Ron Gilbert (GrumpyGamer)If I walk into a bar and order a drink I expect them to ask for ID to prove my age. If I walk into a McDonalds and buy a Big Mac I would not expect them to ask for ID to check my age and if they did I would not expect them to photocopy it and give it to Fred to keep in his poorly locked file cabinet.
Cogito ergo mecagoendios@grumpygamer Part of what entitles the bar to ID is that there is a very standard and "checks and balances" definition of alcoholic beverage published by the government and not, you know, whatever advertisers and visa and mastercard are currently feeling deserving of a threat to shut down the bar's complete access to the most basic payment services, based entirely on the vibes of whomever is currently writing the most complaint emails to them (usually a fundamentalist religious nutjob).
jwz@elrohir @grumpygamer
Boy do I have some bad news for you about how liquor licensing actually works.
Most state and city boards impose truly egregious surveillance requirements on business owners who can't afford to fight back, because they make these demands when the business is at its most vulnerable (over budget, late, and trying to get open). They do this extrajudicially, through "permit conditions" rather than actual laws.
State and local cops look at Ring and say "hold my beer".