Most people don’t expect buying a lighter to turn into a debate over whether they are who they say they are.

This service member found himself in exactly that situation while visiting family in California after several years stationed overseas.

Since his state ID had expired, he relied on his military ID and passport for identification, which normally wasn’t a problem.

However, when he stopped at a convenience store to buy a lighter, the cashier took one look at his military ID and immediately decided it was fake.

Even after he showed official government information proving otherwise, the cashier refused to budge.

Read on to see how it all ended.

AITA For getting mad that a cashier thinks my military ID is fake and would call the manager?

I have been stationed overseas until January of 2020. I would come back to the states for the holidays.

Due to the length of stay overseas, my state ID expired, so my only forms of ID were my military ID and passport.

Well, California passed a law in 2016 that sets the legal age to buy tobacco & related products to 21. Military are exempt from this age restrictions, but I was 27-28 at the time (birthday happened during the time). And I am a cigar smoker.

Remembering the 7/11 they passed, he told her he’d be right back.

In December 2017-January 2018 I was in California visiting family for the holidays. One day the eldest of my younger sisters decided to go for a walk. I tagged along because well, I haven’t seen her for a few years and wanted to catch up.

We walked around for an hour or so and ended up at a park. I had felt the usual addict urge at this point and ask to go to a more secluded area. I am very concerned about second-hand and impressions on young children. We did, and I pulled out my zippo and… nothing. It’s gone dry.

We had passed a 7/11 when we entered into the park, so I told her I was going to buy a lighter there. I had left my passport at family member I was stay with. So I figures there wouldn’t be any problems or anything, quick in and out and I’d get my fix.

The cashier immediately says it’s fake.

I get in the store, grab a lighter and headed to the cashier. Before the cashier asked for my ID I showed my military ID. The cashier asked to look it over, so I handed it to them. Now I have dealt with bars not knowing where the date of birth is on a military ID so I informed the cashier where it was.

The cashier handed my ID back and said its fake. I asked them why they thought it was fake. “Its fake because I’ve never seen an ID like that before.”

Okay, I doubt many people that aren’t anywhere near a military base would have ever seen one. I told the cashier that it’s a military ID.

Frustrated, he asked for the manager.

Now remember, military is exempt from the 21 age law, and the ID shows that I am an Active Duty Service Member.

They still claim it to be fake, so I pulled up the cac.mil website and showed them the sample ID. The website is an official Department of Defense website. Literally a government website.

They still believe it to be fake, so I asked for a manager. “My manager will say it is fake also. And they are not here currently. It is only me.”

Things got worse before they got better.

Can you call for your manager? “No.”

At this point, I am getting agitated, I grilled them about the law, their and the manager’s name and number. I asked a lot more questions but I don’t remember them off the top of my head.

At this point the cashier looks scared. I should note, that he was taller and definitely had more muscle than me. The cashier just said fine and let me purchase the lighter.

AITA?

Yikes! It sounds like he went through a lot of problems for a lighter.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a barista whose keen eye uncovered a customer scheme for free coffee.

Let’s see how the readers over at Reddit feel about what happened.

It sounds like his sister may have been younger.

This would’ve solved the whole thing.

Luckily other people knew.

More training would prevent stuff like this.

The service member probably got a little more worked up than he needed to, but it’s easy to see why he became so frustrated.

At some point, the cashier should have at least considered the possibility that she was mistaken, especially after he showed her official information explaining exactly what the ID was.

Situations like this also make it clear that more training would probably help.

Employees can’t be expected to recognize valid forms of identification if nobody ever teaches them what they look like.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a waitress who refused to return a tip after a party returned to the restaurant with a complaint.