Can we see your ID please?

HAVE you ever been asked to prove your age?

Two of the most common places for teenagers to be asked to show ID are on buses and at the cinema.

We either have to prove that we are not old enough to pay full price for bus fares or that we are old enough to watch a 15-rated film, for example.

Unfortunately some teenagers think that there is no real way of having ID if you are under the age of 16 unless you carry your passport with you.

And with the prejudice that teenagers are out to cause trouble, some bus drivers and some cinema staff ask for ID to ‘try to stop you having fun’.

However, there is a solution – enquire at the bus station about an under-16s permit to stop this from happening to you.

Comments(1)

lfinn91 says...
4:58pm Tue 20 Oct 09

With working in a cinema myself, I felt the need to give the views of the cinema staff. We do not enjoy ID'ing as much as you enjoy being ID'd. So to say it is to 'stop us from having fun' is pretty much ridiculous, it is our job and the law to make sure children who are underage do not see 15/18 rated films if they are not old enough. That rating is there for a reason, the content is not suitable for any younger age.
Also, you find that conveniently some of the children coming into the cinema adapt their age not only according to films but also the prices , so one minute they can ask to see a 15 but then ask for a childs tickets (which is clearly stated under 15). So the argument of being ID'd will go on because it seems that teenager will quite happily adapt their age to benefit them the most.

Despite that most cinemas as well as the bus station will quite happily offer to make you an ID card if you cannot provide the other forms such as Passport, Validate UK and other forms of identity. However, I would advise that if teenagers do not have any forms of these easily obtained forms of ID, do not be surprised if you get turned away from watching the film you initially came to watch.

Basically, just keeping some form of ID with you would save and us the hassle.

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