"May I see your ID?" These five little words are integrated into my daily vocabulary not by choice but because it is my job. I'm a convenience store clerk and many of the items I sell have to have age appropriate proof thus I card. While I do not enjoy this aspect of my employment the ramifications of letting one sale pass with no proof of age could devastate my life and affect my family as a whole.

Just last week a girl came into the store and brought a 6 pack of Corona beer to the counter. I asked for her ID and after I scanned it the ID was rejected. I had to tell her the ID wouldn't fly in our store and took the beer away. There were two undercover police officers behind her. All toll they stung 6 establishments that night who didn't pass the teat. Luckily ours did.

Many of these teens look older so being diligent pays off. Asking for Identification and thoroughly examining the ID is a must. The ID cannot be altered, broke or expired to pass. Making this sale to an underage person can result in arrest, hefty fines and lost employment with the possibility of never being able to work in the convenience service field again.

If selling an age restricted product results in a criminal act or death then the clerk is open for prosecution also. Robbery is not the only danger for a convenience store employee. Carding has become so prevalent in our society due to misuse of items by underage persons and the prevalence of meth amphetamine production in our country, that many stores are using registers that won't let a person make a sale unless the cards are swiped. A screen pops up that stalls the register until the ID is swiped. Companies use this to their advantage to keep from incurring the large fines and loosing their licenses to sell age restricted products.

Carding has been around so long now that society should be used to the inconvenience. If there is a remote chance your buying age restricted products having your ID ready makes sense. Many of our customers are repeat customers or obviously over the legal age to buy age restricted products that it really makes no sense to me to have to card a seventy year old man to sell him beer. But let me sell a twenty-one year old beer with no ID on him and he gets stopped outside the door of the store by a police officer that is when my life as I know it is over.

While I agree carding is getting excessive it has also saved the person doing the carding a whole lot of grief. I don't ask to see your ID because I want to, it is because I have to. The most common complaint is "You ask for my ID every time I come in here!". My response will be "Yes and I will continue to ask for it as long as need be." For nasty responses bordering on abuse to asking for identification my response is "This sale is not worth $800 and the lose of my job so please show me you ID." I am just doing my job.

The time is coming when anyone using a debit or credit card will either have to have their picture on it or show ID to use it. Identity theft has pushed companies to their limits. So carding is just going to increase.

So next time someone ask for your ID instead of getting angry, feel grateful that person cares enough to do their job and maybe keep you or your family from experiencing unwarranted grief.

Learn more about this author, Dee Cain.
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