Getting Carded at 53 by Sharon O’Donnell

This past week, I went to Target with my soon-to-be 15-year-old son to buy the new Batman video game. The game is rated ‘mature’, so my son gave me his money so I could purchase it since he is under 18. When I handed the cashier — a guy who was probably in his early twenties — the money, he said, “Could I see some ID please?”  I was confused because I thought he was asking my son for his ID.

I told the cashier, “I’m the one buying it.”

“Yes, I know,” he replied. “But I need to see your ID.”

I glanced at him and asked, “Seriously?”

“You have to be over 18 to buy it.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, as if to tell him to stop playing with me or patronizing me or whatever he was doing. “Come on,” I said.

“We have to make sure you are over 18.”

Ok, I would have been flattered had it not been so outrageously obvious that I was definitely over 18. If I had to have been over 40 and he was carding me, then THAT would have been flattering because 40 was a hell of a lot more of a possibility that 18.  Could he not see the wrinkles and age spots that are, I assume, quite rare in your average 18-year-old?

I sighed and pulled out my license from my purse. He glanced at it and nodded. I know he was following the rules, but at some point, it does come off as just plain patronizing  – like when nurses call me “Sweetie”.

As we walked away, my son Jason said, “Mom, you just got carded.”

“I know,” I replied, not amused.  A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Tags: age, carded, getting older, video games