first!

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahah!!!!!

oh, and age laws suck. If you're old enough to earn the money, you're old enough to buy the crack.

The only video games I was ever any good at were Duck Hunt, Mario Kart, and Tetris, so I really couldn't say if it's a new policy or not.

Stop laughing.

Jacob - you godless pants pooper!

I haven't bought any games at Best Buy recently. I usually buy at EB Games or Gamestop.

Down here in Alabama of all places they ask for your I.D.for T rated video games.It started after that big thing about december 02' when they had that big thing when the army put out there training game.And to a lesser extent after the Columbine shooting.

Welcome to the Nanny State, where packs of lawyers roam the veldt, ensuring that no action fails to produce a contingency fee.

Walmart carded me the other day when I bought the Matrix Revolutions DVD. I'm not quite 80, but clearly 'of an age'.

As aelfheld says, until enough lawyers are placed against the wall, it's only going to get worse.

Next I expect McDonalds to start carding for Big Macs to be sure you are old enough to make an informed decision about going over your RDA for fat and calories.

I work at Best Buy, and yes it is a new policy. We started the ID policy at the beginning of April. I don't know why for sure, but it was probably to help stave off any potential lawsuits from individuals and states.

That law? It's been around for a while. Not just at Best Buy--I'm pretty sure it's enforced everywhere now. It was all the fault of Stephen Limbaugh. He went crazy in 2002, claimed video games don't have first amendment protection, etc. So he made a law that 'M' rated games needed IDs.

I know this because I hang around video game websites--they were not happy at all with this guy.

By the way, it is currently only for M rated videogames, not movies or computer software.

The culture of personal responsibility is gone in america. It has been eroded by liberals and conservatives who wish to make our decisions for us. When we ask our government to stop our neighbor from hurting himself, whether it be by drugs, or profane television, or a gun without a trigger lock, pretty soon, our neighbor will ask the government to stop us from doing things he thinks are bad, such as playing violent video games.

The ironic thing about conservatives is that they get so pissed off when this kind of thing gets done to them, and then they go off on moral crusades against Howard Stern, and tobacco, and marijuana, and other things which they do not like. They do not realize that they are creating the atmosphere which allows silly shit like this to happen by advocating the nanny state.

I think the cashier recognized you, Frank, and thought, "wow, is that the Frank J?" and wanted to see your ID so she could definitively tell her friends that she checked you out, pun intended.

Well the last time I was in Best Buy I bought a rated M game and no one asked me for an I.D. and if they did they wouldn't get one because I didn't have my wallet with me, just a pocket full of cash. So if this is a new thing then I guess it's really new, like in the last two weeks.

feh, call your self lucky Frank, I still get carded for ciggertes, and I am 29! (the big 3 oh no in 2 weeks). About 5 years ago, I actualy got carded for an R rated move, damn this young face.

They looked at the number of kids killing other kids and said, "Those numbers gotta improve!" So they implemented laws to increase the frustration level in the entire populace in the hope that more kids would start killing.

I never got carded for nothing till I turned 24. I been getting younger ever since then.

I got carded for PG-13 movies twice. The first time I was 19 and the woman thought I was young enough to be able to get in for half price!

(The 2nd time was nto nearly as fun; she thought it was rated R and they had a policy of carding everyone)

Hasn't happened recetly though so I guess I am finally growing up :)

When I was sixteen, I was out every night getting served alcohol in every club you can think of in the South East of England . . . now I'm 21 I routinely get asked to prove my age to buy cigarettes, for heaven's sake! Seemingly I don't even look sixteen, yet when I was actually sixteen I looked over 18 (and on Saturdays, over 21)?! There are few things more niggling than getting carded.

The law was to counter the politicians' complaints about violence in videogames following stuff like Columbine, where the media blamed games like Doom. This law, though it seems like good reason to piss off gamers, is actually a HUGE help to the gaming industry and to gamers everywhere. It essentially places the responsibility on the parents and stores. This allows companies to continue to make games aimed at adults, i.e. GTA series and Hitman.

