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I don’t have a drivers license. The only ID I have is my passport. I never carry my passport except when I know that I need it. I don’t expect needing to bring

I don’t have a drivers license. The only ID I have is my passport. I never carry my passport except when I know that I need it. I don’t expect needing to bring my passport to go to a restaurant. Imagine I saved up money for a special restaurant visit, got the reservation and paid the $200 deposit but didn’t notice I would have to bring my ID. I show up and.. the night is ruined and my $200 is lost because I can’t prove my identity to the staff at the restaurant with a valid ID, since that one is still at home.

kelnos 3y ago
Pretty sure you're in the minority here, to the point that a restaurant that felt they needed to implement this sort of thing could easily just not care about your business, and be fine. Most people (in the US, don't know where you're from) have at least a state-issued ID if they don't have a driver's license. Restaurants should of course disclose -- very clearly -- at reservation time that the deposit and slot are not transferable, and that IDs will be checked at the door. If you choose to make that reservation, knowing that, and then show up without an ID, that's on you. > ... but didn’t notice I would have to bring my ID That would fall under the category of "that's on you". Regardless, I would hope that a restaurant would try to find another way to verify you are who you say you are, like perhaps asking for the credit/debit card you used to make the reservation, or even just asking to see something on your person that looks vaguely difficult to forge and has your name on it. We're not talking about a high-security situation here.
- codetrotter 3y ago
  > in the US, don't know where you're from I’m not from the US, and I don’t live there. I was talking about the world at large, not about the US.
  - satvikpendem 3y ago
    What area of the world has only a passport as its main form of ID? Or do they have a local form of ID that you choose not to adopt? Because as far as I know, most places in the world have some sort of driver's license or state ID equivalent.
    - maest 3y ago
      UK
    - codetrotter 3y ago
      We have drivers licenses in my country too but in our country you can get around fine with just public transport and walking by foot. And it’s a bit expensive to get a drivers license for me, plus time consuming. I want to get one soon, but don’t have one yet. Likewise a lot of other people in my country don’t have one either.
      - yardstick 3y ago
        If it’s too expensive to get a drivers license then it’s probably too expensive to go on a night out too. Also are there other options for ID? Eg in UK, Australia, NZ you can get identity cards that prove your age. Australian one costs $77 AUD.
        codetrotter 3y ago
        > If it’s too expensive to get a drivers license then it’s probably too expensive to go on a night out too. No. In my country there is a requirement to have a certain amount of training with a professional driving instructor. For most people here the cost of that will amount to about $3000 USD. And it takes a lot of time too. Just because I don’t have $3000 USD to shell out for that currently, nor the time for those lessons and self-study, does not mean I cannot afford to go to a restaurant. > are there other options for ID? Yes there are other options, but I have no use for a National ID card really when I already have a passport. Having to show ID only happens in two cases for me most of the time: - border control when I am traveling, in which case my passport is required anyways in many countries - retrieving packages that were too big to be delivered in my mail box. And even then most times I don’t have to show ID It also used to be the case that I had to show ID when buying alcohol and tobacco. But being 32 years old now I usually don’t get asked for ID in the store in my country anymore.
      - satvikpendem 3y ago
        > We have drivers licenses in my country too Sounds like what the parent said, "that's on you" to fix that, then. In the aggregate, your (as well as those similar to you's) business is simply irrelevant to the vast majority of businesses that need to check IDs. Just because you don't want to get such a driver's license does not mean that a restaurant must honor your choice.
heikkilevanto 3y ago
Well, it could be tied to your credit card, or something else you had when you made the reservation.
lxgr 3y ago
I know that the ID situation in the US is complicated, but if you qualify for a passport, don't you automatically qualify for non-driving ID in your state as well?
- jrockway 3y ago
  You have to prove residency in that state as well. This would mean a utility bill or voter registration, most likely. If you live completely off the grid and don't vote, you could probably not get a state ID in some states. The US issues passport cards you can stick in your wallet, as well as the books. I carry mine because my state ID isn't "REAL ID" compliant, which is amazingly a thing that starts to matter before my ID expires.
  - Dalewyn 3y ago
    Financial documents (eg: bank or credit card statements, loan documents, tax filings) with your name and street address on them are also a valid form of demonstrating residency in most (all?) states.

