Vertical ID bans at local bars leave some young drinkers dry
By Daniel J. Chacón, The Santa Fe New Mexican | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
That night, he and his girlfriend went out to dinner in
Even though Bennett is 22, he said, the bartender wouldn't accept his
It's not the first time this has happened to him, and he's not alone. Others have reported that other
"It doesn't make sense to deny people something they're legally allowed to buy," said
"We live in America. If you're 21, you should be able to buy alcohol," he said.
The practice of not accepting vertical IDs comes at the same time the city is trying to breathe new life into its nighttime economy and make
At least one
"If they have a corroborating form of state-issued ID that shows that they're 21, we're more than happy to serve somebody," he said. "But the vertical ID alone has been abused notoriously, so we're just being extra careful."
The issue is not unique to
States, including
While at least one state --
"Many establishments have adopted this as a corporate practice, because their insurance company requires it or to minimize the risk of accidental alcohol service to minors," S.U. Mahesh, a spokesman for the New Mexico Alcohol and Gaming Division, said in an email. "The law is a floor for standards, not a ceiling, and businesses are free to adopt more strict practices in line with their own policies."
"I try to respect people's personal boundaries without saying it's a house policy," she said.
"So, if somebody who is 19 years of age and has just been through the certification process [to serve alcohol] and it's their first night out on the floor and somebody presents them with a vertical ID, a very classic default would be, 'Oh, I'm sorry, I can't accept that.' But I think it's ridiculous," she said. "I can't imagine not accepting a vertical ID as long as all the information that's on the license provides us with the information that we need in order to verify the age of the person ordering the beer."
Bennett said his ID isn't expired because he renewed it before leaving the country to study abroad for four months. He said it's vertical because he got it just weeks before turning 21.
"Of course, a refused beer here and there isn't a tragedy, but it seems to me that the vertical ID policy is an unnecessary handicap on local businesses," said Bennett, who was so incensed by his experience at La Choza and elsewhere that he penned a "My View" published in The New Mexican.
"As I suggested in the 'My View' article, scanners and black lights would provide better protection against fraudulent identification and ultimately save businesses money," Bennett added.
"Every now and then, we'll tell somebody, 'We'll take it this time, but not again,' " she said.
Businesses, however, fear the repercussions of selling alcohol to a minor. A first offense carries a fine of up to
"It's a very serious thing, and so we're really, really careful about that," said
A man from
"She is currently working an internship at a resort in northern
Cook did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Rickey said La Fonda will accept a vertical ID if the cardholder can provide proof showing that they have a new ID on the way after they've turned 21.
"We're trying to be a responsible business doing the right thing, and I understand some people may be upset about it and it might cause some hurt feelings here and there," he said. "But I would rather do that than have one of my staff get in trouble or the hotel get in trouble. There's a lot of risk in regards to that, so we try to err on that side of caution."
Rickey said
"Even if you're as old as me, and I'm in my mid 50s -- what little hair I have left is gray, so it's real obvious that I'm not under 21 -- technically for a server to serve me, they should be seeing some form of identification," he said.
Sweeney, who said he witnessed four men leave
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