[OU Student]

I don't know if this is every Wetherspoons Pub; but I have been ID'd for ordering food and a soft drink because their policy is to ID anyone who looks under 21 (?) after 7pm.

[Idle]

(Original post by tehFrance)
I didn't mean a restaurant, what I said was because the drinking age is 5 years old, it is understandable for people to get things mixed up in regards to the later ages and where they can drink. How that is not clear to you, I don't know. Also why are you stalking my posts?

I don't stalk you I was reading this thread.

[boba]

Its not illegal for someone over 16 to have a drink with a meal but restaurants can choose not to let them.

[zooop]

(Original post by OU Student)
I was once told to take this as a complement.

Not when the management then refuses to served any champagne/wine to the table as " they might give me some" as I didn't have any ID with me. My mother-in-law was like " this is ridiculous", so we left. Haha.

[SirMasterKey]

(Original post by RandomPeopleDancin)
On Saturday, I was with 2 other 18yo friends in Weatherspoons and ordered 2 Smirnoff's. Didn't get ID'd which i thought was odd. My friends said it was just likely that she thought I was older becuase I am quite tall. Had my brand-spanking new ID and everything ready *Do I really look that old?*

A couple of times when I've been ready to get ID'd I had the passport out visibly ready to show if asked and they didn't.

[Hopple]

(Original post by OU Student)
I don't know if this is every Wetherspoons Pub; but I have been ID'd for ordering food and a soft drink because their policy is to ID anyone who looks under 21 (?) after 7pm.

That happened to me once too, but they said it was for after 6. I'm not going back there, **** them, they ID'd me after I'd bought the meal and sat down then harrassed me to finish quickly and get out. Before the meal wouldn't have been great but at least that's acceptable, after paying is just wrong.

[cid]

I was in a bar in London called waxy's little sister a few years back, when i was 21, been in there all day watching the rugby, had a couple of beers didn't get ID'ed once.

One of my friends wasn't drinking so i thought I'd get them a coffee since they have this big dowe egberts coffee machine in the pub and following drink ordering protocol asked for a coffee first, soon as i asked for a coffee

'got any ID mate?'

I only have my Army ID card on me

'Just this' *shows MoD90

'nah we don't accept that, if you haven't got ID i can't serve ya'

'but I've been here all day, you served my friend with his USAF ID card'

'Your friend looks old enough, you don't'

'are you kidding me? I'm going bald!'

at this point my friends decided it was time to leave ... lazy bastard just didn't want to make a damn coffee.

[rmhumphries]

(Original post by LeaX)
I got ID'd when trying to buy Red Bull once.

Same, it was when I was under 16, I got told that the law was different in London, and you had to be 16 to buy energy drinks! ><

(Original post by RandomPeopleDancin)
On Saturday, I was with 2 other 18yo friends in Weatherspoons and ordered 2 Smirnoff's. Didn't get ID'd which i thought was odd. My friends said it was just likely that she thought I was older becuase I am quite tall. Had my brand-spanking new ID and everything ready *Do I really look that old?*

Before, when I was 19 I think, I went to a Weatherspoons where they had "Challenge 30" posters up, and didn't IDed. So apparently, 3 years ago, I looked 30+

(Original post by Idle)
Well that is not entirely true now is it?

It is. You can drink alcohol in your own home (and possibly any private place with the permission of your parents) from the age of 5.

(Original post by OU Student)
I don't know if this is every Wetherspoons Pub; but I have been ID'd for ordering food and a soft drink because their policy is to ID anyone who looks under 21 (?) after 7pm.

Time differs by pub, but it is true - you have to be over 18 (and they use Challenge 21) after a certain time. Tis 9pm in my local spoons. Time is specified in their licence I think.

[FatCharlie]

I'm 24 and I still get ID'd at times.

In my home country they have to check ID if you look like you're younger than 30, including Red Bull (since you need to be 18 to buy them). Legal drinking age in my country is 18.