So don't be too pissed...I definately was at first, too. It allows for parents and stores to do the policing of videogames, which takes power away from judicial intervention. Since the power is now in the hands of the consumers, the politicans will not be able to make blanket rules over all videogames to ban things like blood and violence, which means that Rockstar and them can continue to make games for their target audience, adults.

Hee. I'm 20 in July and I've yet to be carded for a single R-rated movie or M-rated game. I'm just lucky I guess. :-)

-The Real Conservative Carl
aka The Half-Elven Commie Slayer

BTW Frank, are you gonna post the Limey's last email? It'd be cool to have a series finale to send him out in style! B-)

Liberty Bob nailed it - it's a numbers game.

Sooooo, if I buy a game from Best Buy online, how do they card me?

Idiots.

I've not been carded for anything in NYC. Ever. Even when I was going to some pretty obscene clubs in the East Village at age 23, and never for alcohol.

Oh wait, I've been carded for sending out packages from Grand Central Station. That's federal government, though.

This is just another incarnation of a zero thought policy. Remove all possibilities of actually looking at the gray in situations and paint everything with a broad stroke to demonise all that wish to undertake something as simple as buying a video game or stuff as harmless as bringing nail clippers to a middle school.
Ok so it may not be all that bad, and certainly isnt the end of the world, but it should be noted that if she cards everyone why have them on display within the view of those underage? I mean, how many times while growing have you or I been able to convince mommy or daddy to buy something that we just happened to see on the shelf? I say if you are supposed to be carding for them they should be seperated and roped off in some room with bad music and a black light or something.
Ok so I may be taking this a bit to far.

I suggest a social experiment. Send in an 80 year old man to purchase the same game at the same time of day (Start Xmas shopping early Or you could just return it later)and see if they really are carding everyone as the zero thought policy was stated or if the cashier just thought you looked like a teenbeat subscriber. If it turns out to be the latter sue the hell out 'em. But I should get maybe a 5% finder's fee.
Like I said maybe I am taking all of this too far, or maybe it is the fact I just got carded margarita mix. NON-ALCOHOLIC MARGARITA MIX. Whats this world coming to?

The culture of personal responsibility is gone in america. It has been eroded by liberals and conservatives who wish to make our decisions for us. When we ask our government to stop our neighbor from hurting himself, whether it be by drugs, or profane television, or a gun without a trigger lock, pretty soon, our neighbor will ask the government to stop us from doing things he thinks are bad, such as playing violent video games.

Hear, hear! You do know that you are preaching to the choir though, right?

I was checking out at Walmart the other day and was right behind this older couple (probably in their late 70s or 80s). They were buying a collection of things, including rubber cement. When the "is customer 18?" flashed across the checker's monitor the checker paused for a few seconds confused and the couple saw the screen. The husband asked what they had to be eighteen to buy, the clerk told them it was the rubber cement, and the little old lady replied "of course! Kids these days are sniffing that stuff and getting high, we'll have to try that and see if it actually works!" I just about fell over laughing! Sidenote: I was subsequently carded to see if I was old enough to purchase the "R" rated movie I had (sure I'm only 24, but most people guess I'm around 30)

The ironic thing about conservatives is that they get so pissed off when this kind of thing gets done to them, and then they go off on moral crusades against Howard Stern, and tobacco, and marijuana, and other things which they do not like. They do not realize that they are creating the atmosphere which allows silly shit like this to happen by advocating the nanny state.

Stern and tobacco - I agree with you.

Marijuana - much like Frank's position on drug legalization, I hate hippies too Goddamned much to be in favor of anything they favor.

The worst thing about getting carded when you are 24 is remembering it when a couple years later they stop carding you.

I know I got depressed the first time I wasn't carded. But, I like to think it was because I just found some lazy people. I still have people ask to talk to my mom when I answer the door. (I'm just lately 29) but then I also just got another offer to join AARP in the mail last week. I think I must have an evil twin somewhere.

"Hear, hear! You do know that you are preaching to the choir though, right?"

I wasn't aware that this was a libertarian site.

I just love it.

I was as Best Buy not two days ago and I bought "The Road to Perdition" and a Parental-Advisory CD, and wasn't carded.

