I went to Charleston last week for a couple days and managed to forget my tackle box. No biggie, I didn’t need much but I did need a knife to cut bait. I went to Walmart and picked up a cheap 6 inch knife and when I checked out I was asked for ID by the self checkout. I asked the clerk that came over what caused me to be carded and it was the knife. You’ve apparently got to be over 16 to buy a knife there.
Thank Goodness Walmart is keeping us safe from those 15 year old fishermen wielding a filet knife.

I was at a counter with a clerk. Not self checkout, an actual clerk. I got carded to buy a box of ammunition. I'm 81. A youthful 81, I guess.

A few years ago, I was well into my seventies, I stopped at Target to pick up a few things on the way home. Had not planned to buy any wine, but there was an end cap with some stuff on clearance so I grabbed a bottle. They would not sell it to me because I did not have any ID with me to prove that I was over 21.

Happens a lot here too. Last was for a bottle of booze. And yeah I'm a septuagenarian. LOL

It may be ridiculous from our standpoint, but not from the businesses’. Having a “card everyone” rule ensures that no one can complain, “You didn’t ask for his ID,” but more important, no one has to make any subjective judgments, and even more important than that, they don’t end up with fines, etc.

I bought my sons a few airplane models back when they were 12 and 14. The kits needed testor's glue so I dropped by walmart to pick up a tube. I used to build models weekly from 10 years up to when I started dating...

I looked everywhere around the models- no glue to be found. Finally I hunted someone down and asked. They told me I had to get the glue at the front register.
When I asked for it the clerk asked me for an ID... Mind you, I'm a geezer.
I asked them if they were serious and they said "we have to ask everyone"...

I get carded to buy ammunition at Wal-Mart. Between that and the wait to get somebody to even man the counter, let alone open the cabinet, I wouldn't put up with it if Winchester 9mm NATO were not 18 cents a round. I also get it for all alcohol purchases. I realize there is a grey area where a purchaser might look but still be under 21, but those days are long behind me. Part or all of this stems from the register system not allowing a transaction to proceed until a date of birth is entered.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
It may be ridiculous from our standpoint, but not from the businesses’. Having a “card everyone” rule ensures that no one can complain, “You didn’t ask for his ID,” but more important, no one has to make any subjective judgments, and even more important than that, they don’t end up with fines, etc.

Exactly.

Although of course someone will always find a reason to complain. Personally I find pulling my ID out to be a pretty easy task and not one worth my rage.

Ask me for identification and I will tell them that I have a mole in my left arm pit.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
the register system not allowing a transaction to proceed until a date of birth is entered.

Walmart, Aldi, Winn-Dixie, ABC Liquors, and Publix, to name a few in my area, have an override for this. The cashiers, who are empowered to use common sense, do something magic and the register software is happy.

The incident I had at Target, nobody on duty in the store at the time had been trained on the new register software, so they did not know how to do the override.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Huffman:... You’ve apparently got to be over 16 to buy a knife there. ...

It's yer baby face!

quote:

Originally posted by Pale Horse:

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
It may be ridiculous from our standpoint, but not from the businesses’. Having a “card everyone” rule ensures that no one can complain, “You didn’t ask for his ID,” but more important, no one has to make any subjective judgments, and even more important than that, they don’t end up with fines, etc.

Exactly.

Although of course someone will always find a reason to complain. Personally I find pulling my ID out to be a pretty easy task and not one worth my rage.

Agreed. If I ran a business requiring ID checks for age limits, everyone would get carded.

You should have explained it was okay, you were just getting the knife for some kid outside who gave you an extra 5 bucks to buy it for him.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
the register system not allowing a transaction to proceed until a date of birth is entered.

Walmart, Aldi, Winn-Dixie, ABC Liquors, and Publix, to name a few in my area, have an override for this. The cashiers, who are empowered to use common sense, do something magic and the register software is happy.

The incident I had at Target, nobody on duty in the store at the time had been trained on the new register software, so they did not know how to do the override.

I am pretty sure that the "override" you are talking about is simply typing in any birthday over the proper age. At least for the low-level cashier. You just had a cashier at Target who wasn't willing to risk their job over it.

A couple years ago I got carded at a rated R movie. I’m only 30, but still... who gets carded at the movies? Obviously me

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Huffman:... You’ve apparently got to be over 16 to buy a knife there. ...

It's yer baby face!

or he was 4 when he signed up for Sigforum

I can see a knife, but I got carded at Target buying a Bic lighter. No joke, go see for yourself.

Like a lot of rules, it does nothing other than just add one more step in the process. The folks in charge of these stores think it protects them, but in reality it doesn't.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
the register system not allowing a transaction to proceed until a date of birth is entered.

Walmart, Aldi, Winn-Dixie, ABC Liquors, and Publix, to name a few in my area, have an override for this. The cashiers, who are empowered to use common sense, do something magic and the register software is happy.

The incident I had at Target, nobody on duty in the store at the time had been trained on the new register software, so they did not know how to do the override.

the override is keying in a random date, or 00/00/0000, depending on the system

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
Like a lot of rules, it does nothing other than just add one more step in the process. The folks in charge of these stores think it protects them, but in reality it doesn't.

keep in mind, the folks in charge are in a corporate office somewhere usually, and usually don't set foot in a retail location but maybe 1x a month , if that, on an announced and preplaned visit,


I used to be a Store Manager for 2 different retail chains,

now all a Store Manager, and the Co's and assistants are are paper pushers,

given a checklist to do daily, and make sure each associate is doing what they are assigned to do,

random and independent thought is frowned upon

My wife didn't get proofed the other day, she said something and the clerk said "I figured you're OK, you're with the old guy." She's 67, I'm 74!