[Rachael]

(Original post by boba)
Its not illegal for someone over 16 to have a drink with a meal but restaurants can choose not to let them.

Anywhere can refuse to serve alcohol to anyone at their discretion (else, suppose you didn't have ID with you and they didn't know if you were old enough, then they'd be doing something illegal whichever way round if they guessed your age wrong).

I've been in pubs where they refused to serve anyone under 21!

That said, I think we've established that at 16 you can order/drink wine, beer or cider with a meal in a restaurant or pub with an adult - although I always heard it as the adult had to buy it for you (as in pay for the meal, you can order stuff yourself).

[Idle]

(Original post by rmhumphries)
It is. You can drink alcohol in your own home (and possibly any private place with the permission of your parents) from the age of 5.

The thread is related to restaurants, not private places.

[OU Student]

(Original post by Hopple)
That happened to me once too, but they said it was for after 6. I'm not going back there, **** them, they ID'd me after I'd bought the meal and sat down then harrassed me to finish quickly and get out. Before the meal wouldn't have been great but at least that's acceptable, after paying is just wrong.

That's ridiculous. I was ID'd just before I ordered.

I order alcohol last night and didn't get ID'd.

[Tycho]

I'm 24 and still get asked for ID occasionally. Makes my day.

[boba]

(Original post by Rachael)
Anywhere can refuse to serve alcohol to anyone at their discretion (else, suppose you didn't have ID with you and they didn't know if you were old enough, then they'd be doing something illegal whichever way round if they guessed your age wrong).

I've been in pubs where they refused to serve anyone under 21!

That said, I think we've established that at 16 you can order/drink wine, beer or cider with a meal in a restaurant or pub with an adult - although I always heard it as the adult had to buy it for you (as in pay for the meal, you can order stuff yourself).

yeah but my point was that many restaurants choose to employ a blanket "no alcohol for under 18s" rule even though its not the law

[breakeven]

I got my information from the inbetweeners. 16+17 year olds can drink with a meal as long as they are with an adult.

'I'll have 3 ciders and 3 carvery dinners please'

[FatCharlie]

(Original post by breakeven)
I got my information from the inbetweeners. 16+17 year olds can drink with a meal as long as they are with an adult.

'I'll have 3 ciders and 3 carvery dinners please'

Does that include a 16y old girl with a 55y old man she is not related to as well?

[rmhumphries]

(Original post by Idle)
The thread is related to restaurants, not private places.

tehFrance was talking about how the perception of ages in different places is influenced by the (minimum) drinking age in general. So even though the thread is related to restaurants - then the drinking age is still 5 years of age, just as the drinking age in pubs is still 18 years of age - and either of these facts can be relevant to what people might think the drinking age in restaurants is.

[rmhumphries]

(Original post by FatCharlie)
Does that include a 16y old girl with a 55y old man she is not related to as well?

Yes - there is nothing in law about it needing to be a relation who buys the alcohol, or the age gap between the two. Just as it is not illegal for a 16 year old girl to have a meal with a 55year old man, if he chooses to buy her one alcoholic drink (from a small range), then that is fine.

[RandomPeopleDancin]

(Original post by rmhumphries)
Before, when I was 19 I think, I went to a Weatherspoons where they had "Challenge 30" posters up, and didn't IDed. So apparently, 3 years ago, I looked 30+

I look 25+ apparently. Went into Sainsbury's yesterday and got a bottle of whisky for relatives. The poster behind the woman said 'Look under 25? You may get IDed' She didn't ID me! I've only just turned 18 too.

[Anon420]

(Original post by RandomPeopleDancin)
On Saturday, I was with 2 other 18yo friends in Weatherspoons and ordered 2 Smirnoff's. Didn't get ID'd which i thought was odd. My friends said it was just likely that she thought I was older becuase I am quite tall. Had my brand-spanking new ID and everything ready *Do I really look that old?*

Don't worry, I never get IDed anymore :P