Washington governor (Gregoire) forgets ID, can’t get into bar

[gateley]

Bouncer turned her away because she couldn't prove she’s legal to drink

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire is taking it as a compliment: She was turned away from a bar in the state capital because she couldn't prove she's of legal age to drink.

The 61-year-old governor and her staff had served burgers at the annual Capital Lakefair last weekend and afterward went to a downtown Olympia bar called Hannah's to celebrate.

Gregoire says the man checking identifications at the door told her she couldn't get in without ID, even when others pointed out she's Washington's governor. So she went home, but her husband, Mike, went in. ~snip~

Hannah's owner, Todd Ruzicka, says his 23-year-old part-time bouncer needs more training. :7

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25935910/

[Arkana]

1. Wow, she's damn good-looking for 61.

[gateley]

5. Really - I had no idea she was that age! nt

[opihimoimoi]

2. She is 61 and the legal age is 20...? WTF kinda common sense the 23 old bouncer has? shit for brains

[gateley]

4. By law, you have to have your proof of age WITH you.

It protects the bar. If they wanted to hassle a particular establishment and an obviously of-age patron was ID-less, they could prosecute.

[opihimoimoi]

12. Then they gatta change the fucking law...no flexibility is STUPID

Who Made this law thing anyway???

[Ghost in the Machine]

16. When I was a bouncer in Fla, it was a state law.. you HAD to have ID & we checked EVERYONE

... the reasoning behind it was that they wanted to be able to identify you if something bad happened, like a fire or shooting or something... this was back in the early/mid '80s....

[mrreowwr_kittty]

14. Not true. You cannot be charged for serving someone of legal drinking age, ID or no.

If I'm of age, I'm of age, whether I have ID on me or not. That's why in those sting operations to catch bars or stores they have to use actual underage people. I have a friend who ran the agency that did them. For cigarettes, they used people who were over 17 and 1/2 but younger than 18 and for alcohol they were over 20 and 1/2 but under 21. If the decoys were actually of age, the server could easily get the charges or fine dropped. After all, they hadn't actually sold to an underage person, had they?

[gateley]

23. I have been told it's the law when I've been without ID and entering a bar.

If it's the case, if it's not a legal requirement, why would they turn away an obviously of-age patron?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

26. Either they don't understand the law, or there's a very dumb law on the books where you live

It would be a simple matter for a defense attorney to make mincemeat of it in court. You cannot be prosecuted for serving a person who is of age, unless they are obviously intoxicated or it's after hours. But neither of those things has anything to do with how old they are.

[gateley]

27. I have no idea what the law is here in NC, but when I lived in Washington,

that's what I was told by bar owners. :shrug:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

28. I'm guessing it's to protect them from lawsuits.

Some baby-faced 28 year old without ID could be denied entrance and sue for discrimination because they let Christine Gregoire in.

[gateley]

31. If I were a bar owner, I'd probably enforce the ID requirement, just to be sure. nt

[izquierdista]

6. Good recruit material

Does what he is told no matter how stupid it is in practice. Republicans will want to sign him up.

[opihimoimoi]

19. Obedience is KING

[Muttocracy]

7. one of the grocery stores here was carding 80 yr olds - following the "everyone" rule. nt

[opihimoimoi]

18. and I thought promoting business was part of the equation....this is stifling business

[mrreowwr_kittty]

34. A few years ago I lost my license.

While I was waiting for the replacement to be sent to me, I stopped by the convenience store by my house for a pack of smokes. I had my passport in my purse for ID purposes. Sure enough, the kid at the counter carded me, all of 36 years old at the time and CLEARLY of age (over 18) to purchase cigarettes. I sighed and pulled out my passport. Get this, my passport wasn't valid because he couldn't swipe it in the verification thingy. WTF?? I asked to see the manager. He came up to the front, took one look at me, and said "oh for god's sake sell her the cigarettes!" Friggin zero tolerance nonsense.

[opihimoimoi]

37. Nit Picking Gone Wild....at least ya got them ciggies...lol

[TahitiNut]

38. Yup. I'm 65 ... and was carded a couple of weeks ago buying wine at a grocery store.

Not even Helen Keller would think I'm under 21. :shrug:

[annabanana]

3. This thread is useless without pictures. . . . .

[rox63]

8. She does look good for her age

But she definitely looks more than legal. The bouncer is a dufus.

