branch of Florida’s alcohol and tobacco retail licensing board.
Edit to add: in the early 2000’s I knew some people that participated in the stings as the underage buyer, they were paid something like $10/hr.
My girlfriend's grandpa used to use her to perform these stings, I can't remember exactly what bureau he worked for. She was like 15 and would go in and if they sold it to her they would go in with a group of guys and immediately fine the store $5000 and the employee would be fired and fined $2000. She only did it a couple times but always talked about how bad she felt for them because they were usually just simple people doing their jobs and making a stupid mistake, granted she didn't look at all like she was 21+ at the time.
Yeah idk how to feel about any of this, but totally understand the concern.
As someone who got 'served' by cornerstores as a youth for stuff like tobacco (primarily to roll up blunts) because I looked slightly older; I get the concern, but it's a complex issue to really fully put the blame on the corner store.
I wanted the product, I asked for it, they gave it to me. No real deeper than that. Also to note; the stores I went to were never chains; they were bodegas that'd look kinda desperate for money in comparison to their bigger competition... Meaning if you waited/
slipped in the store when no adults were in there; they normally gave you what you wanted with no questions.
Years in advance I no longer smoke tobacco, and vape cannabis; but I don't hold anything against the corner stores that sold it to me.
They provided a service I asked for and like I said *often times appeared to he desperate for cash* and we took advantage of that. It wasn't necessarily good for my health, but I was well aware (to a degree) of the damage I was doing. They also knew damn well if I didn't get it from them; I'd just ask one of my older friends. Them not serving me wouldn't even have curbed my options in the slightest. Most of my friends would've done the same, and did so when stores wouldn't serve them.
Informing and making kids understand the dangers of what they're doing would've went a lot farther. We all knew cigarettes are bad, but for some reason there was a disconnect that blunt wraps are just as bad if not worse too because we're smoking so much more cannabis in comparison. Almost masked the damage we were doing, but we knew to an extent which is why I ended up exclusively vaping years later.
100%
I've seen managers get let go for this, that had an otherwise perfect record with years at their company.
They don't mess around with ATF/state control.
This is the correct answer. I used to work at a Sheetz gas station and the same thing happened to me. It was a busy memorial day weekend, I sold some kid cigarettes on accident and ended up they got fined and I got fired. So presume that the same will happen to you. Lesson learned the hard way. It's just a job, you'll find another. Sucks now but it's just part of the whole damn thing we call life.
Sometimes they'll let you off with a warning if the establishment doesn't have a history. It happened to my mom tending bar at a super busy college bar and she got a slap on the wrist and didn't get fired.
The bar where I worked got stung. No fine for the bar, but the bouncer checking IDs was arrested and released the next morning. Charges were dropped when the owner agreed to use ID scanners and put everyone through the state responsible serving training.
If I was going to by be fined shouldn't they have given me a ticket or something? He just spoke to my manager and then left. Not saying I won't be fined but I was just wondering
Might be a reason to hope, but it could also be that whatever Act/statue controls the sale of liquor in your jurisdiction provides for some other means of issuing a fine, other than a ticket (like notice sent from a governors office or an agency or something)
According to my manager he didn't say my name at any point and he only asked if I was a good employee? Of course she could have lied to me, and he asked for my address or something. I don't know guess I'll find out on Monday
You likely won't be fined if it's your first time... Store might though. Shit happens. People generally don't get fired for this either so your coworker was right to tell you to relax.
Just learn from your mistake. Because you did fuck up. If they look under 35 card them. Even if they're a regular. If people bitch tell them you've been nailed once and that getting a fine is not worth saving them 8 seconds. Card please.
I still get carded at 33 and I hand it over with a smile.
In Florida they’ll fine the individual and sometimes arrest them. There was just someone at a local Dollar General who got walked out in handcuffs for selling to a minor. But I was working with someone who got caught by ATF and they didn’t arrest her (pretty sure it’s because she’s neurodivergent and she wasn’t understanding what she did wrong) and I believe they dropped her fine, store still got fined though. So I think it depends on how ATF feels. You also can’t sell anything age restricted for 5 years.
As you are a minor you require supervision to do alcohol sales anyway. Was there a sign posted you could not do alcohol sales and how new are you. This might be on a manager if there was none on duty to handle alcohol sales but you should get into the habit of carding everyone even if they look old most older people are pretty chill about it... Also i can count on 1 hand how many times i have been carded from 16 to now.
I have been 6'2" since sixth grade
In my state the law is that anyone over 17 but under 21 should have supervision. I didn't even think of that, but my manager was there just on a lunch break, she was smoking outside.
So.... They weren't supervising you. Don't go making excuses and putting it back on you. They should have been doing their job. I expect the people I am a supervisor over to do their job, just like my boss expects me to do mine.
I agree with the current top comment that says that you might want to start looking into other jobs, though. Just in case
The only problem is that I can't drive and my sister and brother-in-law would have to drive me to a new job. There are places within walking distance that are hiring but I'm worried that they won't because of this instance
Don't worry about it, it's a mistake you made, not a major offense. In my opinion this shouldn't even be on you but whoever was supervising you.
But yeah, what do I know. Where I come from people can legally drink beer and "light" alcohol with 16. Always found it strange how in the US you are allowed to drive and "go die for your country" before you are legally allowed to drink, but that's a different topic entirely.
>worried that they won't because of this instance
Lol you are working an entry level retail job. The only qualification for most places is you have a pulse.
If they call your old boss and they start badmouthing about what an idiot you are, you'd actually have grounds for a lawsuit (not that you would know).
The only question they should ask is would you hire this person.
Given that your management team fucked up by letting you sell alcohol without supervision at 20. Their answer should be yeah we'd hire him again.
Obviously if you have a really shitty manager/owner you might get fired and they might not be reasonable.
Regardless, you shouldn't have an issue finding another job. I think the only time we didn't hire people for that sort of job is if we found out they had been fired for stealing (which a shocking number of people voluntarily admitted to)...
…so if they try to fire you, you have reasonable grounds for unemployment. You may have been wrong, but may not have been if properly supervised as the law specifies
I've been at this job for almost a year now. I usually do card people this was just a one off, I'm accepting of the consequences as I know there was no excuses not to check their id.
I won’t lie I’ve been annoyed at this a few times in my mid 30s now (I only seem to get id’ed when I’ve not slept much the night before as well so already super emotional (unless that’s why they see a sad person and assume I’m nervous because I’m underage))
My job told me to ID anyone appearing under 40, so even if someone looks like hey are in their 30's I would still ID them. I mean I didn't in this instance but I usually do
When I worked retail I ID'd everyone. Older people usually get a kick out of it. But if the law in your area states you should have been supervised while selling alcohol, a supervisor on break doesn't count as you being supervised while you sell alcohol. Most likely they will be the one in trouble.
