No ID, No Idea, Part 52
My state has increased the minimum age for tobacco purchase to twenty-one. Every gas station in my local area now requires everyone, regardless of age at all, to show a valid ID to discourage the already ongoing issue of purchasing for underage people.
Customer: “Marlboro 100s.”
Me: “Sure, we do need to ask for ID.”
Customer: “What? Dude I’m like, twice your age.”
Me: “I’m still required to as part of my job, I completely get the frustration though.”
I’ve found that appearing sympathetic to a certain point can avoid issues sometimes, but not always…
Customer: “Yeah, I guess you conveniently forgot to card the pretty little white girl a minute ago, huh?”
Me: “Actually, she had just come back in after getting her ID since she had left it in the car and I couldn’t sell it to her otherwise. Again, I get it, but I still need to card everyone regardless of if they’re twenty-one or a-hundred-and-twenty-one.”
Customer: “F*** outta here, I’m going up the road for the cigs.”
Me: “Just the gas then today?”
I puts the cigarettes back in the slot.
Customer: “You really are gonna be a little b**** about it, aren’t you? You’re lucky if I don’t decide to sue you discrimination of age or attempting to steal identity information.”
I am seriously irritated and there’s a line forming which isn’t helping the stress at this point.
Me: “Sir, I have to do my job regardless. If you really feel inclined to do so, I can’t legally try to stop you, but for now, if you’re still getting gas, please let me know… I don’t mean to sound rude but I’m the only one with a register open and there’s a line forming.”
Customer: “Right, now you’re just being a dumb-a**, but it’s cool. College isn’t for everyone I guess. I’ll just get the gas up the road.”
Me: *Internally fuming at this point.* “Understandable. Enjoy the rest of the day though!”
Customer: “What, you thought I was serious? $25 on nine.”
Thankfully he shut up until he got to the door after finally pre-paying for the gas… then blurts out that the company should be recognized for employing special-ed kids.
He was banned from the property after being caught giving two others a hard time like that too, once during the next shift after me, and once the following day to my manager directly.
Related:
No ID, No Idea, Part 51
No ID, No Idea, Part 50
No ID, No Idea, Part 49
No ID, No Idea, Part 48
No ID, No Idea, Part 47