Wasn't carded when I bought Half-Life or Starcraft (When they were rated M and I was about 13).

And I'm 17, just to make things spicy.

Frank-
if you want to tune out the noise of an office (or a jet plane, or the city, & such) get a set of the Bose noise cancelling headphones. (Advertised in NR) They somehow "listen" to your noise & generate a cancelling noise so you hear NUTHIN! I mean zero, deep space, total vacuum nothing. Plus, you can plug your stereo into them for tunes. I also understand that Radio Hovel makes a similar thing for about 1/3 the $.
Happy Happy deep space quiet,
DT

Speaking of wal-mart and asking stupid questions, I was in the sporting good section a few years back right after they implemented a policy of asking what you were going to shoot your .22 bullets in and at what. Some guy in front of me was purchasing a brick of ammo and the girl asked him "What are you shooting this in and at what", he replied "What business is it of yours?", she said "It's company policy, I have to fill it in", he told her "In an assault rifle and I will be shooting anyone who illegaly breaks into my house". she started not to sell him the bullets and started to give a firm lecture (she was maybe 20, he was in his 60's or 70's - quite amusing to watch). Needless to say that didn't go over very big and a manager was called in - the guy got his bullets.

I've also told them "To slaughter innocent little animals and eat them".

Never understood why wal-mart will occasionally have an anti-hunter/anti-fishing person man the sporting goods section 'round here. Though it ends up being quite amusing as east Tennessee is selling mostly hunting/fishing goods.

What I find ridiculous is that I can go into Best Buy, plop Kill Bill and Reservoir Dogs down on the counter, and purchase those with nothing more than cash, but if I want to get a video game I'll need to show proof of age?

I guess I'll have to start buying my games from Amazon.com more often from now on.

And to whoever asked how Best Buy Online is going to check for ID, to get a credit or debit card you have to be 18.

Ha- the Wal Mart story is good.... They always ask if the ammo I buy is for a rifle or a handgun. I tell them it's for chipmunks. Then they stand there like Hell had just frozen over, gripped in paralysis. It's a beautiful thing.
DT

C'mon, folks... an I.D. check bothers you? Deal with it like I do by using your Jedi mind control.

I drop a rated M video game (ahhh, for my kid, ya see) on the counter. The clerk-ette looks at me and we make eye contact. I say in my best Obi-Wan voice, "You're obviously over forty, fine sir. I discern this from the look of your wise countenance and mirthful, yet ageless eyes. I will require to see no I.D."

Her eyes glaze over and her voice gets low, "Like, mister, are you crazy or something? You freakin' sound like my nine-year old brother! Now, let me see your license, or whatever, you know?"

I'm crushed. Well, it works on the cat... sometimes. "Hey... Cat III! 'These are not the droids you seek!'"

"Meooooow"

I had a dumb cashier encounter myself...
It was New Year's Eve. I was out with some friends, ready to party. We were under twenty-one, so I figured, "Hey, we can get some sparkling grape juice. That stuff is frigging awesome!" (It is.)
So, to carry out this plan, my friends and I head to the local Hy-vee. I grab a few bottles, and up to the counter I go... and get carded. For a non-alcoholic beverage. Becasue the cashier believes it to be alcoholic. Even though it says, right there on the lable, "contains no alcohol."
I was going to call the manager, but my friends saw me frothing at the mouth and dragged me out of the store before I could get the cashier's head on a pike for the crime of being incredibly stupid. This was no sweet young high school girl on her first night at the cash register, mind you-- this guy had one of those little buttons on that showed that he had at least four years experience. I think he was just screwing with me.

I went back the next year, by myself this time, intending on looking for him, grabbing some, and calling all hell (and the manager) down on his head when he carded me. But apparently someone else had already gotten to him first (or he just wasn't working that night); there was no idiotic cashier to be found and I got my sparkling grape juice without comment. I had never been so disappointed in my entire life.

Have you checked out Manhunt? That's super bloody and gory. JUST THE WAY YOU LIKE IT!

(from the creators of Grand Theft Auto... which RULES!)