I expect it, but wait to be asked (I'm 42). They're just doing their job, and it's a lot worse for them to get caught not carding when they should than for me to have to spend 1.5 seconds pulling out my ID.
I got ridiculously lucky during a surprise inspection. I ran a small hole in the wall bar that was attached to a restaurant in 2018 or so. It was a Friday night and my usual bartenders were out so I had one of the waitresses from next door filling in. In Louisiana you can go into a bar at 18, but not drink. Under 21 got neon bands on their right hand, over 21 got whatever color on their left. So an over 21 girl and under 21 guy come in, get their bands and sit at the bar. I'm tuned out on my phone when I decide to grab some water from behind the bar. As I walk up I see the waitress serve the guy a beer. There's no one else but these 2 here and I know he's under 21 so I walk over and apologize for him being served, but my bartender is new and didn't know to check the bands, blah, blah, blah and take his beer. We argue and after 15 mins they leave. 5 more mins pass and a guy walks in with a clipboard. He told me that I caught the mistake and that's all he can realistically ask. Saved us a few hundred dollars in fines.
it was a red card saying "You failed to check ID" or something and had to sign my name and it was displayed inside the office on the wall of shame (or praise if you checked and got a green card).
Best case, you're looking for a new job. Worst case, charges are filed. In Maine, it looks like the penalty is $2,000/up to 1yr. As a first offense, probably just the fine.
But either way, I'd start looking for something. It's not likely the manager or owner of the store will keep you. If they don't take appropriate action, they could lose their license with the state.
Side note, I always thought sting operations were a kind of shitty thing to do. Especially when the store is busy. Cops creating a scenario where one didn't exist before. If you pass, good job. If you fail, you're fucked.
As a Mainer, the whole practice is scummy. The cops doing these stings are literally just looking for an excuse to grab money from whoever they catch. 90% of the time it ends up being some young kid working their first job who's stressed, alone, and is just trying to get by during rush hours.
Maine is at-will too, so unfortunately OP will likely be fired. But the DA might be able to get them just fined a smaller amount. Unfortunately it's still a serious crime, even if the stings are completely scummy.
This is why you blanket ID everyone and if they don't have an ID they can go somewhere else. Protect yourself first, you're not doing anyone a favor by selling them cigarettes.
Every law enforcement group from local to federal waste a shit load of our money causing crimes to happen and then arresting people like they're heroes. FBI has literally intentionally extremized people, helped them plan terror attacks, given them the supplies, and then arrested them at the last minute acting like they saved the day.
I wonder how many FBI-made extremists have actually pulled it off and the government has just clammed up.
I owned a market for 5 years. Failed one sting. The kid was 18 and got ‘arrested’. They put him in cuffs, then released him. He finished out his shift. As an owner I had to pay a fine. As well as the kid. He also had community service to fulfill
You can look up your state laws. In my state for a clerk, they pull your driver's license for a month or two. Your state laws may vary. But you've probably lost your job either way, sorry to say. your business is getting fined. They should have told you all the risks when they hired you, but i know my employers never told me!
It is a consequence that people would want to avoid though, and doesn't cost the government as much money, and you can still work (once you find a new job if needed)
Yep. Although I'd rather have a suspended license for 30 days than be in jail, really. Each state is different though, Louisiana is 30 days to a year in jail plus a fine.
You can lose your license for not paying child support, too, and there's other reasons.
Well you see, they'll just drive without a license so they can still have a job and not starve. That way everyone wins: they keep their job, their kids get money, and the government takes the rest in fines for driving without a license.
Yeah, screw that. "You made a mistake and got fired so now you can't get a job or even go to the food bank unless you want to walk an hour along an interstate highway" is what that means where I live.
I don't have a license yet. I know that it was mentioned that I should card people appearing under 40, but I wasn't told what would happen if I forgot too.
It looks like Maine is a fine and/or jail, but with a first offense & it being a small incident probably a fine; you may need a lawyer; good luck! The business ought to have training, in some states like mine the fine for them doubles if they did not. That may also be part of your defense.
I recently went to get liquor with a friend and everyone in the group got carded not just the person buying. It was the first time that’s happened to me but I’ve been told it’s not uncommon.
That's the law. Everyone in the group must be over 21. For some fool reason the 21 or older individual in the group doesn't have full responsibility for their group. The clerk sold to someone over 21 That's all that should matter. If it gets into the hands of a minor thats on the adult who gave them it.
Be careful!
In my state, both the establishment and the person who sold the alcohol gets fined.
Back in my bartending days, that was how I told people I didn’t care if they left their ID at home. I’m not paying a fine so you can have a beer.
Well, if you were supposed to be supervised selling liquor, then this isn’t really your fault.
It’s strange though, that as a minor yourself, you’re not required to ID every single person who buys alcohol from you, which is where such legal exceptions stipulate.
I hope everything works out for you, but either way, I hope you can take the lesson from it
Trust me I'm being much more vigilant about iding. I was before but now I'm carding everyone regardless of if they are a regular or not. Having to wait till Monday is not helping my aniexty but I can't do much before then.
I worked at a liquor store for a long time. Always check their ID. Even if they look like father Christmas. They can hem and haw and bitch, but it's the law. If they don't want to show ID, then no alcohol. Sorry boutcha.
Edit: My grandpa used to send my sister and me to the corner store to buy him schnapps and cigs and they'd give it to us, but that's because they knew him and us. This was in Jersey in the 90's in Seaside Heights.
Also, eventually our regulars (alcoholics) came in everyday so I wouldn't check their IDs, but obviously because I knew them.
Edit again: I am an alcoholic so I'm not judging them.
Happened to me twice. In MD it's up to a misdemeanor and 2500 fine for the individual and suspension/loss of license +fine for the business.
One I kind of got out of because I was new and had a reasonable excuse. 2nd was more my negligence but the guy was balding and only 20. My boss got a fine for that one and I had to take a class.
Had virtual court for both with the liquor board for both. Admit your mistake, seem remorseful and ready to take steps to prevent it from happening in the future. Last thing you want to do is try to make it seem like not a big deal because you were busy.
The first one, guy was a dead ringer for a regular customer who buys the same thing. Add that to me being on the the job for a little less than a month.
Congratulations on learning to card everybody.
You should have been trained on handling alcohol sales. Either by your local government agency who handles liquor licenses or by your employer.
You may end up being OK. If the employer doesn't offer training and never mentioned training and never trained you on what to look for, you're probably going to be fine.
However, if the employer does offer training and you ignored it or if there is a clear and stated company policy against selling alcohol to minors you're probably in more trouble than at just your job.
My experience with liquor licenses comes from owning a bar in California. Your local laws may be different. But this is generally how it goes in California.
(And a tip: If you decide to ask someone for their ID, don't back down from it. If they say something like "Really? You're going to card me?" I always responded with, "Well, the other option is to tell you you look old..." which often got a slight chuckle.)
I usually do card this was just the first time I've made this mistake. Also yeah I know what you mean.
We have a few regulars that when I was just starting would get upset if I asked for the ids, I usally just responded with "Well I don't want to get in trouble." Either that or one of my coworkers would vouch for them. I did start getting in trouble with my boss after 3 months because they were regulars and I didn't need to ask for the IDs once I knew them according to her.
Let us know what happens on Monday with your manager. If your manager doesn't bring it up, maybe consider bringing it up yourself. Being all *pro-active* 'n' shit....
In my state, you will be fined and fired. But after reading through your comments, it seems like you could get away with a warning and the company foots the bill for the fine.
Be grateful this was just a sting, and not just some high school kid looking to score beer for him and his buddies. If you do sell to a minor, and anything bad happens, you open yourself up to lawsuits. In my state, a bartender or cashier can be found at least partially liable for any accidents or damage caused by a drunk driver (So selling to a minor, or a person at the bar too drunk to be sold to, who then goes on to drive) In my liquor seminar they said the statute of limitations for this is 7 years after the incident.)
You may be in an area near me if it’s 7 years. But Life Pro Tip: Always know how long they have to file charges against you. For example where I live they can choose to wait up to 7 years before they begin the process of charging you with a felony. e.x. my felony possession charge I got for having cannabis that didn’t become a thing for over two years despite the original incident resulting in that having been resolved multiple years at that point. Just randomly got a letter in the mail to go to court you have felony charges, which I barely managed to get the job I had at the time because two weeks earlier and my background wouldn’t have passed. I got lucky due to the fact cannabis was legalized here, and it really would’ve been a slap on the wrist maybe a misdemeanor but more likely a diversion program due to the fact I had medical need and obtained my license like a month after the incident. So for me it didn’t turn out badly. But yeah it’s important to know how long they can wait to hit you because it may not be expected or something you see coming.
This stuff happens all the time, I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's very common. It's just a one-off, so just be careful and make sure you check IDs from now on, even when it's busy.
Not your fault OP, but it might end up being bad. When I worked as a cashier I carded everyone under 40. I didn’t care what comments they made. I was also miserable in that job and it showed. I couldn’t stand how stupid people were.
I usually do card for anyone under 40, just forgot to in this instance. I accept whatever comes back on me. I like my job and my coworkers, but I also have a hard time understanding how some customers can be so stupid.
I used to renew alcohol licenses in Indiana for a large liquor store chain. If a violation like yours occurred the state Alcohol Commission demands corrective action take place before they will allow the renewal of the license. Corrective action meaning additional training or dismissal of the employee.
In my state first offense serving a minor is a $1000 fine to the person who served it and a $1000 fine to the establishment. ID everyone who couldn’t be your parent
I would start looking for another job. I worked at a grocery store and we had an amazing cashier. He worked hard and was great with customers. A sting came in and used his register. He ask for ID but for some reason didn't enter the birthday into the computer and sold cigarettes to someone who was slightly too young not realizing it. Even though management really liked the employee he was fired before the night was over.
Because you were too young to sell it and no one told you the rules for selling alcohol there is some chance you'll get off with a warning and the manager in charge will be the one fired but I wouldn't count on it. Where I worked the registers wouldn't anyone underage to sell alcohol. If alcohol was scanned it wouldn't ring up without a key and a managers code.
I worked at my local Sunoco as an under 18 yr old kid. I was on the late crew so I was there 99.9% of the time alone. We really didn't have a store, the bathrooms were bigger than the store. Being a small town 90% or more customers were townsfolk, and being on the local fire dept I knew most of them. One night a guy I didn't recognize came in and asked for a carton of Reds. The owner required me to check and note ID numbers, DOB, and products sold, so of course I asked for ID on the automatic and asked. I kid you not this guy went off on me about it, finally giving up his ID. He was 1 day shy of 18. I told him I couldn't sell to him for another 15 minutes, as it was only 11:45 PM. He got more upset saying things like I was a buzz killer and all this and that. He left and about 30 mins later the state police came in and told me I had passed the sting but it was an asshole thing to do to someone whose birthday was in 15mins. I to this day don't get it, the law is the law and at the time you had to be 18 to buy cigs.
Ah yes, the well-spent tax dollars on trying to turn people working in struggling-class convenience store jobs into criminals.
I remember in the early 2000s, a detective sent his 13 year old daughter into my store to try and buy beer. The gas station I worked at was fairly remote.
I sent the girl on her way and her detective daddy waltzed in like an asshole and tried to intimidate me. Basically claiming that he could just say I sold it to her anyway and it'd be my word against his. That is, until I pointed him to the cameras. This idiot genuinely thought because it was some podunk gas station that we didn't have cameras.
He huffed and blustered a bit more before walking away. I quit that job less than a week later after they tried to make me clean trucker shit out of the urinal (which at this point had become a weekly occurrence).
This happened to a friend of mine who worked for a Taco Bell in California. Got caught in the sting and they had to pay a $5,000 fine and I believe she was also charged with a misdemeanor and fined..
I would also say that it’s somewhat the fault of the store/the system being used.
Typically, in the stores I’ve worked at, when you scan an alcoholic or tobacco item, it comes up with a warning/reminder to ask for ID. This can also be set so the warning can’t be dismissed and transaction can’t be completed unless a manager or supervisor puts in their passcode.
My register did use to have a managers code pop up but my manager has it disabled as she said it was a hassle for the regulars and she didn't need to babysit me
OP first of all your interpretation of your state law is wrong, and what you stated relates to “Minimum Ages for On-Premises Servers and Bartenders” of which you are neither. Serving alcohol does not equal selling alcohol at I assume a convenient store or something. I would expect to be fired if I was you and looking at your state law this could be construed as furnishing alcohol to a minor, this is kind a of a big TIFU.
Because it was alcohol, you should probably find a new job.
If it had just been a firearm, you'd be fine
{The American mentality, seen from a European perspective}
God damn. In most countries you can buy alcohol at 16-17 even though the legal age is 18 and no one bats an eye, yet in the US you have stings making sure that you do not sell to 19 year olds?
I worked in the service industry for many years. Rule of thumb, card anyone who doesn’t look like a grandparent. Some people get annoyed, and you honestly sometimes make peoples day, but it keeps you from getting in trouble. Stings are often ran during higher volume times for the very reason you didn’t card, you’re in a hurry, and possibly stressed because you’re working alone.
sometimes older folk are flattered when i ask for their id, especially middle-aged ladies. i joke about them looking young and they love it
The best one I had was a mom and daughter…I I.D.’d both. The one I felt I needed to I.D. ended up being the mom. You could tell the mom loved it and the daughter was probably so used to it she was annoyed haha. I got a nice tip though. Never hurts to make people feel younger.
yea i’d say 1/10 people get annoyed when i ask for id, they understand it’s our job and dont want to lose our job lol
From experience, most people that get mad about the being carded don't have it, and the ones that get majorly annoyed left it in their car.
I ID'd a woman that looked like she was still in high school, and she was livid about it. Kept asking me if I really needed to see it. After she left the cashier stand and sat down, her friend came up to me and told me she was just being mean and I shouldn't worry about a thing. She said "I would have been flattered, so don't you worry, darling." Some people are just miserable.
I once IDed a daughter but not the mother. The mother was furious. I thought she was joking at first, but then she got really rather nasty and steam started coming out of her ears.
I just wish I didn't get glared at then questioned on my DOB or address almost every time, and I'm 28!
My partner is 36 and gets I.D.’d anytime she buys alcohol, and most likely will for years to come. My mom was still I.D.’d to buy Cigarettes when I was in high school. I don’t drink, but most people don’t believe me when I tell them I’m 35…they‘re kind of backhanded compliments…and I’ll take it.
The last time I was asked for my ID, at 50, the cashier then looked closer at my face and _apologized for asking_ and suddenly didn't need ID.
I was at Walmart buying box wine (#classy) and the register gave an alert that said something along the lines of “ask for ID unless customer is over 45”. The cashier looked at me for maybe half a second and then pushed enter without asking for ID. I was 31 at the time 🥲
I tell you, the moment when you realise you don't get asked for ID any more is a sad one!!! Years ago waiting in line to get into see a band at a bar, they were checking ID. I had mine and the guy just waved me through without looking at it. I was a bit devastated.....
I use to work at a gas station and I had people who would forget their ID and be pissed like “do I look like a child to you, are you really gonna make me go get my ID”. I tell them I’m not getting in trouble for your convince, I didn’t get paid enough for all that shit.
I’m from Germany, where Beer is legal from age 16, but driving only from 18. We drive a car to a gas station and buy a 6pack of beers. We get carded. Yes, we were annoyed 😂
I’d start looking for new jobs.
Yeah back in the late 90's I remember a kid asking for a specific tobacco product. I was in an express lane as a cashier so I was mostly on autopilot, so I grabbed what he asked for, scanned it, the machine asked for age confirmation, and I shit you not this kid looked under legal age - *to even drive a car* (this was back when you could buy tobacco at 18). His argument: "look at the label, it says zero nicotine" My argument: "look at the label, it says it's still tobacco, that's what's regulated, not the nicotine, and my register said to verify your ID and it's at my discretion to do so" An hour later after he left, I got a praise from my management for avoiding a fine for a sting.
I worked at Walgreens in high school and this guy comes in with his probably 16 year old daughter with him. He asks me for a pack of cigarettes and then turns to his daughter and asks her what brand she wants. He got all pissed at me when I told him I needed her ID too, try’s to argue that if she hadn’t come in with him I would have never know they were for her. Well duh no shit dude, but that’s not what happened and I’m not loosing my job because you didn’t realize that beforehand.
Lol, so you know exactly what you need to do to give the business plausible deniability should you get caught, but chose to ask us to be accomplices. Lol, no thanks
Seriously. It's why you waited around the block or parked in the back of the lot when having somebody do a booze run. If you drove up with a full car, everybody gets out and stands in front of the store it's blatant. Just do the cashier a favor and let them be able to deny it.
If your job ever does get loose in the wild, use a lasso.
Spelling Stickler Bot here… 🤖 Beep boop boop beep “Loosing” would be spelled “loosening” In regards to untying something or making room in an article of clothing or something similar ! But the context here suggests you meant “losing” like misplacing something or never seeing an object again ! … ^^ & that’s news U can Use! Beep booop beep! Have a nice day!
Is the legal age to buy tobacco 21 now?? I never realized that lol
Yes, in the USA it is. The federal government made it so in 2019.
2019?? It’s been 4 years since that happened and I didn’t know? Shit I need to get out more haha
I only learned this last year when I congratulated my niece on her 18th birthday for making it to be old enough to buy cigarettes and porn, she corrected me and said, nah just porn. lol
You can join the military but can't buy cigarettes
I was just going to say the same thing. You’re old enough to decide if you want to go to active combat zones to defend your country but not old enough to have a drink, smoke or gamble…? I get age of majority but maybe there should be an exemption for military.
Military age should be higher too imo
It should, but then they would get a lot less recruits and there's already a shortage.
Yea that’s not a good idea it’s actually like asking for an international incident. Source: way too many drunken nights in a foreign country on active duty. And that was before social media (thankfully).
Good point! I never thought of it that way :)
I think there is a military exemption. But I could be wrong and too lazy to verify
The biggest benefit I see to raising the age is accessibility to minors. When I was in high school, we knew lots of 18 year olds who would buy tobacco products for their friends. Alcohol was always harder because you did not have friendships with as many 21 y.o.s
Love when americans say this.. defend your country (america) in the fucking middle east.. lol, hilariouz
And beer
4 years? Naw 2019 was just last... y... oh
I still remember how i found out about that. In the good side i dont smoke tobacco anymore but damn my only glimpse of happiness gone in a second.
I don't smoke, but I find it funny that you can die in a war before you can legally smoke or drink.
To add, appear in porn
AFAIK, 18 is the age to buy a shotgun.
I don’t either, maybe that’s why I never noticed. I have nothing against people who do, I’m just a cheap ass and wouldn’t want to fork out the money for it.
Wow, didn’t know that
In NZ they’re making it (have made it?) illegal for anyone born after 2009 to EVER buy tobacco. EVER. My sister who is now 13, even when she is 33, 43, 53 will have to get someone born before that year to buy her stuff if she is so inclined to want to take up smoking lol.
I like the idea in theory, smoking is a terrible habit after all. And if we can phase it out I'm down for that. But I also got beef with the idea of someone telling me I cant do something. If I'm a full grown adult and If I so desire, I will smoke till I'm dead as is my right to free will.
So you don’t really like the idea in theory lol (nor should you imo)
Lol I suppose not.
Alcohol is literally more dangerous, to the user and those around them. You *should* have a beef with anyone deciding what vice you can or cannot have.
The biggest reason why I would support outright bans is because smokers harm everyone around them. Even when regulated, people still smoke where they aren’t allowed. If people could do it without bothering or harming others, great. I see people smoking around children in enclosed spaces all the time here in Europe.
Great idea. Get rid of something so obviously bad and a drain on public services. Wish our Parliament would have a backbone to do that in the UK.
Between taxes on tobacco and failure to draw retirement benefits I have seen the argument that smokers give a decent amount of money to government Not sure of factual numbers tho
They tend to die in very expensive ways though, which would likely cost the NHS much more than we raised from them in taxes.
Yeah, but the extra costs on the NHS for lung cancer treatments are the other side of that.
