12 of us were in the Wetherspoons pub The Bankers Draft at the top of Angel St last Monday night at 9pm. Mostly students but a couple of older middle age blokes as well. The youngest were 20 years old. We all got served at the bar and some people ordered food as well. We were all sitting together having a quiet conversation when a woman aged 25 to 30 came up and introduced herself as the manageress and said we'd have to leave. She said some of the group didn't look 21. I said do you have to be over 21 to come in a Wetherspoon pub. She said no you have to be over 18 but if you don't look 21 you have to have proof of age. They'd got student ID but she wouldn't accept that because she said it's too easy to forge. She'd only accept a pasport or driving licence, which they hadn't got. The old blokes said they'd guarantee everyone was over 18 and if the police came in they'd handle any problem. But she wouldn't have it. She gave us 15 minutes to drink up and get out, so we cancelled the food and went round to the 3 Tuns on Silver St.
What's the point of Student ID if they won't accept it?

A good warning to anyone who is thinking of going into Weatherspoons.
Dick you could try emailing their head office with an official complaint, that ought to give the jobs worth something to think about.

Try this http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/feedback/ :thumbsup:

Originally posted by Dick
What's the point of Student ID if they won't accept it?

Student Id is just to give you permission to be on college premises, use the libraries gyms etc.. I have just been up to norton this year to have a proper card printed again, but some of my college mates just got these heath robinson ones from the tapton office which look crap and could be easily made at home.

I have also used these college cards abroad to get cheaper entry into attractions, and more switched on countries don't accept them either you have to have an internationally recognised "International student Identity card"

Originally posted by muddycoffee
an internationally recognised "International student Identity card"

i have one of these...but havent found out where to save money yet! :confused:

You could apply for one of these prove it card (http://www.portmangroup.co.uk/campaigns/52.asp) its a recognised card which most pubs support.

Originally posted by Dick
What's the point of Student ID if they won't accept it?

Because they can be faked so easily..

Originally posted by fox20thc
You could apply for one of these prove it card (http://www.portmangroup.co.uk/campaigns/52.asp) its a recognised card which most pubs support.

most places wont accept these either, I have asked places when they have told me "Passport or driving license only" i say "Do you accept thoes ' prove it ' cards, and they say no...

This is the case for most places in the town center... I havent been ID'd in a while, but whenever I am, I ask that same question, as I have neither... and im sure there are 100's more people who dont have either aswell...

Originally posted by Ghozer
most places wont accept these either, I have asked places when they have told me "Passport or driving license only" i say "Do you accept thoes ' prove it ' cards, and they say no...


Not fair, I am well over 21 but still do not have either passport or driving license. I have found that more and more companies are asking for these as proof.

Not everyone drives and not everyone wants a passport. Are there no other valid forms of ID which are acceptable?

well here is one benefit of national ID cards then!

and most pubs round town will only accept passports or new driving licences.

I Was Recently Asked For Photo ID (Which I Don't Have),By My Solictor,To Prove To Him Who I Was.

Interesting That He Didn't Ask For Any ID A Few Weeks Earlier When I Handed Over A Cheque For 300 Notes To Him.:rolleyes:

It's a pain, but the consequences for the pub are pretty high if they are found to be serving underage drinkers. It being a city centre pub, the chances of the polic coming in are a lot higher..

Also, perhaps they'd recently been caught or they've had a high number of underage drinkers in recently - I wouldn't take it personally.

However, the fact that they actually served you before asking for ID seems a bit backwards. I can only assume that the server thought you were old enough, but the manageress had cold feet..

As for getting ID, I suggest getting a passport. You're more than likely to go abroad in the next 10 years, even if it's just a weekend on the booze with your mates - so it's not like you never going to use it.

Plus you don't need to take a test :)

I was cautioned by the Police for selling to under age kids years ago.

I wasn't much more than a kid myself (about eighteen) but I served a guy who was 18 who bought drinks for his mates who were not. The police did a walk round and the kids fingered me for selling it to them.:(

And before anyone says anything, no I didn't know them

I don't see what there is to complain about. You were thrown out of a crap pub, you should thank them.

thrown out of a weatherspoons pub?

If that was me i'd be soooo happy, pick up my coat n tell me mates its time to go somewhere to have a ciggie n a laugh where there are no failed traffic wardens behind the bar.

Originally posted by MTheo
i have one of these...but havent found out where to save money yet! :confused:

Barcelona!
Entry to all the museums and the Sagrada Familia ( The massive and amazing Gaudi Cathedral ) can be obtained cheaply with your card.

Here's a tip, hit the managers in the pocket. I used to work for Wetherspoons as a manager.

If you complain in writing, it is logged against the pub. Part of the managers bonus is based on complaints received. So get you and your mates penning letters to the a-holes that run the god foresaken company.

Its also nice to see em losing turnover and profit due to their ridiculous smoking ban too.

Sam

So what if you haven't passed your driving test? I wouldn't want to go round town at night with my passport in my pocket in fear of losing it :loopy:

Originally posted by SlinkyMinky


Its also nice to see em losing turnover and profit due to their ridiculous smoking ban too.

Sam

:D I like u, manage another pub quick.

Originally posted by Dick
12 of us were in the Wetherspoons pub The Bankers Draft at the top of Angel St last Monday night at 9pm. Mostly students but a couple of older middle age blokes as well. The youngest were 20 years old. We all got served at the bar and some people ordered food as well. We were all sitting together having a quiet conversation when a woman aged 25 to 30 came up and introduced herself as the manageress and said we'd have to leave. She said some of the group didn't look 21. I said do you have to be over 21 to come in a Wetherspoon pub. She said no you have to be over 18 but if you don't look 21 you have to have proof of age. They'd got student ID but she wouldn't accept that because she said it's too easy to forge. She'd only accept a pasport or driving licence, which they hadn't got. The old blokes said they'd guarantee everyone was over 18 and if the police came in they'd handle any problem. But she wouldn't have it. She gave us 15 minutes to drink up and get out, so we cancelled the food and went round to the 3 Tuns on Silver St.
What's the point of Student ID if they won't accept it?

yeah sometimes they can be arsey like that. it's just one of those things....you're best staying up west street or something. some of the girls ive seen been let into pubs in sheffield is a joke. i was in the cutler once and this one girl must have been about 13/14...

Originally posted by JA5E
So what if you haven't passed your driving test? I wouldn't want to go round town at night with my passport in my pocket in fear of losing it :loopy:

You don't have to pass your test to have a provisional driving license which is accepted as a form of ID at everywhere I know of, except for HSBC. Unless they know you, in which case a green one will do. :loopy:

My friends once got asked to leave a wetherspoons pub for the very same reason.

Instant refusal would be fine but, like in your case, we had had drinks and food orders accepted by the bar without any call for ID, they took our money happily aswell.

Best thing to do is take it on the chin, mate.

It's a shame because you were clearly well-behaved and not intent on causing any trouble. You also - I presume - left the premises without any altercation. It happens to us all; forget it, move on.

Plenty of other and (IMHO) better pubs to visit. If senior management had cause to believe any of you were under age (or couldn't prove to be over the legal age) then that's only them protecting themselves (don't forget the sue-your-neighbour climate we live in).

It nags you that you've been chucked out of a pub and quite rightly. Truth is, there's nothing to be 'nagged' about. You did nothing wrong.

Happy boozin'.

Originally posted by Ousetunes
Plenty of other and (IMHO) better pubs to visit. If senior management had cause to believe any of you were under age (or couldn't prove to be over the legal age) then that's only them protecting themselves (don't forget the sue-your-neighbour climate we live in).


It's sad but true. One of our forum members lost his livleyhood when he was caught serving someone under age. Not nice, and you can't blame the pub for being careful.

Photocard provisional driving licence isn't that hard to get, or very expensive.

The thing I dont get though is if they thought some of you were underage, then why would they allow them to "drink up" before leaving? :confused:

Did you get your money back for the food ordered?

Things must have changed at Wetherspoons then.....

Originally posted by IanMitchell
Things must have changed at Wetherspoons then.....

Oh I dunno, I've had some good laughs in Wetherspoons :hihi: ;)

Originally posted by D2J
Oh I dunno, I've had some good laughs in Wetherspoons :hihi: ;)

Quiet you!

Enough of your cheek! ;) :hihi:

The first time I was served alcohol in a pub I was 12, and I was thrown off a bus at 13 for trying to pay child's fare (even though I had my birth certificate with me). On the other hand, one of my friends who's older than me was turned away from buying a 15 certificate DVD for a present a couple of years ago. She was 33 at the time.

