A former Tesco employee has revealed the most ‘bizarre’ forms of identification customers have attempted to use when asked for proof of age.
It’s common knowledge that ID may be required when purchasing age-restricted items such as energy drinks, alcohol or tobacco products at supermarkets, with a driving licence being a typical choice due to its convenience. However, in a Reddit post, the ex-employee shared that some people who didn’t have traditional ID “would try anything,” even resorting to their beard as evidence of their age.
The user, known as Iron-5141, asked fellow Redditors about the “unique methods” they’ve encountered from shoppers. Iron-5141 titled their post ‘Craziest form of ID you have been given or tried to give’, and wrote: “So I no longer work here however when I did, people who didn’t have ID would try anything.”
The former Tesco worker listed their top encounters: “My top ones: 1: Someone showing me she has a child as a form of ID. 2: Someone showing me their car keys as a form of ID. 3: Someone saying “come on mate I have a beard” as a form of ID. 4: Being told to trust them as a form of ID. What unique ID methods have you lot bare witness to? “
The Reddit thread, posted on Wednesday, February 19, has since garnered 218 upvotes and nearly 150 comments. One user chimed in: “I had someone show me their Wikipedia page, I don’t doubt them but I ain’t risking it.”
This is the top comment, boasting 116 upvotes. A respondent hailed this ‘unique’ form of ‘ID’ as “brilliant.”
Sharing their own experience, another user recounted: “I had someone show me a death certificate. For the record that’s not Photo ID.”
A third chimed in with an anecdote: “I’ve had someone try to show me they have a Facebook account and they were convinced it was a perfectly acceptable form of ID.”
Official IDs typically feature a person’s full name, date of birth, address, and a photograph, such as a driving licence or passport. Another tale came from a fourth user: “All from the same guy who asked for a vape, in this order: ‘I was in the year above you in school! ‘Sorry but I don’t recognise you. ‘But I have my own car keys!’ You can drive from 17 ya melt.
“‘I’ve literally got a tattoo!” How many times am I gonna say it. (One of his friends): ‘I’ll buy it for him!’ Nuh-uh.”
Someone else shared that they tried to use their tattoo as a form of ID. They said: “I have tried to use my tattoo when stopped from buying Ibuprofen. Tbf (to be fair) I had a banging headache and was desperate..”
Recalling a moment of age-realisation, a user said: “Another user recalled a time when they were asked to show ID and felt how old they were: “I was in a Asda, and got asked for ID for something. My bag was on the floor, so I knelt down to get my wallet. She took one look at my bald spot: “Oh nevermind.”