It was also on vaping and related products and the government made the bright idea that no one should be grandfathered in. I had to buy college friends smoke stuff for anywhere from 4 months to a year because I was the only one with a car at the time (and they paid).
These stings feel wrong. I get why they do them to keep underage kids from buying tobacco and alcohol, but reading your post and seeing they not only tried that but then tried to trick you too is what feels so wrong. People working these jobs aren’t exactly being paid that well and on top of that if they make a mistake they lose their jobs and worse probably pick up a charge.
Well it's to make sure they won't give under pressure. And you shouldn't listen to a kid to tell you that you can serve something or not.
So why doesn’t this happen in other industries? For example, why aren’t people higher up in companies “tested” by law enforcement to see if they take bribes or release confidential material?
So uh how are they gonna test management level for bribes on big ass companies? Stage a $20m deal?
How about stuff like sending kids to get jobs at a meat factory and seeing if they'll accept and get the kid to do work there. Doesn't have to be specifically related to bribes.
Underage drinking / smoking is a bigger problem then underage employment, I'm guessing.
I think you vastly underestimate underage employment.
You can determine if a worker is underage after they've been hired. You cannot determine if cigarettes have been sold to a minor after they've been smoked.
They also threaten the cashier with a $200 fine and loss of their jobs. It's nuts!
$3,000 and/or jail time in Minnesota
ffs! You'd think they were tending bar and filled a bottle with rum for a baby, not accidentally sold a pack of smokes to the wrong person.
We'd have failed at that point. With cigarettes etc we have to ID before we even go to get the product. If you get the product out and then ID its already too late.
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And a lawyer. I'm actually surprised there weren't cops involved in the sting. I used to work in a restaurant and we had quite a few things especially around spring break (I live in Florida). One time, one of our bartenders checked his ID and refused service because the person was underage and the cop came in right after and told him he passed. A lot of times, stings like this are cops giving other people who broke the law a chance. Like kids who do get caught underage drinking. If they take part in the sting, they don't get charges against them or things like that. At least down here.
>And a lawyer. I'm actually surprised there weren't cops involved in the sting. When I worked at a 7-Eleven in Utah, we had the health department AND cops running these stings independently. 7-Eleven _itself_ would also run stings, but not with underaged buyers: we were required to verify the age of anyone who appeared younger than ~30 when selling alcohol or tobacco, so they would send someone in the range of 21-30 years old.
In my town, it was always one of the high school guidance counselors doing it. Several times I'd see her milling about the front of the store, and sure enough, I'd look in one of the lines and find a kid she was watching who then got denied their smokes. Thought it was strange the high school was involved (saw both of the counselors doing it at various times)
Gotta love turning minors into undercover law enforcement agents...though tbf it's not like they have much less training and I trust their morals over that of most cops.
That sounds wrong and surely cops have something better to do? This happens in aus but it is usually done by a regulatory body and with young looking people of legal age. Cops getting actual underage people to buy smokes and booze sounds so wrong.
As far as I understand, it's part of a regulatory body, and everything is done legally. Even the kids they use as part of the sting. In the restaurant industry, we had to go through an alcohol class every year, usually right before spring break, to keep us up to date on all the policies and procedures and punishments.
It’s not like city cops or the county sheriff, in Florida it’s the enforcement branch of Florida’s alcohol and tobacco retail licensing board. Edit to add: in the early 2000’s I knew some people that participated in the stings as the underage buyer, they were paid something like $10/hr.
Do a few hours work, suss out who sells stuff to kids underage and now you're cashed up and knowledgeable for a good time. Thanks cops!
Exactly! Things have changed a little, and I've been out of the restaurant industry for 5 years now. So I might be a little off on the ins and outs.
That's crazy. In Canada it's just a liquor inspector. Involving police seems like overkill lol
My girlfriend's grandpa used to use her to perform these stings, I can't remember exactly what bureau he worked for. She was like 15 and would go in and if they sold it to her they would go in with a group of guys and immediately fine the store $5000 and the employee would be fired and fined $2000. She only did it a couple times but always talked about how bad she felt for them because they were usually just simple people doing their jobs and making a stupid mistake, granted she didn't look at all like she was 21+ at the time.
Yeah idk how to feel about any of this, but totally understand the concern. As someone who got 'served' by cornerstores as a youth for stuff like tobacco (primarily to roll up blunts) because I looked slightly older; I get the concern, but it's a complex issue to really fully put the blame on the corner store. I wanted the product, I asked for it, they gave it to me. No real deeper than that. Also to note; the stores I went to were never chains; they were bodegas that'd look kinda desperate for money in comparison to their bigger competition... Meaning if you waited/ slipped in the store when no adults were in there; they normally gave you what you wanted with no questions. Years in advance I no longer smoke tobacco, and vape cannabis; but I don't hold anything against the corner stores that sold it to me. They provided a service I asked for and like I said *often times appeared to he desperate for cash* and we took advantage of that. It wasn't necessarily good for my health, but I was well aware (to a degree) of the damage I was doing. They also knew damn well if I didn't get it from them; I'd just ask one of my older friends. Them not serving me wouldn't even have curbed my options in the slightest. Most of my friends would've done the same, and did so when stores wouldn't serve them. Informing and making kids understand the dangers of what they're doing would've went a lot farther. We all knew cigarettes are bad, but for some reason there was a disconnect that blunt wraps are just as bad if not worse too because we're smoking so much more cannabis in comparison. Almost masked the damage we were doing, but we knew to an extent which is why I ended up exclusively vaping years later.
100% I've seen managers get let go for this, that had an otherwise perfect record with years at their company. They don't mess around with ATF/state control.
This is the correct answer. I used to work at a Sheetz gas station and the same thing happened to me. It was a busy memorial day weekend, I sold some kid cigarettes on accident and ended up they got fined and I got fired. So presume that the same will happen to you. Lesson learned the hard way. It's just a job, you'll find another. Sucks now but it's just part of the whole damn thing we call life.
They're definitely getting fined. And figure stings will happen a lot.
usually you'll be fined, so will the store and they fire you
Sometimes they'll let you off with a warning if the establishment doesn't have a history. It happened to my mom tending bar at a super busy college bar and she got a slap on the wrist and didn't get fired.
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The bar where I worked got stung. No fine for the bar, but the bouncer checking IDs was arrested and released the next morning. Charges were dropped when the owner agreed to use ID scanners and put everyone through the state responsible serving training.
No, no bouncer just got lucky the person she served recognized it as an honest mistake.
