If you aren’t 21 and are thinking about trying out that new fake ID at midtown, it’s probably better if you didn’t.
Salty Dog Saloon has maintained a stigma as one of the more strict bars when it comes to making sure all of its customers are of legal drinking age. “It all starts at the door,” said Michael Connors, Salty Dog’s manager. Security is shown IDs from every state so they know what to look for. “We can’t afford to have anyone underage,” he said. “We’re protecting us.”
One key Connors mentioned was the bar’s 21-and-up policy. Salty Dog has seen an influx in the past year with people under the drinking age trying to get in, he said, and prohibiting people under the age of 21 into the bar simply makes it easier.
More bars are cracking down with stricter and more thorough security. A recent addition to midtown, Fat Daddy’s is also a 21-and-up bar. “I don’t want to deal with it,” said owner J.D. Chester.
In reference to other bars potentially allowing underage drinking he added, “That’s not going to be us.”
However, this policy hasn’t deterred people entirely. Chester said they have taken at least 15 fake IDs since opening. “Most of them cry,” he said. “If they have a problem, I tell them to go get a cop.”
If the police do get involved, fake ID charges can range from a misdemeanor to a felony depending on the type of ID, according Gainesville Police Department spokesman Officer Ben Tobias. Presenting another person’s ID as your own will garner a misdemeanor, and attempting to use an ID manufactured to look like a state drivers license warrants a felony, Tobias said.
Respecting the law is a simple way to avoid complications. “Even if someone is 30 years old with an expired ID we can’t let them in,” Connors said.
Salty Dog has a zero tolerance policy for its door security. Connors said if an employee is caught allowing anyone underage into the bar, he or she will be automatically terminated.
But it doesn’t end at the door. At Salty Dog, that’s just the first line of defense, he said. Bartenders are encouraged to check IDs as well. Connors said he watches the behavior to help determine if a potential customer is underage. “If they just say ‘give me two wells’ or something that’s not specific, it usually means that they haven’t been in a bar before,” he said.
101 Cantina has noticeably increased its security measures, but 101 Management Group Vice President of Marketing Ryan Prodesky would not comment on why or what exactly is being done to prevent underage drinking there.
