Green card no valid ID?

[Kath 0]

hi ya

been reading this thread...got a giggle from some of the comments...

i have just started at K-Mart and doing my orientation and the finally testing of what i had learned and today it was about valid ID for selling smokes and alchol...

to my surprise at K-mart the immigration card (greencard) is a valid Id that you can present when buying alchol ...

just thought i would let you all know .. i havent been in that department to see what kind of alchol they sell yet its only my 3rd day there lol..

i agree with the previous post..i know these days they look older than they really are these days but damm a 16 year old can buy a gun where is the sense in that..

kath

[Kitty_Cat 0]

I have used my greencard as ID at restaurants/liquor stores

Never have any problem with that.

[foxtobee 1]

Yes, I came over here to do a two year associate of science/arts degree, no SSN for little me. No way Jose...well actually Jose can get one...

Yes, frustrating eh Jose can get one, but you want a real one, not afake , I've been waiting 9 months to get one ( in meanwhile waiting for GC).

[Yodrak 7]

foxtobee,

As a practical matter, what constitutes a 'valid ID' is what the person inspecting the ID says it is. It's their a$$ - and that of their employer - that's on the line if they make a mistake.

Frustrating when it happens, but consider what you would do if you were the accountable person and someone handed you an ID that you did not recognize or understand.

Yodrak

Yesterday my husband and I went to Safeway to buy a bottle of wine.

They always ask for both people for ID.

My husband shows his driver's license and I show my Green Card, happt that I don't have to carry my passport around ( they always founf it hard to fing my DOB)

The girl behing the cash register says that my card isn't a valid ID and as a foreigner I need to show my passport.

Only because my husband was paying she allowed us to take the wine home ( I'm 31 by the way, so I don't look much like a minor either, my husband is even 5 yrs yonger than I )

A couple of months ago, another guy at CVS told me he couldn't sell me any wine, because he would get in trouble for selling it to someone without a state ID, so what's happening here???

[thesnowman 1]

This topic made me chuckle.

I just got my proper drivers licence the other day, after spending months with a piece of paper as a licence. However before that I generally used my UK driving licence as an ID when I got carded for Alcohol and most of the time it got accepted, even if I did get a few odd looks, especially since the date is day/month/year. However we went into this local grocery store and bought some wine and the guy came up and asked me for ID, so I showed him my UK driving licence, we went away and came back and said that they couldn't accept it and that they didn't accept non us government issued IDs. He then told he would accept my UK passport, but isn't that also a non us government issued ID. It didn't make any sense, so I asked to speak to the manager and had a big argument with him that they would accept a UK passport over a UK licence. He wouldn't budge and said that I should always carry my passport with me. As I was getting more and more heated my wife had used her ID and bought the groceries before grabbing me away.

Anyway went in the other day to the same store to buy some margarita mix as we were having some friends over, the mix didn't have any alcohol in it, and we had the tequila at home. Next thing the I know I am getting carded for the mix. the guy explained that although it didn't have any alcohol in, it was in the alcohol section (next to tonic and soda water) so therefore ID was required. So I had my paper licence in the car, so i showed him my EAD. He informed me that it wasn't valid as it wasn't a government issued ID, I then pointed out to him that it said Dept of Homeland Security in big red letters at the top and if that wasn't a government dept what was. he eventually went away to ask his manager (who was the same guy that I had the argument with before), he looked over and I just smiled at him, he then told the guy to accept my ID, probably didn't want another fight.

I know I am in America now and the rules are different, but it does seem a bit crazy. Although it was funny when my mum and dad came over to visit, we all got ID'd going into a bar, but the door man went to my mum, " I definitely want to see your ID". it was right in front of my dad, it was quite funny.

[Dr_LHA 3]

I got carded once for buying alcohol free beer at a grocery store in Pennsylvania. Note that in PA grocery stores they cannot sell alcoholic beverages. Apparently alcohol free beer still has an age requirement though! I wonder what they would make of Shandy Bass in the UK, which has more alcohol in it than the O'Douls I was buying* but yet is sold to kids!

*For a friend - I don't drink anything unless its at least 4% alcohol personally.

[rin and john 71]

foxtobee,

As a practical matter, what constitutes a 'valid ID' is what the person inspecting the ID says it is. It's their a$$ - and that of their employer - that's on the line if they make a mistake.

Frustrating when it happens, but consider what you would do if you were the accountable person and someone handed you an ID that you did not recognize or understand.

Yodrak

Yesterday my husband and I went to Safeway to buy a bottle of wine.

They always ask for both people for ID.

My husband shows his driver's license and I show my Green Card, happt that I don't have to carry my passport around ( they always founf it hard to fing my DOB)

The girl behing the cash register says that my card isn't a valid ID and as a foreigner I need to show my passport.

Only because my husband was paying she allowed us to take the wine home ( I'm 31 by the way, so I don't look much like a minor either, my husband is even 5 yrs yonger than I )

A couple of months ago, another guy at CVS told me he couldn't sell me any wine, because he would get in trouble for selling it to someone without a state ID, so what's happening here???

I agree with Yodrak on this one. It is the person selling the alcohol that decides what is sufficient proof. Even if you have a valid driver's license, they can refuse to sell to you if they think it might be fake.

