I have been interrogated and harassed by the same sales clerk at a Circle K here in Chandler, Arizona, USA when buying cigarettes. I know a clerk must question if I am at least eighteen (which I am nearing nineteen), and must see my ID. I always answer, “Yes, ma’m/sir,” and have my ID primed to hand to the clerk. With no facial hair, 5′8″ and not extremely buff, I look relatively young, but I feel as though I’m being harassed when after I say loud and clear that I am, indeed 18, the clerk repeatedly questions in an incredulous manner and a raised eyebrow, “What was that…?” and then interrogates me by telling me to repeat the name listed on the driver’s license. She also scanned the ID, so it did pass (it is my understanding that there are fake ID’s which can pass the scan check, though). As I said: I feel harassed, and my main question is: can the clerk interrogate me on my ID, etc.,? It is my understanding that after visually looking and scanning my ID, and asking if I’m at least 18, they are no longer liable. Anything more is tedious and extremely rude. What can I do about this? I know I can just go to a different gas station, which I sometimes do when it’s convenient–and it’s usually not a conundrum, I just wish for some closure.
The sad part is, I don’t smoke–I can’t stand it. I run three times a week, mountain bike, and do a lightweight lift routine each other day, I’m vegetarian and take a multivitamin each daylight. The thought of killing my guts disgusts me. The pack of cigarettes I buy are for my dad…
Thanks.
-Jake
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Give reasons for to us all just so what is so hard about saying “I want to speak to the manager”.
I’m sorry you feel harassed, but she is allowed to question you for your ID and make sure you are 18. If you don’t like it you can go to a different gas station.
Sounds like you’re letting your emotions get the better of you. Just answer the stupid questions and get the smokes and go, lacking charitable it more thought than it deserves, which is not much. Face it, there are some rude clerks out there. It’s more of a poor reflection on them than a reflection on you.
Don’t sweat the small material.
You don’t signal harassed to me. While you only buy the cigs occasionally, that clerk has to sell packs to many, many people each hour, for 8 hours a shift. The clerk doubtless doesn’t even dredge up you, I doubt that it’s personal. Both the clerk and the store are theme to quite large fines if a insignificant buys any sort of tobacco at the store. In addition, the clerk will doubtless get fired, and the store will usually have the license to sell tobacco products suspended for several months.
I was a convenience store clerk for a while. I sold, on average, about 50 packs of cigarettes an hour. That’s right, 50 per hour, not per shift, and that’s not including the cartons that I sold. Most people would buy two or more packs at a time. At any rate, there ARE a lot of minors who try to buy cigarettes, and they do it by borrowing an grown-up friend’s or sibling’s license, which is why you’re questioned your name.
Honestly, though, it’s VERY hard to tell if someone is 17, or 18, or 19 just by looking. When I worked, we had to card all who looked under 27 for tobacco, and all who looked under 35 for alcohol, just to catch the people who looked grown-up than they really were. You’re very nearly certainly not being singled out for harassment. The clerk just doesn’t want to get fired. A job at a gas station isn’t fantastic, but it’s a heck of a lot better than having no job at all. And getting fired for selling tobacco is the kiss of death for anyone who tries to get another job in the same field.
Oh, and if you question for the manager, that clerk is doubtless going to get praised, since you are just barely legal to sell tobacco to.
He has to satisfy himself / herself that the ID you gave is valid and yours, to the best of his abilities. You and I may feel place upon but the law doesn’t allow too much leeway for an incorrect identification.