ID

[DeanoL]

I'm 31 and I often get ID'ed in the real world. Luckily I took all my own booze in so didn't need to use a bar. I would have been buggerred too as I don't drive and I have lost my passport.

Anyhow one solution for the festival could be that anyone concerned about being asked for ID and who don't want to cart their documents about could get ID'ed at the gates by security and be given a second wristband to proof they are old enough to drink. Passport/driving licence can then be stored safely in the car or the lock ups.

[Craigston]

Haha - noticed this too. During the Hobo Jones gig before Pulp they were away with the fairies.

thought all the bar staff were fantastic again this year - even when the bars looked unfeasibly packed service was easy and without exception they were polite and good humoured (and I met quite a few of them over the weekend!)

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I'm 31 and I often get ID'ed in the real world. Luckily I took all my own booze in so didn't need to use a bar. I would have been buggerred too as I don't drive and I have lost my passport.

Anyhow one solution for the festival could be that anyone concerned about being asked for ID and who don't want to cart their documents about could get ID'ed at the gates by security and be given a second wristband to proof they are old enough to drink. Passport/driving licence can then be stored safely in the car or the lock ups.

[DeanoL]

As I understand it, the wristband thing has no legal recognition. So if one got loose, got swapped with a mate, and then someone underage got served, the server could get done and the wristband thing would be no defense.

[markeee]

Festival Republic do over 18's wristbands for folk that produce ID, but still tell folk that they could be asked to prove their age if asked. Mind you they do accept a Citizencard which at £15 is no real loss if misplaced, as compared to a passport etc.

[markeee]

Ha! I'm glad other people had this problem. It's hard for me to grow a beard, on account of how I'm a lay-dee.

I do agree that it can be hard to judge someone's age, and having worked in a bar for 7 years (through my BA, MSc, PhD snore snore etc), have had issues myself. But, seriously, once you approach 30 your skin changes. If you ask someone to smile they get lines that take a while to drop out round their eyes and mouth (no matter how well they take care of themselves) that you just DON'T get when you're a teenager. Up until about 25 I can see it goes either way, but there really is no way you could mistake someone 28+ for a 17 year old if you ask them to give you a smile :-) (and, tbh, if they do fool you - if their skin is that raddled at that point in their life, they deserve a pint of cider!)

I do have sympathy for bars and individual bar workers being fined/losing licence, but carrying your passport or driver's licence is nuts. It's not just the cost of replacing, it's the ID fraud consequences. Also, I don't have a driver's licence (apparently provisionals are unccepatble - ERM...THEY'RE EXACTLY THE SAME!), and passport seems a very foolhardy to thing to carry on your person round a big field of drunk and occassionally morally questionable people (most people are lovely, obviously, but the theiving posts make it clear some are not).

[strudders]

Was a tad strange this year. My Daughter bought beer at every location she tried (this is not to be condoned and we have had words as I found it a little disrespectful) but was refused cigarettes..... However the biggest crime was she did not buy me one... This is unforgivable...

[strudders]

Was a tad strange this year. My Daughter bought beer at every location she tried (this is not to be condoned and we have had words as I found it a little disrespectful) but was refused cigarettes..... However the biggest crime was she did not buy me one... This is unforgivable...

[coma girl]

I got id'd more at G this year than I ever have at any other festival, doesn't bother me too much as I had my id on me and I don't blame the staff for wanting to avoid a fine and/or being booted off site. It is a bit annoying that the only id which is accepted is passport or license but this obviously isn't something unique to Glastonbury, I wish there was some kind of official proof of age that everyone would accept but that wasn't as important as your passport or license as it seems a bit rubbish that someone with no interest in driving/going abroad should have to go through the hassle and not to mention large cost of getting one of those. I appreciate that there's a concern about forgery but it still seems a bit mad that you have to take your passport with you just to buy a pint and then risk losing it.

[Spliffman]

Thankfully I am way too old to have to worry about being asked for I.D.

But I can't understand why. If you are 30 but look like 25 then why are

you still being asked for I.D.? When you only have to be 18 leagally.

Common sence has been scared out of people. I know that the majority

of bar staff are inexperienced and only working their ticket but, there

must be someone in charge of the bar with a bit of common sence. Someone

who is confident in their own abilities to be able to do their job?