A couple of things Jake The Libertarian:

1) Republicans AREN'T Anti-Tobacco. That was the Clinton Crew. The Reigning Democrats in Indiana are the reason a pack of Marlboro's has gone from a buck fifty to over 3 dollars in the last three years.

2) Again, I agree with Frank also. I hate hippies so damn much that it makes me giggle inside, and makes my day a bit brighter every time I hear about a pot head getting arrested.

3) The Video Games Industries self-regulation, and BestBuy's ID policies are NOT government policy. The games industry puts those on games to TRY and keep uber-violent games out of the hands of youngsters. I'm sorry, but I feel a 9-year old, as a general rule, has no damn BUSINESS playing Grand Theft Auto.

I'm actually GLAD to see BestBuy enforcing the age limits on video games, hopefully that will keep the idgits in Washington off the games industries backs so they can go back to producing more Hyper-Violent GTA games of responsible adults to enjoy. It's self-regulation, and it's one of the founding principle's of a Capitalistic Marketplace. It keeps the Gum'mint at bay and allows the industry to regulate itself.

That's nice that you hate hippies and all. But taking away their pot makes them hate you too. And unfortunately, we allow them to vote. And when they get angry, they don't vote libertarian, they vote for bloody smelly socialists.

If you don't want to see Nader in the White House in 12 years, then maybe you should remember the meaning of a free country and stop cracking down on hippies for the fun of it. Freedom is doing whatever the hell you want, and its only limit is marked by not harming others.

Let me tell you, as a college student, a lot of people use pot that aren't hippies. Conservatives are playing a dangerous game, and driving many young people to freedom hating parties like the Demoncrats and Greens.

And once again, you are promoting the philosophy that the government should take away what they deem to be "bad" for you. You ask your representative to take away someone's pot, and then he'll start thinking that maybe he should take away alot more things too. Why promote such a wrongheaded anti-freedom philosophy in the land of the free?

-As far as the carding thing goes, private property is private property, and whoever owns it should be able to sell, or not sell, to whomever he wants. So its fine that a store does't want to sell some things to children. I don't think it's fine if the reason they're doing it is the threat of unconstitutional government action.

Damn! They've never carded me and I'm constantly buying R-rated movies there. It's truly the end of the world when the book store has to card people who buy anything from the Horror section.

Jacob, et al from the Libertarian front, I have a question based on you last comment.

Let's assume that there isn't any overt government involvement in Best Buy's policy to card everyone for rated games (i.e. they aren't being coerced by a criminal law).

IF Best Buy's policy is a result of sound marketing research (i.e. we can actually get more customers because parents know we are "kid safe") then that would be a purely capitalistic driven business decision, right?

BUT IF Best Buy's policy is a result of sound legal research (i.e. we have risk exposure from parents who will blame us for their children's behavior) then that would be a decision based on fear of government action (i.e. coercion), right? I mean, that the civil courts are government courts, and eventually the government enforces decisions.

I know for most, this is probably not an issue, but I think it speaks to the depth of government control and sheep mentality in our society.

-- As for the hating hippie issue and taking away their pot, I have to take the Libertarian side on this. It’s wrong to punish people because they think or act differently than you. BUT, the first time one of those pot-smoking, long-haired, pinko sons a bitches makes a move to limit YOUR freedom and YOUR property… BLAMO! Now, that would be a moral decision!

i've got a pretty good carding story to tell. im buying beer at a place i frequent and usually dont get carded but its a new guy working there so he cards me, which i usually appreciate cuz im well enough over 21 to appreciate it. so i get out my id and realize, hey, thats not me. apparently my bartender at the bar i visited the night before gave me the wrong id back, and being drunk at the time i did not look at it. so needless to say i didnt get to buy my beer cuz this guy insisted on seeing an id.

as far as gettin carded at best buy tho, i havent experienced that in texas yet, but we're special. i think its the whole concealed weapon law that keeps people from askin too many stupid questions.
plus i usually get my games at gamestop.

Trust me, Frank, when you reach MY age, you'll be smiling every time somebody's nice enough to card you.

If you don't want to see Nader in the White House in 12 years, then maybe you should remember the meaning of a free country and stop cracking down on hippies for the fun of it.

