Every now and then I like to kick back and enjoy a cold beer. Acme markets recently advertised a great price for a brand of beer I enjoy. I went into the store and quickly located a 12 pack of the advertised special. When I went to pay the clerk told me she would have to see my ID. I showed her my PA driver's license and she went to grab it from my hand. I asked, "What are you doing?"

She replied, "I have to scan the license."

I said, "No you don't."

She said,"Well then, I can't sell you beer."

I walked out without the beer.

I remember whenever I would ask my late grandmother how old she was she would always say, "I'm 21 past!"

I too am 21 past...well 21 past. I am all for making sure adult beverages are not sold to underage people, but the experience at Acme was a little extreme. Why would they want to scan my license? In my humble opinion it amounts to a theft of my personal information. That strip is not put on the back of the license for Acme to scan, store my personal data and sell it to further clog my mailbox with an ever increasing mountain of junk mail.

I contacted my State representative's office and made an inquiry as to the legitimacy of Acme scanning my state issued license. The response I got was an email that had two web links embedded in it about why they scan licenses. Both of them were a load of crap. Or even worse, they raise the specter of Acme being online with the state computer system for motor vehicle information.

One of the articles stated they scan the license to make sure it is valid. How would they know the license was valid unless they were online to the state Bureau of Motor Vehicles? It went on to further state scanning the license spared the employee the burden of doingthe math to determine if the individual attempting to make the purchase is of legal age. I guess being totally stupid qualifies one to be a cashier. Its a shame somone would put that into writing but I read it with my own eyes. Pretty sad.

Buying beer is legal. Do I need to have someone make a record of it every time I decide I want to buy it? If that's the case it will soon be more difficult to buy beer than it is to buy a gun.

As for me no one is going to scan my license except the State Trooper I may have the misfortune to be stopped by. After walking out of the Acme I went to the local beer distributor where they are always glad to see you and they always use common sense on asking people for their ID. I noticed as I waited to check out, the guy in front of me appeared under 30. They asked for his ID and they did not scan it. Thy thanked him for showing it and randg up the sale. Amazing! The cashier could actually make an intelligent determination the individual in question was of legal age to purchase beer.

What a sad commentary it is where people will give up their personal information without questioning how it will be used, or more appropriately stated, abused. As for me, I will forego any future sales prices Acme may have on Adult beverages and continue to deal with my local beer distributor who really apreciates my business.
http://mikemorrone.com/Epinion_Page.html


IMO he makes some very valid points. When they scan your "ID" for booze, are they sending the information back to the state ? And also why do they even scan people's ID's that are clearly over 21 ? Something else may be at work here, back in the 90's it was "if you're over 40 no one's supposed to ask to see your "ID" to buy booze.