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Comment by taylodl | Hacker News Reader

Right? Why can't you scan your ID and then be prompted what information to share with the system, like age? I scan my ID, the system asks to retrieve age information, it retrieves it, now I can proceed to scan my alcohol. No human interaction required.

If the person manning the self-checkout operations thinks you look awfully young to be buying alcohol then they can always demand to see your ID.

Simple.

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No way to check you're actually the person on the ID this way

Lots of places have mandatory ID checks regardless of appearance.

Stop complying with them. If they won't sell to you, take your business elsewhere and tell them why. If they whine about laws tell them to hire better lobbyists.

Eliminating the discretion of a cashier is not a bad thing. It harms no one and makes their job easier.

It harms me by making me ask permission of strangers to eat and drink what I choose. I don't think telling people to operate as mindless robots makes their job easier.

The permission is granted by your government. Either move to a libertarian paradise where 10 year olds can drink or accept that a merchant will apply measures to protect their liquor license.

Far more harmful is self-checkout without a discount for free labor or treating your customers like criminals when they leave the store with their own property.

I'm saying that regulatory requirements should be less strict, so that retailers are not turned into an extension of the government. Many developed countries establish a minimum age for alcohol purchase but don't build unwieldy infrastructures around it, relying instead on the aggregate judgement of their populace.

You seem to have missed the part where I do not want to ask permission of the government for every little thing. I'm well into middle age and do not appreciate having to seek governmental approval for what I consume. I am fine with some products like alcohol being subjected to taxes to balance out negative externalities. I am not fine with the idea of showing my papers on demand.

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