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Underage? You're out of luck Bartender learns to do more than glance at ID By JILL BRISKEY If you're looking to buy booze but aren't 21, don't even bother trying at The Branding Iron. If bartender Donna Johnson doesn't call your bluff, a new scanning machine that detects fake identification and accurately reports a person's age will. "I don't take any chances, not anymore," Johnson told Medford Police officer Richard Renfro Saturday night, following a Minor Compliance Check to see if the establishment would sell liquor to minors. Inside the bar, Johnson has placed a large sign with the date, "1980" printed in bold, black ink to remind her of the legal drinking age. And anybody who looks a day under 30 - or even a little older - is now questioned. But it wasn't always that way. Several months ago, two teenagers working with Medford police and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission entered The Branding Iron, on Riverside Ave., showed their true identification and ordered a few beers. Johnson, who looked at the driver's licenses but didn't do the math, served the pair. Medford police cited Johnson for furnishing alcohol to a minor. A report was referred to OLCC for further review and a separate citation. "I made a mistake. I learned my lesson and I'm paying the fine," Johnson said. "It won't happen again." The Branding Iron was one of six establishments tested that night. Three Medford clerks or bartenders sold beer to the minors during the sting. On Saturday, two teenagers with the Minor Compliance Program again visited The Branding Iron as part of a required follow-up. This time, Johnson studied and scanned their licenses just to be sure.Then she asked the teenagers to leave. "Sorry, honey, try again in a few years," she said to Tomas, a member of Medford Police's Explorer Program. Renfro and the two teenagers visited 13 other establishments Saturday night, all of which had previously sold liquor to minors. This time, three establishments sold beer to minors. "Our goal is to not make any sales," Renfro said. "The figures aren't bad, but then not making any sales would be better. Zero sales is what we're after." A waitperson at Denny's glanced at the minor's driver's license and then brought him a beer, