Dave & Buster's - Arcadia, CA

Since when were legal establishments in this country permitted to accuse

customers of a federal offense off of heresay, then refuse, not only

service, but, to back up the claim?

Tonight, while waiting for a pool table to open up, my boyfriend and I, and

another couple, sat at the bar to order drinks and an appetizer. About an

hour after we put our names down, the table was ready. We waited to close

our tab on the two rounds of drinks we had at the bar, when my boyfriend was

stopped from taking his second drink with him, after he had paid for them.

The Dave & Buster's employee accused him of using a fake I.D., siting a

shadow behind him in the driver's license picture. When I went to the front

desk, I brought the driver's license with me to ask if they could please

check for the authenticity of the license. I was informed that the off-duty

police officer they have hired had pointed out the shadow in the picture,

which, according to him, is never on any real licenses. I advised him that

I completely understand his position as a respectable establishment who runs

the risk of losing licenses, but that this accusation is false and it could

easily be proved. Although there was an identification scanner on the stand

at the entrance, I was refused any possiblity of checking the authenticity

of the CA driver's license. I was told that I could call the police to come

scan it for us, but was quickly discouraged from doing that because "they're

not going to be happy about coming to do that." When I immediately agreed

to having the police come as, apparently, the only way to disprove their

claim, I was warned that "if they come, and prove the I.D. is fake, you'll

get a ticket, and fines and you'll go to jail," at which I sternly replied

that that is precisely the reason why I WANT them to check it--it's not

fake. He walked away.

Again, I understand the precautions that an establishment with a liquor

license need to take, and I respect them. However, if you can so easily

accuse a customer of such a heavy accusation--a federal offense, no less;

why would you refuse (as a "forty-million dollar establishment," he advised

me) take the extra small step of backing up the claim? If not to prove his

innocence, then his fraud? Perhaps this 'under-aged drinker' had already

consumed one alcoholic beverage, and if he were busted, so would the

establishment be--legally and pubicity-wise. Nevertheless, a customer

should have the right to the same service every other law-abiding customer

gets, including the courtesy (if not responsibility) of the place to check

if the I.D. they branded as fraud is in fact real, from a tiny machine that

does just that sitting fifteen feet away. Although they did not allow my

boyfriend (a doctor and partner at his own multi-million-dollar practice) to

take his second drink with him, they had no problem having him--supposedly

under-aged--pay for it.