kelnos 3y ago

Pretty sure you're in the minority here, to the point that a restaurant that felt they needed to implement this sort of thing could easily just not care about your business, and be fine. Most people (in the US, don't know where you're from) have at least a state-issued ID if they don't have a driver's license. Restaurants should of course disclose -- very clearly -- at reservation time that the deposit and slot are not transferable, and that IDs will be checked at the door. If you choose to make that reservation, knowing that, and then show up without an ID, that's on you. > ... but didn’t notice I would have to bring my ID That would fall under the category of "that's on you". Regardless, I would hope that a restaurant would try to find another way to verify you are who you say you are, like perhaps asking for the credit/debit card you used to make the reservation, or even just asking to see something on your person that looks vaguely difficult to forge and has your name on it. We're not talking about a high-security situation here.

codetrotter 3y ago
> in the US, don't know where you're from I’m not from the US, and I don’t live there. I was talking about the world at large, not about the US.
- satvikpendem 3y ago
  What area of the world has only a passport as its main form of ID? Or do they have a local form of ID that you choose not to adopt? Because as far as I know, most places in the world have some sort of driver's license or state ID equivalent.
  - maest 3y ago
    UK
  - codetrotter 3y ago
    We have drivers licenses in my country too but in our country you can get around fine with just public transport and walking by foot. And it’s a bit expensive to get a drivers license for me, plus time consuming. I want to get one soon, but don’t have one yet. Likewise a lot of other people in my country don’t have one either.
    - yardstick 3y ago
      If it’s too expensive to get a drivers license then it’s probably too expensive to go on a night out too. Also are there other options for ID? Eg in UK, Australia, NZ you can get identity cards that prove your age. Australian one costs $77 AUD.
      - codetrotter 3y ago
        > If it’s too expensive to get a drivers license then it’s probably too expensive to go on a night out too. No. In my country there is a requirement to have a certain amount of training with a professional driving instructor. For most people here the cost of that will amount to about $3000 USD. And it takes a lot of time too. Just because I don’t have $3000 USD to shell out for that currently, nor the time for those lessons and self-study, does not mean I cannot afford to go to a restaurant. > are there other options for ID? Yes there are other options, but I have no use for a National ID card really when I already have a passport. Having to show ID only happens in two cases for me most of the time: - border control when I am traveling, in which case my passport is required anyways in many countries - retrieving packages that were too big to be delivered in my mail box. And even then most times I don’t have to show ID It also used to be the case that I had to show ID when buying alcohol and tobacco. But being 32 years old now I usually don’t get asked for ID in the store in my country anymore.
    - satvikpendem 3y ago
      > We have drivers licenses in my country too Sounds like what the parent said, "that's on you" to fix that, then. In the aggregate, your (as well as those similar to you's) business is simply irrelevant to the vast majority of businesses that need to check IDs. Just because you don't want to get such a driver's license does not mean that a restaurant must honor your choice.

heikkilevanto 3y ago

Well, it could be tied to your credit card, or something else you had when you made the reservation.

lxgr 3y ago

I know that the ID situation in the US is complicated, but if you qualify for a passport, don't you automatically qualify for non-driving ID in your state as well?

jrockway 3y ago
You have to prove residency in that state as well. This would mean a utility bill or voter registration, most likely. If you live completely off the grid and don't vote, you could probably not get a state ID in some states. The US issues passport cards you can stick in your wallet, as well as the books. I carry mine because my state ID isn't "REAL ID" compliant, which is amazingly a thing that starts to matter before my ID expires.
- Dalewyn 3y ago
  Financial documents (eg: bank or credit card statements, loan documents, tax filings) with your name and street address on them are also a valid form of demonstrating residency in most (all?) states.