Purchasing Alcohol in the State of New Mexico (Albuquerque: motel, felony)

[woofcookey]

I'm 63 and am being carded by a paticular store employee in tucumcari . I tried to tell this person that the law states to only card customers who look to be under 21 or appear to be intoxicated. Unfortunately i'm getting nowhere. Woofcookey

[woofcookey]

Originally Posted by karmathecat

And this:

60-7B-5. Refusal to sell or serve alcoholic beverages to person unable to produce identity card.
Any person licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Liquor Control Act [ 60-3A-1 NMSA 1978] or any employee, agent or lessee of that person shall refuse to sell or serve alcoholic beverages to any person who is unable to produce an identity card as evidence that he is twenty-one years of age or over.

. I'm over 60 and obviously i don't look any where near the age of 21 . So why would a person of my age be asked to show id. Which they do.

[Zoidberg]

That law's pretty black & white. They have to card you, period, regardless of age.

Seems like a stupid law to me. Looks like it went into effect in 2013, so thank (blame) your fellow voters.

Amarillo, Hereford, and Dalhart are a short drive away..

[Tpinosr414]

I'm 73 years old and was asked to show my ID twice at buffalo wings I showed the first one but not the next one I told her I had already show my ID.to the other waitress she said she didn't care she wanted me to show it to her again..so long buffalo wings I won't be eating there any time soon..

[rwjoyak]

I'm a licensed NM server. Don't work in the industry but I got licensed cuz it costs almost nothing and I was interested in learning more about alcohol serving in NM. You should have heard the stories the teacher told us. Between the stings the state runs and some of the court decisions, it's amazing to me that anyone wants to work in the industry or open a place that serves alcohol.

Case in point #1. A few years ago a guy was being served at a local drinking establishment. He went to leave, and someone working there took his keys away and called a taxi for him. On the way home, the taxi was T-boned and the man was killed. A jury found the establishment liable because they should have stopped serving him before it got to the point where he needed to take a taxi home.

Wow!

BTW, I would really recommend taking the training class if you're at all interested in this. It's a one evening, 5-hour class offered by the NM Restaurant Association - See Alcohol Server Certification Classroom - NMRA. The class costs $25 and you get a license good for 3 years. You can also take an online class, but I found the opinions, examples, etc., offered by the teacher extremely interesting. It covered lots of interesting stuff, including NM regulations (in easy to understand language) that govern alcohol consumption, how many drinks of different types equal the legal limit, how to quickly judge (for example if you're working in a package store) whether someone has had to much to drink, and lots more.

The class was one of the most informative things I've done in a few years. I never plan on working in the industry but the perspective in provided was very eye opening.

[1701sdc]

Couldn't believe it. As a tourist from abroad I was asked for id in a Walmart even though like others I am 58. Went to Albertsons across the road and sailed through the checkout unchallenged.

Just goes to show some stores work on the common sense attitude suggested by a previous chief of Police for this area.

[GregW]

With whiskey available in grocery stores I can see why the state would want the sellers to check everyone's id card. I can also see why the sellers would want to do the same.

[BrianH]

Not to a 58 year old. I know its NM, but common sense has to kick in at some time :|

[Zoidberg]

Originally Posted by BrianH

Not to a 58 year old. I know its NM, but common sense has to kick in at some time :|

Common sense (in this case having the right to decide on behalf of your employer who not to card for age purposes) was outlawed on the state level.

This is one of the vanishingly rare moments where it seems like only people who are highly likely to vote regularly are disadvantaged by a state regulation. As a New Mexican, you have a state rep. You have a state senator. They are supposed to answer to you. They really don't represent that many people, so it's not like you're trying to get in to see the president when you want to talk to them. They answer e-mails, at least whenever I've sent them.

And heck, I imagine the grocery store, restaurant, and liquor lobbies would be right behind any politician who wanted to change the law. Probably 80% of our state politicians took money from some entity in one or each of those industries.

So, tell us which representative and/or senator you complain to and tell us what they say (or don't). I bet for most or all it's not even on their radar because no one has brought it to their attention.

[jiminnm]

The establishments are not required to card you. Here's the law:

60-7B-5. Refusal to sell or serve alcoholic beverages to person unable to produce identity card.
Any person licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Liquor Control Act [60-3A-1 NMSA 1978] or any employee, agent or lessee of that person shall refuse to sell or serve alcoholic beverages to any person who is unable to produce an identity card as evidence that he is twenty-one years of age or over.



If a server asks for ID, you have to produce it. If no one asks, then the risk is on the establishment that you are not of age. Consequently, it is those establishments that refuse to take that risk, however small it might be, who are at asking everyone. I expect that is because they do not think their servers or clerks can make the age decision. I have yet to be asked for ID at Smith's, Albertson's, Costco and a couple of the large liquor stores around, but there is no question I passed 21 a while back so their risk on me is nil.