Just trying to say that the whole licensing issue is a nightmare from the publican's point of view, and without mandatory ID it's virtually impossible to guarantee that you don't sell to minors. I didn't look like your average 12 year old (I was nearly 6ft tall, for a start) but I don't know many 16 or 17 year olds that look totally different as soon as they hit 18 either.

There's no law which states that pub managment HAVE to serve anybody, but there's loads of legislation in the other direction, so any pub manager who wants to keep their job needs to be very careful about these things.

I agree that this case could probably have been handled better so might warrant a complaint, but since both the licensing laws and the profit margin are the manager's responsibility, they are bound to fail one by obeying the other at some point.

Originally posted by SlinkyMinky
Here's a tip, hit the managers in the pocket. I used to work for Wetherspoons as a manager.

You say you are an ex manager, is that because your bonuses were rubbish due to so many complaints?

Anyways, I whole heartedly agree with the stance of the manaqeress in this situation. As such a large company, any bad publicity with regards to underage drinking in Wetherspoons reflects badly on the whole estate.

Also in Sheffield, the majority of the pubs have signed up to the challenge 21 initiative which asks that all persons who look under 21 have to provide suitable ID to prove that they are over 18, and as it is possible to attend university at 16, then student cards are not considered as valid ID. Even worse is the fact that Hallam cards do not even have a date of birth on them.

Wetherspoons , as a company, are looking into ways of liasing with the universities, and getting them to produce a form of ID that is not easily forged, and can show the actual date of birth. They also promote the use of Prove-it cards in all of there establishments.

Thanks for some interesting comments and I don't disagree with Chris 1975, but I think where you have a borderline case, the people were 20 years old after all, if the bar staff have asked them and been told they are over 18, especially when supported by much older men, surely that should cover the staff in case of trouble.
Muddycoffee's remarks about student ID cards are useful. I didn't know Norton cards are better than Tapton cards.
I think Wetherspoons staff have a lot to do. The Bankers Draft is a large pub and on Monday nights at least , which is our usual night, there are only 2 staff behind the bar, and they are expected to provide food as well.
I know the beers cheap so they have to keep the overheads down. You have to set that against variable quality and sometimes quite a long wait.
We used to like it because they had a policy of no TV and no music, which suited us because we like conversation and in most city pubs if you want to talk you've also got to be able to lip read.
Now Wetherspoons have TV and also sometimes music so it was losing it's attraction for us anyway.
This week we went in The Graduate on Surrey St without any problems, but it is a bit noisy.

Originally posted by Dick
Muddycoffee's remarks about student ID cards are useful. I didn't know Norton cards are better than Tapton cards.

Tapton is basically a regular school which opens for night classes, and they have temporary cards, whereas Norton is a bona fide college with a dedicated student records department which has a machine which can manufacture the proper solid plastic cards on a special machine. They are like credit cards with your picture on and not just laminated card. It's quite impressive and takes about 25 seconds!
I fully expect that Hillsborough, another main college site will have one too.

Now you know all there is to know about sheffield student I.D. cards. And I feel the warm glow of benevelent wisdom. :thumbsup:

Is the Banker's Draft still part of the Weatherspoon's chain?, I thought it had been taken over by another company, don't know who tho'................ or am I making this up in my own head :huh: its one of those peices of information that I'm sure someone has told me but not sure who, when or why and now I'm wondering If anyone has.

Still part of the same company, but changed to the lloyds brand (same as lloyds no 1 on division street), hence the tv's and music.:thumbsup:

Originally posted by Ghozer
most places wont accept these either, I have asked places when they have told me "Passport or driving license only" i say "Do you accept thoes ' prove it ' cards, and they say no...


Those ''Prove It'' cards used to be the thing to have around 10 years ago. When you apply for one of them (or when i did 10 years ago) you had to go through the same procedure as you would if you were taking out a passport for the first time. You know getting a solicitor, Dr or a teacher to sign it and also somebody else who wasnt related to you.

Sometimes i think the barstaff just say passport or drivers licence, cause they know a student aint gonna carry a pain in the ass sized passport, and students are less likely be able to drive. Then they dont look so stupid.

Originally posted by Dick
Thanks for some interesting comments and I don't disagree with Chris 1975, but I think where you have a borderline case, the people were 20 years old after all, if the bar staff have asked them and been told they are over 18, especially when supported by much older men, surely that should cover the staff in case of trouble.

No. If they serve to minors they get into trouble. Period.

As I said, someone on here lost his livleyhood for this. It's a serious issue when you rely on your living to put food on the table. :|