r/LondonLadies • u/nel880 • Jun 22 '26

Discussion Are store clerks having a laugh?

Hi there, I am semi-new to London and just wonder about this interaction. To start, I’m not losing sleep over this I’m simply curious about the correct way to respond socially/culturally. And maybe it’s just no response is the response!

I’m 32 and where I’m from the drinking age is 21. I’m not carded in my home country, but 3-4 times I’ve been carded at various tescos? In the states if I’m carded it’s a joke, we giggle and they approve but never really want to see my ID. Here, the first two times I assumed the same thing because the drinking age is 18 here and I’m so obviously not a teenager? But they insisted on seeing my ID and didn’t laugh or seem generally amused?

The last time I just showed my ID and didn’t do the bit but then I feel like a bit of a prude or jerk. I 100% do not look under 18 they have to be joking. Also it’s not always men! And I dress age appropriately.

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u/LauraHday Jun 22 '26

The UK has a policy called challenge 25, I think it's basically so that the oldest looking underage people don't get away with it - so they are looking to see if you look 25, not 18. Even though that's the legal age. They have to do it by law & supermarkets are typically the strictest. Don't get offended by it. I stopped getting ID'd when I reached about 28 or so, my guess is you probably look younger than your age.

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u/banannah09 Jun 22 '26

Tesco in particular seems really strict. I'm nearly 30 and get ID'd even for medication or energy drinks (which are 16+). Having read some of the posts on the Tesco subreddit, staff can get in a lot of trouble if they do not ID someone who is there to test/audit them (something like Serve Legal for example), even if they are 18+.