Following the arrest of two Dartmouth students for the mass production of fake identification, area vendors are being warned to check IDs from California, Florida and New Mexico and may be clamping down on those seeking to buy alcohol underage.
Police allege that Tom Allason '02 and David Seidman '04 produced over 100 fake drivers' licenses prior to their arrests in early September.
Although mostly not new additions, the ominous warnings like "Don't try it if you're under 21" and "If you're under 30, expect to be proofed" that decorate the windows of Hanover's gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants may have taken on new meaning since the arrests.
"We don't mess around," said Nigel Leeming, the owner of Mojo's Bistro and Murphy's on the Green.
Establishments in Hanover use a variety of methods to detect fake IDs, ranging from the use of scanners to manual examinations, but each takes the use of false identification seriously.
Stores that are caught for selling alcohol to minors face a minimum $1,000 fine on the first offense, which is reason enough to be careful, Leeming said.
Many shops that sell alcohol in Hanover have books with complete listings of all state manufactured IDs in existence. These guides also have tips for cashiers on what to look for on IDs, from holograms to specific coloration.
Melinda Swett, an employee at Stinson's, said that she "asks for identification if [customers] look under 35." Swett also keeps an eye open for IDs that look too new, aside from any other obvious defects, she said.
Her visual checks, however, may not be as necessary as it seems: Stinson's first line of defense against underage purchase is an electronic ID scanner. This scanner can check the validity of any state-issued ID, thus deterring the use of IDs made on their computers, in their dorms or at home.
One fake ID user at Dartmouth said the New Hampshire liquor store in West Lebanon checks identification less thoroughly, but that purchasing alcohol at Foodstop was "next to impossible." She also suggested that her gender was a positive attribute, as she has noticed males have a more difficult experience buying alcohol.
Blair Rudio, the manager at P&C Food Markets, described the supermarket's ID verification process as "very thorough." Rudio said he was warned by the Hanover Police Department to look out for false identification from specific states, which include California, Florida and New Mexico. All employees go through intensive training to teach them to recognize fake IDs, he added.
Mojo's and Murphy's employees are thoroughly prepared for fake ID use as well, Leeming said and the restaurant keeps several fake and real IDs on hand in order to more completely demonstrate the subtle differences to his workers.
Leeming said that he is currently involved in an effort to make the current New Hampshire laws harsher on underage violators. The current first offense penalty, a misdemeanor with a $50 fine, "isn't enough," he said.
Loeming is pushing for a $1,000 fine also wants the use of a fake ID to be made a felony.
Bob Wuest, an employee at Foodstop, said that every member of a large group must have an over-21 ID for the purchase of drinks. "If there's a big group that comes in to buy alcohol, I check all the kids IDs. If one doesn't have ID, then I don't sell."
Wuest, however, said he has concerns about how well any ID check can do. It's always "very hard to determine if an ID's real or not. A good ID is very hard to catch," he said.
All of the stores contacted had one thing in common: their attitude towards police involvement. All of the establishments said they call the cops at the first sign of false identification, and then the problem is out of their hands.
Jack Stinson, owner of Stinson's, said he's fine with being the "jerk" on Friday and Saturday nights.
"That's life," Stinson said. "Don't try it here."