That being said, TN has just started requiring ID checks for everyone. The interesting thing is I have been with Rin to Beale Street (downtown Memphis) a couple of times. Both times I handed them her Thai ID card and they let her in. I had to laugh; 1) I am sure they cannot read the ID; 2) Her DOB is April 24, 2521 (Thai year!). Same thing when we went to TGIFriday's this weekend. At least at Friday's the waiter noted the date and asked when she was born.

[Yodrak 7]

John,

I love it!

Yodrak

..... I have been with Rin to Beale Street (downtown Memphis) a couple of times. Both times I handed them her Thai ID card and they let her in. I had to laugh; 1) I am sure they cannot read the ID; 2) Her DOB is April 24, 2521 (Thai year!). Same thing when we went to TGIFriday's this weekend. At least at Friday's the waiter noted the date and asked when she was born.

[Toshtishtash 1]

I got refused cigarettes at a gas station once because 'apparently' my UK passport isn't English???? Work that one out!

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

I'm the USC, and I've never had a US drivers license. I remember going to a minor league ball game with my parents about 6 years ago, and I made sure to take my passport with me as ID in case I wanted a beer. Well, yeah, I did want one as it turned out, and off I went to the concession stand. I ordered a beer and produced my passport as ID. The moron behind the counter said it wasn't "official", and where was my license? I told him I didn't drive, and it didn't get more "official" than a US passport so gimme my beer! He walked off with my passport to get the manager to ask about its validity -- I was fuming, screaming "where do you think you're going with my passport? I have to go back to the UK in 5 days!!!"

After 5 minutes, he finally came back with the manager and my passport, who peered at it from every direction, inspected my immigration stamps, and said he wasn't sure if it was sufficient proof of ID. I started banging on about how it's harder to get a passport than a license (especially in CT -- you'll know this if you've ever had the misfortune to drive here! ), when my mother appeared, wondering why it was taking me 10 minutes to get a beer. When the manager told her what the issue was, she replied: "I'm her mom. I know EXACTLY how old she is. Give her the beer."

He gave me the beer. Yup, nothing trumps the "Mom ID" I guess!

[essjay 0]

I'm the USC, and I've never had a US drivers license. I remember going to a minor league ball game with my parents about 6 years ago, and I made sure to take my passport with me as ID in case I wanted a beer. Well, yeah, I did want one as it turned out, and off I went to the concession stand. I ordered a beer and produced my passport as ID. The moron behind the counter said it wasn't "official", and where was my license? I told him I didn't drive, and it didn't get more "official" than a US passport so gimme my beer! He walked off with my passport to get the manager to ask about its validity -- I was fuming, screaming "where do you think you're going with my passport? I have to go back to the UK in 5 days!!!"

After 5 minutes, he finally came back with the manager and my passport, who peered at it from every direction, inspected my immigration stamps, and said he wasn't sure if it was sufficient proof of ID. I started banging on about how it's harder to get a passport than a license (especially in CT -- you'll know this if you've ever had the misfortune to drive here! ), when my mother appeared, wondering why it was taking me 10 minutes to get a beer. When the manager told her what the issue was, she replied: "I'm her mom. I know EXACTLY how old she is. Give her the beer."

He gave me the beer. Yup, nothing trumps the "Mom ID" I guess!

I guess the moral of this story is Don't mess with Your Mother!! But.... Does she fit in your wallet??

[Anna C. 4]

Hm I never had a problem. In NYC I always used my German ID card (it comes in German, English, French). Then in NC I used my EAD first and then the Green Card. Never ever a problem! Btw the green card is listed as a valid form of ID in the United States by the government. I just saw that document that states that when I started my job and had to bring two valid forms of ID. It is perfectly fine. Those stores do not stick with the law, I would complain about them at their headquarters. I have a Safeway right around the corner and they accept the Green Card and always start to talk about soccer and beer when they see it

[Dr_LHA 3]

Rather than trying to right the wrongs of society by complaining about people not accepting your Green Card as ID to head office, why not just get a drivers license/state ID?

[thesnowman 1]

Rather than trying to right the wrongs of society by complaining about people not accepting your Green Card as ID to head office, why not just get a drivers license/state ID?

I would kind of agree, as that is what I done as soon as I got my EAD, but I only got a CFD at first, which didn't always get accepted, however all these people here have talked about having US passports, EAD and greencards, all IDs that are issued by the US government, and bending over backwards to accommodate these wannabe jobsworths just leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

I mean my wife used her American driving licence in the UK and not once did it ever get questioned, in fact she used it all over Europe for various means and was never questioned. I mean how hard is it for all the states to issue a poster that describes all the state and federal IDs that are accepted. I mean since they are determined to crack down on underage drinking (at 18 you cant have a beer #######) as they appear to be, it would be a healthy step to take to produce these posters and give them to stores, bars and restaurants.

Also I know at times I felt that I had bent over backwards to fit in to the way of life over here, but were denied getting state IDs and driving licenses due to crazy bureaucracy, so a little bit of understanding and common sense from these people would go a long way. unfortunately it often appears to be forthcoming.

Edited August 9, 2007 by thesnowman

[elgringo 0]

Rather than trying to right the wrongs of society by complaining about people not accepting your Green Card as ID to head office, why not just get a drivers license/state ID?

My wife cant even get a state DL/ID thats valid for identification with her 2 year green card. What are we supposed to do if we get carded and they wont accept her GC?