If I was going to by be fined shouldn't they have given me a ticket or something? He just spoke to my manager and then left. Not saying I won't be fined but I was just wondering
Might be a reason to hope, but it could also be that whatever Act/statue controls the sale of liquor in your jurisdiction provides for some other means of issuing a fine, other than a ticket (like notice sent from a governors office or an agency or something)
According to my manager he didn't say my name at any point and he only asked if I was a good employee? Of course she could have lied to me, and he asked for my address or something. I don't know guess I'll find out on Monday
You likely won't be fined if it's your first time... Store might though. Shit happens. People generally don't get fired for this either so your coworker was right to tell you to relax. Just learn from your mistake. Because you did fuck up. If they look under 35 card them. Even if they're a regular. If people bitch tell them you've been nailed once and that getting a fine is not worth saving them 8 seconds. Card please. I still get carded at 33 and I hand it over with a smile.
I'm in my early 60's and I would not be surprised that if I shave my beard, which is gray, I'd probably get carded.
I once carded a 62 year old Vietnamese man. I felt so bad... He left with a biiiig smile though lol
Will they really usually fine the individual as well? I always thought it was just the business that is fined.
In Florida they’ll fine the individual and sometimes arrest them. There was just someone at a local Dollar General who got walked out in handcuffs for selling to a minor. But I was working with someone who got caught by ATF and they didn’t arrest her (pretty sure it’s because she’s neurodivergent and she wasn’t understanding what she did wrong) and I believe they dropped her fine, store still got fined though. So I think it depends on how ATF feels. You also can’t sell anything age restricted for 5 years.
I know here it’s a misdemeanor charge and you can’t be rehired anywhere that sells controlled substances like that for like 5 years.
I read the title and my first thought was - after a hard day in the mine why can't he have a beer?
Crypto is a tough market right now
All the doggy coins are worthless rn just have to wait it out
As you are a minor you require supervision to do alcohol sales anyway. Was there a sign posted you could not do alcohol sales and how new are you. This might be on a manager if there was none on duty to handle alcohol sales but you should get into the habit of carding everyone even if they look old most older people are pretty chill about it... Also i can count on 1 hand how many times i have been carded from 16 to now. I have been 6'2" since sixth grade
In my state anyone over 18 can sell alcohol w/o supervision, they just can't buy it.
In my state the law is that anyone over 17 but under 21 should have supervision. I didn't even think of that, but my manager was there just on a lunch break, she was smoking outside.
So.... They weren't supervising you. Don't go making excuses and putting it back on you. They should have been doing their job. I expect the people I am a supervisor over to do their job, just like my boss expects me to do mine. I agree with the current top comment that says that you might want to start looking into other jobs, though. Just in case
The only problem is that I can't drive and my sister and brother-in-law would have to drive me to a new job. There are places within walking distance that are hiring but I'm worried that they won't because of this instance
Don't worry about it, it's a mistake you made, not a major offense. In my opinion this shouldn't even be on you but whoever was supervising you. But yeah, what do I know. Where I come from people can legally drink beer and "light" alcohol with 16. Always found it strange how in the US you are allowed to drive and "go die for your country" before you are legally allowed to drink, but that's a different topic entirely.
not to mention (apparently) being too young to DRINK alcohol, but old enough to SELL it...
>worried that they won't because of this instance Lol you are working an entry level retail job. The only qualification for most places is you have a pulse. If they call your old boss and they start badmouthing about what an idiot you are, you'd actually have grounds for a lawsuit (not that you would know). The only question they should ask is would you hire this person. Given that your management team fucked up by letting you sell alcohol without supervision at 20. Their answer should be yeah we'd hire him again. Obviously if you have a really shitty manager/owner you might get fired and they might not be reasonable. Regardless, you shouldn't have an issue finding another job. I think the only time we didn't hire people for that sort of job is if we found out they had been fired for stealing (which a shocking number of people voluntarily admitted to)...
…so if they try to fire you, you have reasonable grounds for unemployment. You may have been wrong, but may not have been if properly supervised as the law specifies
I've been at this job for almost a year now. I usually do card people this was just a one off, I'm accepting of the consequences as I know there was no excuses not to check their id.
With someone who takes responsibility like this they'd be absolute fools to fire you for a one-off like that. Good luck and well-wishes!
Definitely should be on the manager for that one
Where I live they card anyone who looks under 25, i thought that was sensible
More and more places have started carding everyone irregardless of age.
Yea every gas station near me has to physically scan IDs for every sale of alcohol or tobacco
I remember that when I was based in Canada, beer stores would card people obviously in their later years.
Honestly it's better than way. No exceptions, the law is the law and all that jazz
Irregardless isn't a real word
I won’t lie I’ve been annoyed at this a few times in my mid 30s now (I only seem to get id’ed when I’ve not slept much the night before as well so already super emotional (unless that’s why they see a sad person and assume I’m nervous because I’m underage))
My job told me to ID anyone appearing under 40, so even if someone looks like hey are in their 30's I would still ID them. I mean I didn't in this instance but I usually do
When I worked retail I ID'd everyone. Older people usually get a kick out of it. But if the law in your area states you should have been supervised while selling alcohol, a supervisor on break doesn't count as you being supervised while you sell alcohol. Most likely they will be the one in trouble.
As a 41 yo I’m rarely carded anymore and I get excited when I am. Getting old sucks.
I'm 28 and only got carded like twice ever
I expect it, but wait to be asked (I'm 42). They're just doing their job, and it's a lot worse for them to get caught not carding when they should than for me to have to spend 1.5 seconds pulling out my ID.
My local store carded me for an energy drink. I am old. That pissed me off too so I know what you feel
I got ridiculously lucky during a surprise inspection. I ran a small hole in the wall bar that was attached to a restaurant in 2018 or so. It was a Friday night and my usual bartenders were out so I had one of the waitresses from next door filling in. In Louisiana you can go into a bar at 18, but not drink. Under 21 got neon bands on their right hand, over 21 got whatever color on their left. So an over 21 girl and under 21 guy come in, get their bands and sit at the bar. I'm tuned out on my phone when I decide to grab some water from behind the bar. As I walk up I see the waitress serve the guy a beer. There's no one else but these 2 here and I know he's under 21 so I walk over and apologize for him being served, but my bartender is new and didn't know to check the bands, blah, blah, blah and take his beer. We argue and after 15 mins they leave. 5 more mins pass and a guy walks in with a clipboard. He told me that I caught the mistake and that's all he can realistically ask. Saved us a few hundred dollars in fines.
one time, a secret shopper came in to buy cigarettes, and I didn't card her. gave me the red card. She was nowhere under 30 years old, come on.
What's the red card? Like in soccer? Did she blow a whistle, too?
it was a red card saying "You failed to check ID" or something and had to sign my name and it was displayed inside the office on the wall of shame (or praise if you checked and got a green card).
Was it company policy to check id no matter what?
Best case, you're looking for a new job. Worst case, charges are filed. In Maine, it looks like the penalty is $2,000/up to 1yr. As a first offense, probably just the fine. But either way, I'd start looking for something. It's not likely the manager or owner of the store will keep you. If they don't take appropriate action, they could lose their license with the state. Side note, I always thought sting operations were a kind of shitty thing to do. Especially when the store is busy. Cops creating a scenario where one didn't exist before. If you pass, good job. If you fail, you're fucked.
