There are few things in life more frustrating than being refused service at a bar. It's happened to everyone at one time or another, usually when you're a teenager with a fake ID who wants to look cool by bringing some beer along to a party.
The problem is that bartenders and off-licence proprietors are pretty dang shrewd, and have had to contend with all kinds of tricks over the years. Thus, they can be pretty pedantic when it comes to customers having proof of their age - sometimes to a ridiculous degree.
Check out Tom Hanks' hilarious SNL monologue as America's dad:It seems as though even celebrities aren't immune to having their ages questioned. If you want an example, then look no further than Tom Hanks himself. In a recent appearance on the British talk show The Graham Norton Show, Hanks told the Irish presenter that he'd recently been refused service by a bartender while attending California's Stagecoach music festival, where his wife, the actress and singer Rita Wilson, was performing.
Hanks stated: "The great thing about these outdoor festivals, like Stagecoach or Coachella, you know, it's really hot, and they have beer pavillions everywhere, so we were there, and Rita sang at about 1.30 in the afternoon, at about 1.10, I decided to go get myself a frosty cold one." However, when Hanks attempted to purchase a beer, the staff behind the bar asked: "Oh yeah sure, could we see your ID bracelet?"
Take a look at Tom recounting the anecdote on the Graham Norton show:Hanks replied: "First of all, you know my name, and secondly, I'd like a beer ... Look, not only am I who you think I am, I'm also 62 goddam years old."
He added: "These ladies were not allowed to sell me a beer without my official Stagecoach 'I am over 21 ID bracelet.' I did not have a beer until somebody went over and got me an ID bracelet, and I came back."
Ah well; don't feel bad about it Tom. Take it as a compliment: you must look younger than you thought after all!
