Can a U.S. Passport Legally Be Rejected as ID at Bars?

[slugcountry]

A week ago someone broke into my car and took all my stuff, including my license.

So tonight, having not received a new one yet, I've gone off to the bars on St. Patrick's day only to be REJECTED AT THE DOOR AFTER PRESENTING A UNITED STATES PASSPORT!

I mean holy crap? That little thing is good enough to get me ACROSS THE BORDER into the country, but apparently its not good enough to get me into a bar.

The people there claimed that since the passport doesn't have WRITTEN DOWN your weight and your eye color, its not as good as a drivers license, and I had to be 25 to use it (?)

Seems to me like they are inventing some absurd laws.. just had to vent.

 

[moose]

Wtf weird. We always accepted passports at the grocery store I worked at...

 

[Poop-Loops]

This is what happens when you lower your standards for your country's educational system. You get people who completely freak out and get brain farts when they are presented with something they didn't have dissected and spoon fed.

Anyway, I'm sorry that you had to spend yet another evening sober.

 

[Mk]

This is what happens when you lower your standards for your country's educational system.

He was at, a bar.

 

[Poop-Loops]

He was at, a bar.

See? You can't even use proper grammar.

 

[chemisttree]

heewuzattabarrrr! (hic)

 

[Danger]

If it was a bouncer or server who rejected you, you should have asked to speak to the manager. A passport or a pilot's license is considered legal identification in all NATO countries; I'm not sure about others.

 

[Poop-Loops]

I think we should pass a law stating that all bouncers at bars need to have a degree in philosophy.

Bonus points if the pain don't hurt them.

 

[Danger]

I think we should pass a law stating that all bouncers at bars need to have a degree in philosophy.

That might be a bit extreme, but they should at least be able to read.

 

[Moonbear]

I thought the passport did have eye color on it, but I'd have to look now. Anyway, what good is having your weight written down? Who ever changes the weight on their drivers' license when renewing? Most people probably have the weight they were when they got their first license at 17 still on it. I didn't know there was a weight requirement for getting into a bar anyway.

Anyway, yeah, a passport is a legal form of ID for proof of age, and should be BETTER than a drivers' license. You should have just gone to a different bar.

 

[Mike Cookson]

Driving licenses in the UK don't have information about the physical attributes of the person on them, it's quite odd for me to think that they would! You learn something new everyday, specially on this forum! ;)

 

[dst]

I think we should pass a law stating that all bouncers at bars need to have a degree in philosophy.

Bonus points if the pain don't hurt them.

That would take jobs away from the fried goods sector!

 

[Poop-Loops]

That might be a bit extreme, but they should at least be able to read.

Didn't get the reference, huh?

 

[Moonbear]

Driving licenses in the UK don't have information about the physical attributes of the person on them, it's quite odd for me to think that they would! You learn something new everyday, specially on this forum! ;)

It made sense when drivers' licenses didn't have photos on them, but now that they all have photos, the added description really is unnecessary (except maybe height). It's silly to list things like hair color and weight though, because both of those can so easily change.

 

[russ_watters]

I thought the passport did have eye color on it, but I'd have to look now.

You'd think the photo would suffice...

 

[Moonbear]

You'd think the photo would suffice...

The photo is so tiny, I don't think you can make out eye color. But, not sure that knowing eye color would be of much help if you were already having trouble matching a photo to a face.

 

[slugcountry]

lol glad to see this resonated with some people - yeah I'm still pretty angry about the ridiculousness of it all, as for the picture, its probably several times the size of the picture on the license, and I just want to emphasize this next point:

The guy at the door specifically told me that I actually COULD use a passport to get in - but only if I was at least 25 years old (I'm 21).

What!?!

There was a gaggle of cops standing a few feet away (the bar was downtown) so I walked over and asked them about it, but they said they couldn't do anything since it was a private establishment, and they weren't discriminating on the basis of race/gender/religion etc. Not that I expected them to go busting down the door - but I mean how much more legitimate of an ID can you get besides a US passport... its a proof of citizenship for goodness sake.

