Why Do Grocery Stores Check My ID When Buying Beer or Wine at Age 71?

It’s actually not the Legislature’s fault. This time.

IMG_8537 Shopping at the Fred Meyer on Northeast Glisan Street. (Wesley Lapointe)
By Marty Smith

The Oregon Legislature must have some really slow days to conjure up laws so devoid of common sense. I’m referring to the ID shakedown of adults buying beer or wine at Safeway, Albertsons, or Freddy Kroger. The old system carded anyone looking younger than 25, which worked fine for decades. I turn 72 in a couple of months; grocery store employees still want to see my ID? Bite me, Salem! —Not a Boregonian

Far be it from me to come between Salem’s teeth and your shiny metal ass, Boregonian. That said, any ass-biting will have to be purely for your enjoyment (not that there’s anything wrong with that) rather than a political statement: This time, it’s really not the Legislature’s fault.

Under the law, the “old system,” where sellers are required only to check the ID of anyone who looks under 26 (not 25) is still in effect. The new regime you find so onerous is a function of new, stricter policies instituted by the vendors themselves. The folks at Fred Meyer (for example) say they did this “to help ensure 100% compliance with state and local requirements.” However, those requirements existed long before the recent crackdown. Why change now?

It’s hard to rule out the rise of quick, easy-to-use ID scanners as a major factor. These machines have made it possible to card all comers without materially slowing down the checkout process. To be fair to the forces of crass capitalism, the penalties for selling to minors are pretty draconian—a $6,250 fine, plus the possibility of losing your license—while the penalty for pissing off folks like you and me by turning the beer line into a mini-TSA patdown is holding steady at $0. Why not play it safe by going full Pyongyang?

This circumstance, incidentally, goes a long way toward explaining a lot of the complaints the beer-loving people of Oregon have about our state’s enforcement of alcohol rules: The safest bet is always to just not sell to you. It’s like when your college posse was denied service because one of you (not the one who was paying) didn’t have her ID. That’s not actually illegal—but if you were a minimum-wage Plaid Pantry clerk, would you really want to bet half a year’s wages on your vague memory of an OLCC class you took while stoned four years ago? Kill the party, and live to fight another day.

Questions? Send them to dr.know@wweek.com.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.