I have run pubs and clubs in the past (12 years)and if there was doubt

my staff would call me over and then I would make the call. Never had

any problems in all that time, with the law. I would still suggest that,

anyone 21 or younger should still carry some form I.D. though.

There are proof of age cards available from police stations. Why are

these not accepted at Glastonbury? Passports should never be needed at a

festival imho. Wristbands for over 18 would also help.

BTW There is a local super market near me that will not sell any adult

alcohol, if they have a young person with them. Regaurdless of what age

or I.D. they have. Their reason? because you might give the alcohol to

the younger person!

My argument is what I do with my alcohol has no bearing on the shop or

the staff in that shop. That is a matter between me and the police. end

off.

[ukslim]

If you are 30 but look like 25 then why are you still being asked for I.D.? When you only have to be 18 leagally.

[Spliffman]

It's simple. Someone gets nailed for serving an under-18, so act innocent and say "Well how was I to know? They looked 18."

So someone higher up says, right, from now on, you're to ask anyone who looks under 21 for ID. That way you've got a 3 year margin of error. "But people get offended if you ask for ID". "Not if we put up signs explaining our policy".

... and that policy goes into operation, and someone still gets caught serving an under-18. "It's not fair!" they protest. "She definitely looked 21". And so they move the checking boundary up to 25.

I don't see anything wrong with it. If you're under 25 -- or look it -- you should be used to carrying age ID.

That's if we as a society agree that under 18s shouldn't be buying booze. I'm not sure I do agree with that -- I was drinking when I was 17 -- but I suppose you have to draw a line at some age or another.

[Spliffman]

But if things get any worse, you will need to take your parents with you

if you want to get a drink at Glastonbury. This will only make it harder

to get tickets in future

[Neeeeeedles]

Brothers Bar was the worst for me with regards to ID. The dumb bitch couldn't work out that if being born in 1991 made me overage or not. 'Yeah makes me 20 love'

She referred it to 2 members of staff while I stood there looking an utter penis. Cheers then.

[ukslim]

Oh please don't get me wrong, I know why they do. It's all about passing the buck. It's NOT my fault officer! Blame him/her!

[Spliffman]

No idea what you're on about. Passing the buck from who to whom?

[ukslim]

In the old days it was the management who took all the blame, and the the big wages for the responsability. Now it gets put on the person with the least training usually at the P.O.S.. So now the people with power and the money can hold their hands up and defer any wrong doing to down the line..

[Spliffman]

I see what you mean, but I see it the opposite way.

The POS guy is the only person in a position to spot under-18s.

In the past, the POS guy could pass the buck; management took the hit. Now the buck stops right where it starts.

[ukslim]

So the young inexperienced server who may not have done the job before gets the blame.

[DeanoL]

Brothers Bar was the worst for me with regards to ID. The dumb bitch couldn't work out that if being born in 1991 made me overage or not. 'Yeah makes me 20 love'

She referred it to 2 members of staff while I stood there looking an utter penis. Cheers then.

[ukslim]

This happens to people of a certain generation. We have 'issues' with people being born in the 1990s being proper grown adults...

[LondonTom]

Brothers Bar was the worst for me with regards to ID. The dumb bitch couldn't work out that if being born in 1991 made me overage or not. 'Yeah makes me 20 love'

She referred it to 2 members of staff while I stood there looking an utter penis. Cheers then.

[markeee]

Thankfully I am way too old to have to worry about being asked for I.D.

But I can't understand why. If you are 30 but look like 25 then why are

you still being asked for I.D.? When you only have to be 18 leagally.

Common sence has been scared out of people. I know that the majority

of bar staff are inexperienced and only working their ticket but, there

must be someone in charge of the bar with a bit of common sence. Someone

who is confident in their own abilities to be able to do their job?

I have run pubs and clubs in the past (12 years)and if there was doubt

my staff would call me over and then I would make the call. Never had

any problems in all that time, with the law. I would still suggest that,

anyone 21 or younger should still carry some form I.D. though.

There are proof of age cards available from police stations. Why are

these not accepted at Glastonbury? Passports should never be needed at a

festival imho. Wristbands for over 18 would also help.

BTW There is a local super market near me that will not sell any adult

alcohol, if they have a young person with them. Regaurdless of what age

or I.D. they have. Their reason? because you might give the alcohol to

the younger person!

My argument is what I do with my alcohol has no bearing on the shop or

the staff in that shop. That is a matter between me and the police. end

off.

Edited July 16, 2011 by markeee