Considering a vast majority of this great nation of ours hold pot heads, stoners, druggies, burn outs, etc. in such high contempt, the chances of a Socialist like Nader, or the Libertarians getting voted into office is laughably small.

I used to agree with a lot of the Libertarian Philosophy, until I really started to dig down deep, and realized all they want to do is sit around and smoke blunts all day.

Besides, do you have any CLUE what the voter turn-out is for stoners? From my experiences on knowing plenty of those type of people (I myself have never touched the shit), I can tell you it's next to nill.

They're too busy sitting in thier parents basement, getting baked, eating Twinkee's and watching Spongebob Squarepants.

Ahhh dude...isn't it, like election day, or something.

Dude, did you just say "erection day".

No dude, it's election day, you know, where like, we get a new King or President or some shit like that.

Far out dude...like how do you vote.

Well man, like I heard this dude in my Social Science class talking about it, apparently we have to go sign up, and then we vote for this dude, and he'll make sure our Asian Sticky is legal.

Far out dude, lets go vote.

Killer dude, let me finish my Twinkee and then...

TV: WHOOOOOOOOOOO LIVES IN A PINEAPPLE UNDER THE SEA

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!

ABSORBANT AND YELLOW AND POUROUS IS HE

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!

Far out dude....I don't think we've seen this episode yet...hey, pass the Honey Bear and the Ring Dings.

And another thing.

Don't hand me this Hippie Crap about how pot heads, junkies, and other assorted malcontents don't harm me in any way.

When I'm trying to sell some property to make a profit, and there's a crack house on one side, an Opium Den in the other side, and junkies, pot heads, stoners, etc. passed out in the gutter in FRONT of my house, dragging MY property values down, then YES, that effects me in a very large way.

That's Capitalism at it's finest foo! And I prefer to have some legal recourse if Cheech and Chong decide to open their Big Loud Shop O' Bongs up in MY neighborhood.

Evil Poster - I'd say if you bought property in that kind of a neighborhood to make a profit... well.. with all due respect you are a dumbass.

I've had to fight off dope dealers in our neighborhood before - and I live in a really nice part of town. Even if you legalized dope, it would be illegal to operate out of a home or neighborhood. Which is why, to a certain degree, zoning laws can be good. Of course, zoning can come back and bite you on the ass when Walmart wants to build and you are in the way!

I was merely using that as an example of the way the Dope Fiends affect me personally, a person who has never touched it in my life.

However, there was a Headshop which recently opened near my neighborhood. I don't have any kids, but most of my friends do, and their kids have to walk by this place ever morning on their way to school. How nice for them.

My parents live in one of the better neighborhoods in town, and a couple years ago, some Crack Heads moved in to the house down the block and within six months, the entire neighborhood was on the verge of falling to shit, and my folks property values were in the toilet.

Luckily, Anti-Drug laws what they are, the house was raided, the nogoodnicks were locked in prison where all Drug Fiends should be, and the neighborhood has recovered nicely.

A comment on doubletrouble's noise cancelling post.

It's a cool technology (the Bose headphones) but it only cancels lower frequencies. Human voices, and especially the inhuman screeching of babies, comes thru loud and clear.

There are some alternatives that work really well. Do your google search on noise cancelling headphones and you'll find 3 or 4 options.

I remember back in the day when the South Park movie came out I went to see it at a theater with my friend and my mom ( I was like 15 at the time). When we got up to the counter for the tickets the lady tried to warn my mom that this movie had foul language and wasn't apropriate for kids (ironic, since that was the whole joke of the movie itself). My mom nicely replied that she was well aware of the content of the movie and would still like three tickets. The lady, who obvioulsy either doesn't like money or had issues with people raising their own kids, decided to continue to warn my mother against this movie and even said something to the effect of "Well, I know I would never let my kid see this movie!" My mom, God bless her, is very tolerant of other people, but nobody tells her what she should or should not do with regards to her kids. After dropping the f-bomb on this lady a few times and getting the manager involved, we finally got our tickets and (barely) got into the movie on time. So, yeah, um, I guess this story should have a point, and that point is... um... cashiers are morons and should mind their own business. Yeah, thats the ticket.

