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Original poster

I got refused service today

145 replies

snowdropsandcrocuses · 15/01/2022 20:16

I am in my early 40's. I have 2 kids and my body shows it. My face is red with broken capillaries and my hair is in desperate need of dying so my greying roots are very much visible. I am definitely no oil painting!

Today I went to buy cigarettes and I was asked for ID. I honestly swear I haven't been asked for ID since I was about 19!

I had my work ID on me which I could have used but I was so absolutely stunned that I looked slack jawed at the cashier and simply said 'no I don't have ID...because I'm 40!'

She told me I don't look over 25 with my mask on and I laughed at her and left the store without being served.

So I've decided the fact I have cleansed, toned, moisturised, used retinol and vit c serum for at least three days in a row is absolutely working

Clearly I have found the elixir of youth in a bottle. Happy to offer up my secrets to you all... Grin

OP posts:
Lily019 · 15/01/2022 22:17

Last year during first lock down my Mum, 72, received a Tesco delivery which included alcohol. The driver/delivery guy asked my Mum for ID. Mum was so taken aback and has been known to have a short tolerance level at the best of times, told the delivery guy 'Or how about you use your eyes and common sense?' The delivery guy promptly picked out the bottles of wine and marched them back to his van. Mum was livid for weeks over that one! Too funny.

Carrotca · 15/01/2022 22:22

I'm 31 and look around my age, prob older with this extra face weight at the moment Blush they ID me in waitrose at Christmas time, bloody paracetamol! One packet as well. I had the start of a migraine and wanted to take something ASAP. She let me buy in the end. I think I would've cried there if she said no Grin

HelloFrostyMorning · 15/01/2022 22:23

@Thatsplentyjack

I'm jealous. I'm nearly 32, I wouldn't say I look that old but no one EVER asks me for ID anymore, even for Alcohol! At the self checkout they always just press "visibly over 25" and everytime I die inside a little.
Nothing wrong with looking 'over 25' when you're 32. Why wouldn't you look over 25? Don't take any notice of people saying they are 42/45/50 etc and are regularly asked for proof that they're over 25. As I said, this only happens on mumsnet, and they DO look their age.

As has been said on here many times, on these 'I am 45, and clearly look a generation younger as I was ID'd today for paracetamol/scratchcards/wine' threads, the vast majority of people DO look their age (within 7-8 years.)

Anyone asking someone for proof they are over 25, (when they are in their mid 40s, or 50s (or even older!) as some people are claiming on here,) are either terrible at guessing ages, or they need glasses. No-one who is middle aged or older (mid 40s plus,) looks like they just left their teens.

Mumsnet is a parallel universe remember, where many 45 y.o women have their first baby, and 51 y.o. women get mistaken for teenagers, and 72 y.o. women get asked for I.D. before they can be given the alcohol in their food delivery at home.

I am not sure what the OP's AIBU is, or what the point of the thread is tbh.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Beauty
gettingolderandgrumpy · 15/01/2022 22:23

@GirlInACountrySong

everyones perception of over 25's is different....no biggie

just carry I.D

See I don’t get this the legal age of drinking is 18 yes it’s if you look under 25 and admittedly some 30 something could pass for 25/26 but under 18 nah .
HelloFrostyMorning · 15/01/2022 22:24

@StyxBankDweller

WHY is it not acceptable to look one's age? For our years of lived experience that shows in our faces to be scorned? There's an industry worth billions that only exists because we've learned to hate our reality.

This is spades. ^ Why oh WHY is there at least one thread a week on here, where the OP is claiming she was mistaken for a generation younger? And where 4 out of 5 posters rush to say the same thing happens to them/their BFF/their mum/their great aunt FiFi who is 75 but mistaken for 40 all the time, etc etc. Confused It's so depressing to see so many women SO desperate for people to think they look younger.

When they meet people do they instantly say 'guess my age, go on, go on!' Grin And then throw a wobbler if the guesser doesn't guess them as 17-20 years younger?

Bat.

SHIT. Confused

TheMoreThisReachesTheMainstrea · 15/01/2022 22:25

I was sixty five (and look it, even from a distance with poor vision) when I was asked for ID

underneaththeash · 15/01/2022 22:28

I got ID’d by a very over-enthusiastic temp over Christmas for party poppers. (I’m over 45) she thought I might be but I got them for someone else ie.DD.
We got the manager over and she apologised.

