Military ID cards

[Guest Jan V]

I had a similar experiences while serving, I was refused service in a pub on my first night home on a short leave from by first tour of operational duty. I was 18, and had I not been would not have been allowed to be on that operation as it was 'active service'.

 

In the US earlier that year I had problems with my Army I.D. refused a drink again, it was July in my 18th year, birthday 09/06 (9th June), according the the Americans my 18th wasnt until the 6th Sept! they write the date the 'wrong way around', strange lot. I did manage to get it sorted out after finding a security blokey who had travelled.

You need to remember that conforming to a country visited is helpful. As to the date format, your country uses one format and the US uses another. To clear up confusion, at least on American military ID's, the date is in a somewhat different format. Newt's and my military ID's have our birthdates as, for example: 20JAN2009 or 20JAN09. No confusion there. Had I been carded with my military ID, my birthdate would not make sense to even an American: 19/08/52 since there isn't a 19th month. Your birth date could allow for some confusion. Just as everyone in the UK not being familiar to subtle things like date formats, same would be true of Americans. Extreme example, try driving on the left side of the street in America. When I lived in Ireland, I quickly adjusted to driving correctly except when pulling into a parking lot. Guess down shifting with my left hand (an odd feeling for me) and staying on the proper side of the entryway was more than what I could handle (at least at first). No country is wrong, nor any country right, when practices and policies vary. But if you are to visit another country, adapting is a better policy, rather than criticizing.

[DavyR]

But if you are to visit another country, adapting is a better policy, rather than criticizing.

 

Emma specifically said that the problem was due to the UK form of her birthdate on her UK army ID. It might have looked a little suspicious if she'd tried to alter it in order to "adapt", don't you think?

 

She wasn't being critical of your method of dating, which is why she put 'wrong way around' in quotes.

 

Lighten up!

[Cranfield]

Just 24 hours earlier they had been fighting on the front line in Afghanistan. But that wasn't enough to get two marines through the doors of a pub for a homecoming pint.

 

 

'Royal' Marines.

 

I do apologise for the omission, but I was just responding to your original post (where you neglected to use the "Royal" prefix).

[Ken L]

I've been into one or two, and they do vary. The main attraction I suppose is that the beer is usually cheaper than in most pubs. They generally go for the "parquet floor and leather sofa look", so not quite yer traditional pub decor. They also have a "no music" policy and don't have games like darts. One thing I do like is that you can usually ask for a small taster of the real ales on offer before committing yourself to a pint - which, having been on the receiving end of not a few iffy pints served by indifferent barstaff in the past, is a plus in my eyes.

 

I'd agree with all of that but it was that fact that for years before the smoking ban, they were the only pubs in town where I could drink in a (relativly) smoke free environment and the fact that they had a no music policy meant that I could actually hold a conversation (I'm hearing impaired) so they were one of the few places where I would choose to drink in the city centre.

Add to that good pricing, clean pubs, support for small brewers and (usually) a decent pint of the black stuff and I'm very happy to use Wetherspoons pubs.

Edited February 6, 2009 by Ken L

[Emma two]

You need to remember that conforming to a country visited is helpful. As to the date format, your country uses one format and the US uses another. To clear up confusion, at least on American military ID's, the date is in a somewhat different format. Newt's and my military ID's have our birthdates as, for example: 20JAN2009 or 20JAN09. No confusion there. Had I been carded with my military ID, my birthdate would not make sense to even an American: 19/08/52 since there isn't a 19th month. Your birth date could allow for some confusion. Just as everyone in the UK not being familiar to subtle things like date formats, same would be true of Americans. Extreme example, try driving on the left side of the street in America. When I lived in Ireland, I quickly adjusted to driving correctly except when pulling into a parking lot. Guess down shifting with my left hand (an odd feeling for me) and staying on the proper side of the entryway was more than what I could handle (at least at first). No country is wrong, nor any country right, when practices and policies vary. But if you are to visit another country, adapting is a better policy, rather than criticizing.

 

 

I can only imagine that my ‘strange lot’ comment has prompted this rather long and patronising lecture on how to conduct oneself when in foreign parts. It was intended as an offhand bit of humour in a dry British way, however that style clearly does not cross the Atlantic very well and struck a sensitive nerve.

 

Seeing as you have taken the time to write your advice on how I can improve as a global citizen, it is perhaps only fair that I return the compliment. I think that it is unwise to make assumptions about people who one really knows very little about; this is especially true of internet interactions. This helps prevent making oneself look a bit silly.

 

I have for example ‘lived and worked’ in other countries rather than just ‘visited’, Germany was home for years when I learned the language and engaged wholeheartedly with the culture, including joining local angling clubs (rather than the British ones), this landed me for part of the time there with an interesting role within the military judicial system, helping local people through the experience of giving evidence in an environment where English language and custom was predominant. French proved more of a linguistic challenge, but I learned the pleasantries and how to enquire about the fishing, Greek sadly was beyond me. I did however learn the customs and etiquette expected of one in a Moslem household.

 

The US I admittedly know only as a ‘visitor’ from a permanent base in Southern Canada (Alberta). This provided the opportunity to fulfil a long held ambition to visit the lands and reservations of the Lakota (Sioux) people at an especially interesting time of cultural renaissance, once again learning a whole new set of manners and enough of the language to be polite and to understand at least some of what was being spoken.

All in all these international adventures required a whole lot more in the way of ‘adapting’ then figuring out which side of the road to drive on.

 

Now, I too will follow DavyR’s excellent advice and ‘lighten up’.

[Emma two]

I do apologise for the omission, but I was just responding to your original post (where you neglected to use the "Royal" prefix).

 

Of course your right, and that was how the original text appeared, I must confess to copying from the document which came with the request for support, it sounds like it was written by a journalist. Having been around 'Booties' the looks one gets for omitting the 'Royal' bit tend to stick in the memory .

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Some clearly feel that what this is all about is a way of keeping servicepeople out, and if so Kipling's words are as relivent now as they were at the end of the 19th Century.

 

Well that should come as no surprised to you being ex-military yourself, I could name a string of pubs in Poole where our good friends the Royal Marines are excluded.

 

I think Wetherspoons did them a favour, their beer is sub-standard and their food matches the beer, the only losers will be Wetherspoons.

 

I agree with FB the ID is not proof of age and would be issued to 16yr olds as well.

[Newt]

The difference in Euro vs US style of writing the date is easily dealt with. My military used the DDMMMYY format so there can really be no confusion about 09MAR56 or similar.

 

That said, I too used only a military ID to serve in lieu of a passport when I was on active duty. With all the terrorist activity they may have changed the rules in recent years though.

[Huge_Vitae]

I do apologise for the omission, but I was just responding to your original post (where you neglected to use the "Royal" prefix).

Me "What's that dagger on your shoulder Sir?"

 

Reply "It's a Commando Dagger"

 

Me "Wow, were you a Marine?"

 

Reply "That's a ROYAL Marine.

 

Me "Wow really........"

 

Smug reply "Yes."

 

Me "What instrument do you play.........!"

[five bellies]

Me "What's that dagger on your shoulder Sir?"

 

Reply "It's a Commando Dagger"

 

Me "Wow, were you a Marine?"

 

Reply "That's a ROYAL Marine.

 

Me "Wow really........"

 

Smug reply "Yes."

 

Me "What instrument do you play.........!"

 

 

 

I going to Nick that ! and try it on my mate Chris

 

 

 

 

 

It may well end badly but what the hell