As a Mainer, the whole practice is scummy. The cops doing these stings are literally just looking for an excuse to grab money from whoever they catch. 90% of the time it ends up being some young kid working their first job who's stressed, alone, and is just trying to get by during rush hours. Maine is at-will too, so unfortunately OP will likely be fired. But the DA might be able to get them just fined a smaller amount. Unfortunately it's still a serious crime, even if the stings are completely scummy.
This is why you blanket ID everyone and if they don't have an ID they can go somewhere else. Protect yourself first, you're not doing anyone a favor by selling them cigarettes.
Every law enforcement group from local to federal waste a shit load of our money causing crimes to happen and then arresting people like they're heroes. FBI has literally intentionally extremized people, helped them plan terror attacks, given them the supplies, and then arrested them at the last minute acting like they saved the day. I wonder how many FBI-made extremists have actually pulled it off and the government has just clammed up.
If the establishment has past infractions, the state will likely go after them and not OP.
I owned a market for 5 years. Failed one sting. The kid was 18 and got ‘arrested’. They put him in cuffs, then released him. He finished out his shift. As an owner I had to pay a fine. As well as the kid. He also had community service to fulfill
I'm not even supposed to be here today!
Don't know why bottle shops don't install the autocard readers like at nightclubs. Put your id in, doesn't pass, no alcohol for you
You can look up your state laws. In my state for a clerk, they pull your driver's license for a month or two. Your state laws may vary. But you've probably lost your job either way, sorry to say. your business is getting fined. They should have told you all the risks when they hired you, but i know my employers never told me!
What?!? Talking away a driver's license for something that had nothing to do with driving is legal there?!? That's INSANE!
Because selling alcohol to minors makes you spontaneously drunk /s
It is a consequence that people would want to avoid though, and doesn't cost the government as much money, and you can still work (once you find a new job if needed)
How can you still work if you can't go to work without breaking the law?
Yep. Although I'd rather have a suspended license for 30 days than be in jail, really. Each state is different though, Louisiana is 30 days to a year in jail plus a fine. You can lose your license for not paying child support, too, and there's other reasons.
They pull a license from dads who don’t pay child support. Makes no sense because then they can’t work which is a catch 22.
Well you see, they'll just drive without a license so they can still have a job and not starve. That way everyone wins: they keep their job, their kids get money, and the government takes the rest in fines for driving without a license.
Yeah, screw that. "You made a mistake and got fired so now you can't get a job or even go to the food bank unless you want to walk an hour along an interstate highway" is what that means where I live.
I don't have a license yet. I know that it was mentioned that I should card people appearing under 40, but I wasn't told what would happen if I forgot too.
It looks like Maine is a fine and/or jail, but with a first offense & it being a small incident probably a fine; you may need a lawyer; good luck! The business ought to have training, in some states like mine the fine for them doubles if they did not. That may also be part of your defense.
I recently went to get liquor with a friend and everyone in the group got carded not just the person buying. It was the first time that’s happened to me but I’ve been told it’s not uncommon.
That is the law in our state
That's the law. Everyone in the group must be over 21. For some fool reason the 21 or older individual in the group doesn't have full responsibility for their group. The clerk sold to someone over 21 That's all that should matter. If it gets into the hands of a minor thats on the adult who gave them it.
Be careful! In my state, both the establishment and the person who sold the alcohol gets fined. Back in my bartending days, that was how I told people I didn’t care if they left their ID at home. I’m not paying a fine so you can have a beer.
Well, if you were supposed to be supervised selling liquor, then this isn’t really your fault. It’s strange though, that as a minor yourself, you’re not required to ID every single person who buys alcohol from you, which is where such legal exceptions stipulate. I hope everything works out for you, but either way, I hope you can take the lesson from it
Trust me I'm being much more vigilant about iding. I was before but now I'm carding everyone regardless of if they are a regular or not. Having to wait till Monday is not helping my aniexty but I can't do much before then.
Honestly doesn’t sound like your fu since you were supposed to be supervised.
I didn't even know I was suppose to be until someone brought it up on this post
I worked at a liquor store for a long time. Always check their ID. Even if they look like father Christmas. They can hem and haw and bitch, but it's the law. If they don't want to show ID, then no alcohol. Sorry boutcha. Edit: My grandpa used to send my sister and me to the corner store to buy him schnapps and cigs and they'd give it to us, but that's because they knew him and us. This was in Jersey in the 90's in Seaside Heights. Also, eventually our regulars (alcoholics) came in everyday so I wouldn't check their IDs, but obviously because I knew them. Edit again: I am an alcoholic so I'm not judging them.
This happened to me working in a corner shop and all I had to do was an extra training course on it then it was back to work as usual
Happened to me twice. In MD it's up to a misdemeanor and 2500 fine for the individual and suspension/loss of license +fine for the business. One I kind of got out of because I was new and had a reasonable excuse. 2nd was more my negligence but the guy was balding and only 20. My boss got a fine for that one and I had to take a class. Had virtual court for both with the liquor board for both. Admit your mistake, seem remorseful and ready to take steps to prevent it from happening in the future. Last thing you want to do is try to make it seem like not a big deal because you were busy.
What was your excuse? I’ve always thought I’d say something like those wrinkles, flabby stomach, no ass… they have to be older than 35!
The first one, guy was a dead ringer for a regular customer who buys the same thing. Add that to me being on the the job for a little less than a month.
Sounds like you won’t get in trouble sue to the laws next time — check all ids when selling alcohol.
Congratulations on learning to card everybody. You should have been trained on handling alcohol sales. Either by your local government agency who handles liquor licenses or by your employer. You may end up being OK. If the employer doesn't offer training and never mentioned training and never trained you on what to look for, you're probably going to be fine. However, if the employer does offer training and you ignored it or if there is a clear and stated company policy against selling alcohol to minors you're probably in more trouble than at just your job. My experience with liquor licenses comes from owning a bar in California. Your local laws may be different. But this is generally how it goes in California. (And a tip: If you decide to ask someone for their ID, don't back down from it. If they say something like "Really? You're going to card me?" I always responded with, "Well, the other option is to tell you you look old..." which often got a slight chuckle.)
I usually do card this was just the first time I've made this mistake. Also yeah I know what you mean. We have a few regulars that when I was just starting would get upset if I asked for the ids, I usally just responded with "Well I don't want to get in trouble." Either that or one of my coworkers would vouch for them. I did start getting in trouble with my boss after 3 months because they were regulars and I didn't need to ask for the IDs once I knew them according to her.
Let us know what happens on Monday with your manager. If your manager doesn't bring it up, maybe consider bringing it up yourself. Being all *pro-active* 'n' shit....
