Next time you need to buy some hair ties, maybe make sure you bring your ID. As odd as this sounds, a shopper says she had to show their ID at a grocery store in Portland, Oregon to buy a pack of hair ties. People are trying their best to understand why.
In the video, Katerina Stuckey (@imdatmom) explains an unexpected event during checkout at a QFC grocery store. According to Stuckey, when buying a cake and a pack of black hair ties, she noticed that the checkout screen said she needed to show her ID to the cashier. The cashier told her that it was for the hair ties and that they had no idea why. Stuckey says she followed the cashier's directions and showed them her ID.
"Like, I don't get it," Stuckey says. "I understand the whipped cream canisters, that was a thing.[...]Cold medicine. 'Cause people...Syzurp. That was a thing. And they started putting IDs for that. But rubber bands, I'm baffled."
In regards to whipped cream canisters, Stuckey is most likely referring to a law in some states that require you to show ID for purchasing them to help avoid underaged people from doing "whippits". Whippits are when you inhale nitrous oxide for a high effect, according to an article by Today explaining a 2022 introduction of this law in New York City.
The video has over 2,000 comments and about 551,000 views as of Sunday.
Viewers weigh in
Folks in the comments can't seem to wrap their heads around why Stuckey might have needed to show her ID.
"Imagine going in the store and a kids chilling outside like 'ptsss mamm can you buy me hair ties,'"says one comment.
"I'm curious, I feel like someone coded the upc incorrectly...." hypothesizes another.
"Randomly the store tested employees to see if they will scan the ID before proceeding," another wrote.
@imdatmom Replying to @lyssaH528 QFC Portland Oregon..i mean dont they say keep Portland weird?
♬ original sound - Katerina | imdatmom
In a follow-up video, Stuckey explains that she called up QFC to hopefully get answers about the hair ties, but QFC was also unsure. There is not easily available information about why someone might be carded for buying rubber bands via web searches or on TikTok. Additionally, considering that QFC's customer service also didn't know, the hair ties ID policy may well have been an error. So besides speculations from the community of commenters, it is still unclear why Stuckey might have needed to show her ID to get rubber bands.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Stuckey via TikTok comment and QFC via their contact form.
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