[csziggy]

9. Some states do stings to catch people at bars and stores selling booze to minors

And will bust for selling booze without checking ID no matter the apparent age of the person buying. So the bouncer was just doing his job and doing it very well.

[dysfunctional press]

21. the owner of the bar seems to disagree with you...

he says the bouncer obviously needs more training.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

32. They use underage people for the stings.

If you sell cigarettes to an 18 year old, or alcohol to a 21 year old, you cannot be charged with selling to an underaged person. If you were, a halfway decent defense attorney would get you off, easily.

[Gormy Cuss]

35. In Washington state, the law does not require ID for those who appear to be well beyond 21.

http://www.liq.wa.gov/enforcement/enforcementQA.asp#II.%20QUESTIONS%20PERTAINING%20TO%20LIQUOR

14. Is a patron required to have valid I.D. on their person at all times they are on a licensed premises?

ANSWER: No. However, a youthful appearing person is required to provide I.D. when requested by either the licensee, their employees, police officers or agents of the Liquor Control Board.

That doesn't mean that a bar owner won't impose a "card everyone" rule.

[csziggy]

36. In Florida it is "No ID, no serve" especially in college towns

And I would not blame a business owner that required everyone to be carded.

[trof]

10. Her husband went in? She went home?

Jerk.
I'd never do that.
"Come on , Honey. Let's go on home, fix a drink, and put our feet up."
jeez

[KansDem]

11. "Hannah's owner, Todd Ruzicka, says his 23-year-old part-time bouncer needs more training."

Give the "bouncer" a break. Yeah, maybe he should have known better, but as a former liquor-store clerk and former bartender, I had to make sure anyone buying or drinking the liquor at my establishments were of legal age. And this wasn't always easy!

Too often, legislators making six-digit salaries will pass laws regulating the sale of tobacco and liquor, and require the minimum-wage clerk and the local convenience store or liquor mart to enforce those laws...

...the man checking identifications at the door told her she couldn't get in without ID, even when others pointed out she's Washington's governor.--For the record, the article didn't say whether IDs were required of all entering customers, regardless of "how old they looked," in which case the bouncer could have been simply following policy. And if this was the case, letting someone in without an ID because they were "politically connected" smacks of "good ol' boy/girl" favoritism.

[dsc]

13. the people who are getting on the bouncer are off base

He is doing his job, and doing it right.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

15. If he's just following policy, you're right.

However, it's a stupid ass policy. As a damn near 40 year old woman I find being carded annoying, not flattering. I'm clearly of age so let me in the damn bar and quit making everyone stand in a stupid line so you can appear to be vigilant. Meanwhile, practically every college kid I know has a fake-ass ID and gets into bars anyway.

[dsc]

20. actually it is often the law, not just some policy

One reason they do that is so it is easier to prosecute bars which don't card (they can't say the person looked old enough).

[mrreowwr_kittty]

24. If there are laws that allow bar owners to be prosecuted for not carding everyone

I'm surprised they haven't been thrown out in court. If I drink a beer in your bar, as a 39 year old, with an ID in my possession or not, you are NOT serving an underage person and therefore cannot be prosecuted for serving me.

[dysfunctional press]

22. not according to the guy who signs his paycheck...

he says the bouncer needs more training.

[dsc]

33. he says that now

but I guarentee you he says card them all in his training.

[dawgman]

17. I'm afraid she is going to lose to that

douche bag Rossi.

[gateley]

25. Really? Does it look bad for her? nt

[dawgman]

29. Not too good.

She won in controversial fashion that turned a lot of voters off (similar to Bush with multiple recouts). The Sonics left under her watch and quite frankly she bungled the situation. We have large deficits. And she is starting out in a horse race and it hasn't even REALLY gotten underway.

[gateley]

30. I'm so sorry to hear that.

I plan on moving back to Seattle soon, but not in time to vote. :(

I'd forgotten about the voting re-count thing.

Bring back Rosellini!