 

[cristo]

The guy at the door specifically told me that I actually COULD use a passport to get in - but only if I was at least 25 years old (I'm 21).

What!?!

Bars and clubs have a right to refuse entry to anyone, regardless of age. Perhaps the door staff just didn't want you in their bar, and made up some excuse rather than saying "you're not the sort of person we want in here." Alternatively, perhaps the manager told the door staff that he only wanted over 25 year olds into his bar that night. Either way, complaining to the manager will do no good, since he'll make up some valid reason, like "it was a night when younger people drink a lot more than usual, and so to prevent trouble we changed our entry policy."

Anyway, why are you so mad: you should go to a bar that actually wants your custom... you didn't just go home after that happened, did you?

 

[Danger]

Didn't get the reference, huh?

I guess not. Sorry, dude; I thought that you were engaging in hyperbolic irony, such as suggesting that your dog should be able to drive you to work. My response was intended to augment that.

 

[tribdog]

I guess not. Sorry, dude; I thought that you were engaging in hyperbolic irony, such as suggesting that your dog should be able to drive you to work. My response was intended to augment that.

Your dog has a driver's license? Can he use it to get into a bar?

 

[mgb_phys]

Your dog has a driver's license? Can he use it to get into a bar?

Only if he's over 21 in dog years.

There's a story about Bill Bryson trying to get on a flight with an expired drivers license and them not accepting it. So he pointed to a large display of his books in a bookstore opposite with his photo on the back cover, but apparently this wasn't on the list of acceptable ID.

 

[Danger]

Your dog has a driver's license?

I don't have a dog. If one could drive, I might consider acquiring it. As mentioned a couple of years ago, though, Lucy the cat does most of my typing for me when I'm at home.

 

[chroot]

Bars are privately owned entities, and they can turn you away for any reason at all. They legally reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason. Any government agency should respect a passport as legal ID, but there's no reason that bar must. Sorry.

- Warren

 

[tribdog]

Bars are privately owned entities, and they can turn you away for any reason at all. They legally reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason. Any government agency should respect a passport as legal ID, but there's no reason that bar must. Sorry.

- Warren

Yeah, my bar refuses service to handicapped people

 

[mgb_phys]

Yeah, my bar refuses service to handicapped people

Understandable - unless they have a designated-pusher to get them home.

 

[Moonbear]

Bars are privately owned entities, and they can turn you away for any reason at all. They legally reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason. Any government agency should respect a passport as legal ID, but there's no reason that bar must. Sorry.

- Warren

True, and it is possible they were simply looking for an excuse to exclude people, as was mentioned above, who didn't fit some idea of who they wanted as patrons without coming right out and saying it (though, usually places that selective like to flaunt it as part of the appeal to the "in" crowd).

Maybe they wanted an over-25 crowd that night to keep out the more inexperienced drinkers more likely to start fights on a night when they are very busy, or wanted to cater to a better dressed set, or maybe you just forgot to wear green on St. Patty's Day...who knows. If they were serious and honest about their reasons, though, then they really need to get a clue about acceptable forms of ID.

And, yeah, I agree with whoever above said you should have just gone to a different bar that wasn't excluding you for such flimsy reasons.

 

[Danger]

Bars are privately owned entities, and they can turn you away for any reason at all. They legally reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason.

Maybe in the US, but we have civil laws up here. A couple of days ago, a bar in Calgary was fined $5,000 and ordered to issue a public apology for refusing entry to a man wearing a turban. He had done nothing wrong; it was purely a matter of racism, which is illegal in Canada.

 

[mgb_phys]

Odd - normally businesses are allowed to serve/ban anyone they want, it's generally thought that their desire for customers cancels any racism!
There was an issue when shopping malls banned kids wearing hoodies because the mall contained government post offices.

There are rules on racism when hiring - but there are exceptions for things like ethnic restaurants.