TheMoreThisReachesTheMainstrea · 15/01/2022 22:29

I was forty when we went to America. I was ordering some drinks in a bar when I realised that while the barman had asked the pers9n in front of me for ID, he hadn’t asked me. I queried this and the worlds most diplomatic person replied that I looked like a regular

2022HowDoYouDo · 15/01/2022 22:31

I'm 59 and in December was asked to drop my mask for age check when buying gifts, including alcohol, in Homesense. Bonkers.

womaninatightspot · 15/01/2022 22:32

I was in a supermarket buying a bottle of wine ten years ago aged 30. The cashier asked if I had ID without looking up and when I said no looked me up and down and said Not to worry about it. Utterly brutal.

JudgeJ · 15/01/2022 22:35

@pointythings

That's hilarious!

I've never been ID'd, but my late husband was ID'd in Disney in Florida when getting a beer. He was 53 at the time and told the bartender she was on his Christmas card list forever (he had ID on him).

We were ID'd buying beer in a supermarket in New Mexico and we laughed, the security man came over and told up it was the law!
WhyYesYABU · 15/01/2022 22:38

I got ID'd in France 3 years ago for a glass of wine (isn't their legal age 16?). Two more babies later and I was asked if I was buying my husband his first car when car shopping for me (the implication being that my husband, who is 7 months my junior) was my son. I'm 31. Granted, he is fairly youthful looking but Jesus that was a blow.

HelloFrostyMorning · 15/01/2022 22:39

WTF is wrong with all these people serving in shops who are apparently mistaking people in their 50s and 60s, (and even their 70s according to one poster,) for people UNDER 25? Confused A bloody face mask doesn't make a 55-70 year old look under 25. You can still tell the age (roughly.)

This thread is batshit.

Splodgerbodgerbadger · 15/01/2022 22:44

I’m 49 and often get mistaken for a kid from behind, once they see my face they know! It’s because I’m only 4ft 11 people just see my height and assume I’m young.

imnottoofussed · 15/01/2022 22:44

I got asked for ID on my 43rd birthday. It's the only time in my life I recall being asked for ID

RedCandyApple · 15/01/2022 22:45

@HelloFrostyMorning

WTF is wrong with all these people serving in shops who are apparently mistaking people in their 50s and 60s, (and even their 70s according to one poster,) for people UNDER 25? Confused A bloody face mask doesn't make a 55-70 year old look under 25. You can still tell the age (roughly.)

This thread is batshit.

😂
BluebellsGreenbells · 15/01/2022 22:47

I was ID for vanilla essence - the real thing has alcohol in the tiniest bottle.

UpDownRound · 15/01/2022 22:48

[quote Stevie6]@MananaTomorrow you have to be 16 to buy paracetamol/ibuprofen [/quote]
There is no age limit on paracetamol actually, but most retailers restrict it to over 16 sales. Source: NHS website.

Strawberry33 · 15/01/2022 22:56

I’ve never been asked for ID even when I was about 15! My parents had a friend who always looked almost middle aged when she was young but then just sort of stopped aging at all until all her friends started looking older and she began to look way younger in comparison. It was so strange. I hope I’m one of those people! Lol

SusannaQueen · 15/01/2022 23:00

I'm 52 and the only time I've been ID'd is when I pick up thd post and everyone has to produce ID for thatHmm
In the supermarket buying wine the cashier said, yep clearly over 25 Shock.

mycatistrans · 15/01/2022 23:03

Yeah...they don't think you're really young looking Grin they are just legally obliged when unsure. I've seen some 20 year olds look about 40 if they smoke, very hard to be sure of ages.

CharityDingle · 15/01/2022 23:05

@HelloFrostyMorning

WTF is wrong with all these people serving in shops who are apparently mistaking people in their 50s and 60s, (and even their 70s according to one poster,) for people UNDER 25? Confused A bloody face mask doesn't make a 55-70 year old look under 25. You can still tell the age (roughly.)

This thread is batshit.

  • Young staff, who can't guess ages easily.
  • Flights of fancy, on the part of some Wink
Barbarantia · 15/01/2022 23:05

I've also never been id'd. Sniff. I'm rough as fuck wise beyond my years and it shows.

DimplesToadfoot · 15/01/2022 23:15

I'm the wrong side of 50, I look the wrong side of 90. I was buying a kitchen knife set because they were all pretty colours I needed some. I got to the checkout, the cashier looked at me and I jokingly said "I'm 12" She refused to sell me the knives, Even the manager backed her up, as I'd said I was 12 they had to go by that 🙄

OldestSister · 15/01/2022 23:24

My sister with learning disabilities is in her late 40s, but looks 60+

She tried to buy painkillers in her local small supermarket - she doesn't have a driving license, passport or credit card, just a debit card. They wanted ID to prove her age, and wouldn't serve her. She then had to walk almost a mile and the same back to find somewhere that would serve her.

It's not funny for some people to be IDd