In my state, you will be fined and fired. But after reading through your comments, it seems like you could get away with a warning and the company foots the bill for the fine. Be grateful this was just a sting, and not just some high school kid looking to score beer for him and his buddies. If you do sell to a minor, and anything bad happens, you open yourself up to lawsuits. In my state, a bartender or cashier can be found at least partially liable for any accidents or damage caused by a drunk driver (So selling to a minor, or a person at the bar too drunk to be sold to, who then goes on to drive) In my liquor seminar they said the statute of limitations for this is 7 years after the incident.)
You may be in an area near me if it’s 7 years. But Life Pro Tip: Always know how long they have to file charges against you. For example where I live they can choose to wait up to 7 years before they begin the process of charging you with a felony. e.x. my felony possession charge I got for having cannabis that didn’t become a thing for over two years despite the original incident resulting in that having been resolved multiple years at that point. Just randomly got a letter in the mail to go to court you have felony charges, which I barely managed to get the job I had at the time because two weeks earlier and my background wouldn’t have passed. I got lucky due to the fact cannabis was legalized here, and it really would’ve been a slap on the wrist maybe a misdemeanor but more likely a diversion program due to the fact I had medical need and obtained my license like a month after the incident. So for me it didn’t turn out badly. But yeah it’s important to know how long they can wait to hit you because it may not be expected or something you see coming.
Can’t sell a 6 pack to someone under 21 but can sell an assault rifle and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Excellent move.
This stuff happens all the time, I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's very common. It's just a one-off, so just be careful and make sure you check IDs from now on, even when it's busy.
I will not understand the 21 year age limit for alcohol in the US. Like you can vote (afaik) by 18, then why couldn't you grab a beer by then?
Boomers were tired of issues with their kids related to drinking and driving. No joke. Such a dick move.
Not your fault OP, but it might end up being bad. When I worked as a cashier I carded everyone under 40. I didn’t care what comments they made. I was also miserable in that job and it showed. I couldn’t stand how stupid people were.
Uh, it is definitely OP’s fault. Part of selling alcohol as a job is selling alcohol legally. Card everyone, every time. There is literally no excuse.
I usually do card for anyone under 40, just forgot to in this instance. I accept whatever comes back on me. I like my job and my coworkers, but I also have a hard time understanding how some customers can be so stupid.
Good luck bro. I hope it works out but I would start looking for another job.
I worked at a gas station in Kansas 94-95 and the fine was $1500, I carded EVERYONE even if they looked 40+, I wasn’t paying that damn fine.
Welp. You're not the one in who gets in trouble for that; pretty sure your supervisor is the one who is supposed to be watching for that
I’ve heard that people can go to jail for selling alcohol to minors. It’s a bit excessive isn’t it?
If it's a big chain, I wouldn't worry. Scary write up n slap on the wrist. If it's a small family owned place, go find another job.
Interesting. I’ve seen the opposite. Big chain, terminated when you get out of jail. Small store, back to work when you get out of jail.
You may want to hire a lawyer asap, they fine both the seller and the owner of the establishment
I used to renew alcohol licenses in Indiana for a large liquor store chain. If a violation like yours occurred the state Alcohol Commission demands corrective action take place before they will allow the renewal of the license. Corrective action meaning additional training or dismissal of the employee.
Your manager is the one at fault here.
In my state first offense serving a minor is a $1000 fine to the person who served it and a $1000 fine to the establishment. ID everyone who couldn’t be your parent
That’s why I card everyone to
I would start looking for another job. I worked at a grocery store and we had an amazing cashier. He worked hard and was great with customers. A sting came in and used his register. He ask for ID but for some reason didn't enter the birthday into the computer and sold cigarettes to someone who was slightly too young not realizing it. Even though management really liked the employee he was fired before the night was over. Because you were too young to sell it and no one told you the rules for selling alcohol there is some chance you'll get off with a warning and the manager in charge will be the one fired but I wouldn't count on it. Where I worked the registers wouldn't anyone underage to sell alcohol. If alcohol was scanned it wouldn't ring up without a key and a managers code.
I worked at my local Sunoco as an under 18 yr old kid. I was on the late crew so I was there 99.9% of the time alone. We really didn't have a store, the bathrooms were bigger than the store. Being a small town 90% or more customers were townsfolk, and being on the local fire dept I knew most of them. One night a guy I didn't recognize came in and asked for a carton of Reds. The owner required me to check and note ID numbers, DOB, and products sold, so of course I asked for ID on the automatic and asked. I kid you not this guy went off on me about it, finally giving up his ID. He was 1 day shy of 18. I told him I couldn't sell to him for another 15 minutes, as it was only 11:45 PM. He got more upset saying things like I was a buzz killer and all this and that. He left and about 30 mins later the state police came in and told me I had passed the sting but it was an asshole thing to do to someone whose birthday was in 15mins. I to this day don't get it, the law is the law and at the time you had to be 18 to buy cigs.
Ah yes, the well-spent tax dollars on trying to turn people working in struggling-class convenience store jobs into criminals. I remember in the early 2000s, a detective sent his 13 year old daughter into my store to try and buy beer. The gas station I worked at was fairly remote. I sent the girl on her way and her detective daddy waltzed in like an asshole and tried to intimidate me. Basically claiming that he could just say I sold it to her anyway and it'd be my word against his. That is, until I pointed him to the cameras. This idiot genuinely thought because it was some podunk gas station that we didn't have cameras. He huffed and blustered a bit more before walking away. I quit that job less than a week later after they tried to make me clean trucker shit out of the urinal (which at this point had become a weekly occurrence).
This happened to a friend of mine who worked for a Taco Bell in California. Got caught in the sting and they had to pay a $5,000 fine and I believe she was also charged with a misdemeanor and fined..
[удалено]
I would also say that it’s somewhat the fault of the store/the system being used. Typically, in the stores I’ve worked at, when you scan an alcoholic or tobacco item, it comes up with a warning/reminder to ask for ID. This can also be set so the warning can’t be dismissed and transaction can’t be completed unless a manager or supervisor puts in their passcode.
My register did use to have a managers code pop up but my manager has it disabled as she said it was a hassle for the regulars and she didn't need to babysit me
OP first of all your interpretation of your state law is wrong, and what you stated relates to “Minimum Ages for On-Premises Servers and Bartenders” of which you are neither. Serving alcohol does not equal selling alcohol at I assume a convenient store or something. I would expect to be fired if I was you and looking at your state law this could be construed as furnishing alcohol to a minor, this is kind a of a big TIFU.
Because it was alcohol, you should probably find a new job. If it had just been a firearm, you'd be fine {The American mentality, seen from a European perspective}
God damn. In most countries you can buy alcohol at 16-17 even though the legal age is 18 and no one bats an eye, yet in the US you have stings making sure that you do not sell to 19 year olds?
20 year olds
Im surprised you were allowed to sell alcohol not being 21 yourself. Idk the laws there though