Today, in preparation for the Super Bowl (Go Steelers!) I stopped at the local Safeway to purchase some alcoholic beverages. I get harangued a lot when buying alcohol, but no more than would be expected for someone who is only 22. However, today was a little extraordinary.
I walked up to the register with my case of beer and some lunch. The lady at the register asked for my ID, which I promptly gave to her. She rang me up and I was on my way, or so I thought.
As I’m carrying my groceries away from the checkstand, a man who identified himself as a Washington State Liquor Control Board Agent asked me for my ID, again. Stupidly, I didn’t ask for his first, but I was a little flustered as I’ve never heard of this even happening. I produced my ID, again, at which point he began interrogating me about it. I may look young, but I’m pretty sure I look just like the same goofy idiot who happens to be on my ID, which is me. The unfortunate woman at the register who rang me up thought she didn’t check my ID, but I let her know that she did.
The first question I was asked was my address. Interesting to note that my current address is not the address on my license, and had I not looked at my license earlier I wouldn’t have even known which address was on it since it’s now almost two years old. Either way, I was able to give him the address listed and figured it wasn’t much of an unusual question anyway.
The second question, however, was really unusual. I got my license in 2007, when I turned 21, on my 21st birthday. Essentially, that’s the only reason I even remember when I got it. The LCB agent asked me the TIME I got my license. As if I memorize these things for later use. If I hadn’t remembered that I was out at midnight that night and thus went to get my license late in the day when I wasn’t hungover, I wouldn’t have the slightest clue. I told him I got it in the afternoon, he confirmed, handed me the license and went stalking back to the alcohol aisle for his next victim.
Which brings up a couple points. First, what if I said I got it in the morning, or I had no idea. Is he gonna take back my beer that I legally purchased with my legal ID? Secondly, how did he know what time I got my ID at?
This second question got me to scrutinizing my ID, and the internet, which came up dry in my searches, although I’m guessing any fake ID site or purchaser would know this. I began looking at all the numbers and markings. I knew the drivers license number was last name, first and middle initials, year of birth taken from 100, and then some other characters based on month and day, so I knew none of those were it. And that’s when I zeroed in on the small vertical print overlapping my picture (see the red square in the picture). After conferring with a couple other people, we surmised the last four digits are the time the ID was “purchased”, written in 24 hour format. In this sample picture, Jennifer got her ID at 10:38 AM. Mine was 1623, or 4:23 PM. No idea what the proceeding numerals and digits are, although they may just be the serial number.
I really wish I had known this beforehand, as I’m sure a response of “I got my license at 4:23PM” would have sparked even more interrogatives. Can’t the LCB do their own operations without involving innocent people?
Arguably one of the most popular and recognizable artists of the past two decades (maybe due to the fact he’s married to supermodel Heidi Klum?), Seal, has recently released a new album, appropriately entitled “Soul”. The album is comprised completely of covers of past soul greats, as interpreted by the man himself.