Nice for you - but was your friend's mom aware of this?

I work customer service at Best Buy and like it was stated earlier it is a brand new policy. Personally if the person looks over 12 or has an adult with them I won't card. And that is what most of the cashiers do as well. You must have gotten one of the stupid do it like the books says people. Or they were new. Usually the only time I check ID's is if the back of the credit card isn't signed or if they are making large purchases and looks shady.

And if it was legal, it wouldn't be sold on the street corners in the neighborhoods, but would be available in stores properly zoned and located for that purpose. You can't open a liquor store just anywhere. You can't open a porn shop just anywhere. What makes you think legalizing marijuana means your residential streets and school zones will suddenly be overrun with pot vendors?

Not only that with where it is sold, but public drunkeness and such is illegal now. There is no reason that the majority of drugs on the black market could not be treated as such - especially pot.

The same person who drinks and drives will smoke and drive, the same is true for most of it. You will have the same problems with both - look at the prohibition era to see illegal distribution of alchohol and what the social costs of it was.

With some of the hardest drugs (herion for example) you can make an argument simply because of how bad it is. But for pot to be illegal and nocitine and alchohol to be legal doesn't make much sense.

and to note, I have never, and will never smoke pot. I have severe lung problems (bronchitis every year and pneumonia every few years) so breathing any particulates are stricktly off limits - regardless of legality (I even have to limit the amount of dusty environments I stay in). But as long as I can do someting in the privacy of my own home, why not? Make it illegal to effect others (public drukeness and stoned, liscensed places of sale, zoned for agriculture, etc). That is quite doable as we do it today. Not to mention the amount of money it would save (and make through taxes) and the number of petty drug dealers it would immediatly put out of business. There are more than several countries that have done similar type things to look at thier social costs - and they are quite favorable to this type of thing.

I know some places have to enter the specific birthdate for any product that requires a minimum age.

Just after I turned 21 I was carded for an R movie.

In response rockynogin, yes she did. Not that she cared. By that age this kid had watched movies that would make me cringe today. Which brings me to the point that I feel the main people who should decide what kids watch and play should be the parents, and they should be made more responsible. Sure, if some twelve year old goes into a Best Buy and tries to walk out with a game like Hitman, Doom 3 or Mario Sunshine, heads should turn and that kid should not get the game. But when you think about it, what the hell is a kid like that doing in a store without his parents anyway? If people gave more of a crap about their kids, stores and governments wouldn't have to be watching them for us.

yea, don't feel bad, Frank. I got carded trying to get a library card. That's right, a library card. The librarian looked at me and told me that anyone under the age of 16 had to have their parent's permission to get a library card, and was my mother or father in the car and could they sign for me? I handed her my ID, boy she looked that thing over closely... sheesh! Who would use a fake ID to get a Library card??! LOL!

Jewels... do you live in a state that will issue a warrant for you for overdue books? And I'm personally thankful that most grocery stores don't ask for id for their stupid discount cards cause the DMV won't give and id to my cats but they sure do like discounted groceries.

Absolutely not an issue for me.

Best Buy got $129 of my money, and I got bupkis, except a runaround that cost me an extra $20.

They don't get any more. If Best Buy advertised sex for $5 an hour I'd go home and wank off.

Regards,
Ric

Sorry going to have to say no to pot being legal. I got shafted in my last year of college with 3 pot smokeing bastards. The f*ing freaks of nature ate all my food, all the freaking time. It got so bad that I bought a fridge and put a lock on it, no good, they broke the freaking lock off. I told the college administration, they told me they did not really care. Finaly I had to store my food at a friends apartment. I still remeber not eating for 4 day and surviveing off of nothing but coffee. So you if you want to make it legal, you can pay my food bill for a year to make up for my loss.

yes I am a very bitter person.

I work at a Brook's Pharmacy at the moment, and we have the same policy regarding tobacco and alcohol sales. them damn canadian execs (I'm canadian by blood, american by place of birth :D) decided that they wouldlike to put their cashiers in direct danger of being shot by a disgruntled bastard on a binge so long as they didnt sell a butt to a minor because as we all know, excessive smoking can cause cancer...

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