Students who are considering using their fake IDs to purchase alcohol at the new bar on campus may want to think again before their card is scanned by the new IDVisor Z22, a mobile scanning unit that is at the top of the fake ID detection game.
Nearly two-thirds of college students misrepresent themselves through the use of fake IDs, and many of them get away with it. Advances in counterfeit ID-making technology render some fakes nearly indistinguishable from a real ID. As a result, some students become so confident in their counterfeits that they wonder why anybody would question its authenticity.
“I used my fake so many times that I never felt like (the cashier) should say that there was something wrong,” Joe (pseudonym), a male junior, said. “If they ever hesitated in checking my ID, I would just give them a look like, ‘Really? Come on.’ Like it was totally legit even though it wasn’t. I totally felt like I was almost 23.”
The use of fake IDs among underage students to buy alcohol is not a new concept. False ID use has been an issue since the legal drinking age in the U.S. was raised to 21 in 1984.
A study published in May 2014 in Alcoholism: Experimental and Clinical Research revealed that of 1,015 students at a university, 66.1 percent used false IDs.
Of 10 random students surveyed in The Commons, six of them said they have used a fake ID before.
The price for a fake IDs ranges. One student said she spent $65 on a pair of two IDs, while another student said she spent around $75 on hers. Most students order their fake IDs from the internet and typically order in groups, as prices are cheaper that way.
“The bigger the group you have, the cheaper it’s going to be,” Jessica (pseudonym), a female student, said.
Why do students get fake IDs?
Buying alcohol is the main reason students have for purchasing a fake. Joe said he would actually save money by purchasing the fake.
“I got a fake ID because freshman year I did not have a fake, and you always had to go through upperclassmen to get alcohol, and they always charged you more than what it actually cost,” Joe said. “It made more sense to just buy a fake ID. I would save so much more money doing it that way.”
He said it was nerve-wracking to use the false ID at first, but after using it for a year and a half, he became confident in the piece of plastic.
“I started to realize I was so confident toward the end that people just stopped asking for my ID altogether,” Joe said. “I’d say of the last 10 times I used my fake at the grocery store, I got carded once.”
Not all students that consider buying fake IDs go through with the process. Another male junior, Jesse (pseudonym), said he considered investing in one, but decided that the cost and risk factors outweighed the benefits.
“At the time I thought of getting the fake ID, it wasn’t even to buy alcohol,” Jesse said. “I wanted one so I could get into bars to see bands and live music that I wouldn’t be able to get into underage. And since it wouldn’t be long until I turned 21 anyway, the cost outweighed the benefit.”
Think twice about using your fake in the Pilot House
With the re-opening of the Pilot House, Bon Appetit is taking steps to curb the use of fake IDs at the bar.
Bon Appetit general manager Kirk Mustain said there is an age verification barcode scanner on its way that will be in place at the Pilot House bar this afternoon. The mobile ID scanning system, called the IDVisor Z22, will enable Oregon Liquor Control Commission certified bartenders to check the validity of a license in a single scan. If an ID is in any way tampered with, damaged or false, patrons will simply be told that they cannot be served at this time.
“The scanner does all 50 states,” Mustain said. “It can scan the IR code on the back, or it’ll also do a magstripe code. It’ll enable us to monitor multiple usage so there’s no ‘pass-back,’ so you couldn’t take your ID and give it to another person to get a drink.”
The new system also includes an “eighty-six” feature, which Mustain said enables the bartender to flag IDs of patrons who have had issues at the bar before.
“It’s just a safer way to go,” Mustain said. “We met with our local OLCC guy yesterday and talked through the process, and he encouraged us to not only do that but also to do a visual on the ID itself. It’s a big deal, we’ve got a great facility and we want to make sure we’re performing in the right manner and keeping it a safe operation for everybody, but also making sure we’re not breaking the law.”
Ryan Jensen, manager of the Pilot House, said the mobile ID scanner will allow them to scan at other campus events, including Riverboat and any possible beer gardens. He said that the new scanner will allow them to cut back on the number of professional alcohol monitoring staff that are currently employed on Friday and Saturday nights.
Mustain said if a student were to try to use a fake ID, the bar would handle the situation internally.
“The only time Public Safety is going to get involved is if I see someone handing a drink to a minor. Everything else will be handled internally,” Mustain said. “If I need to cut someone off, I’ll have a polite discussion with them.”
Public Safety and reserve Portland Police officer Sergeant Charles Brown explained that students caught using fake IDs at the Pilot House or elsewhere would face consequences consistent with the University’s code of conduct.
According to the Life on the Bluff student handbook, “Entry into a licensed premise that bans underage persons (e.g., a bar) by a person under the age of 21 is prohibited. Students may be subject to the University conduct process for this behavior or for possessing false identification that misrepresents age or identity.”
Alex Hermanny, associate director for Community Standards, explained that each case is different, but said that a student caught using false identification would go through a standard student conduct process.
“As with all instances, we would address it on a case by case basis,” Hermanny said. “If it was the first time use of a fake ID, we would use a standard student conduct hearing.”
Possible ramifications as outlined by the Life on the Bluff handbook for a standard student conduct hearing may include alcohol or drug education, community service hours or a restriction of certain privileges.
At the state level, misrepresentation of age is a class C misdemeanor in Oregon, which Brown said is a low-level crime. Using a fake ID is not identity theft, which is a class C felony, a much more serious offense. Although it is not a huge crime, Brown said it is always best to be honest when dealing with matters at the university level.
“You [students] sign a student conduct code and it’s always best just to be truthful,” Brown said.
Brown said if a student were caught using a fake at an off-campus bar, they likely would not be arrested, though they may have their license suspended.
“A lot times the bar will just take the ID and send you on your way,” Brown said. “If it became a state charge where you do have your license suspended, then you may lose your driving privileges.” Cheyenne is a reporter at The Beacon. She can be reached at schoen17@up.edu.
Editors Note:
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