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Roger Mitchell's avatar

I went into a convenience store in Missoula on my way home from work one Friday afternoon and dropped a six-pack on the counter. The clerk said she needed to see ID. I pointed at my gray hair and white beard and asked her if she thought I was underage. She replied that it was company policy to card everyone. Needless to say, I left the beer there, walked out without it, and have not been back since.

I traveled to Pennsylvania last summer to spend a week with family, many of whom I had not seen in decades. While there, I stopped at a convenience store to buy a bottle of wine and was told to produce ID. I gave the store the same treatment described above. However, on the trip out of town back to the campsite, I saw an official State Liquor store and decided to try for a purchase there. The clerk, a State employee, never mentioned ID, took my cash, bagged my bottles, and wished me a good day.

Strange!

My theory is that individual stores are so terrified of losing their "license" to sell alcohol that they will not do anything at all which might bring that about, even if it means that they tell their well over the age of 21 clients to drop their trousers, bend over, and resort to rape. Trying to put it mildly so as not to offend anyone. BTW, the term "license" simply means paying someone for permission to operate at whatever is desired. Nothing more. Permission--bought and paid for.

Anymore, I make a joke of it. Often I will ask the clerk if he or she wants to see my ID and hold up my thumb for verification. It always draws a laugh. One thing is for certain, though. Any store which demands to see my ID to buy beer will lose all my business forevermore.

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Edward Hunt's avatar

I will freely admit that my interest in the midwest travel series was starting to wane just a wee bit Then we get this corker! amazing writing....

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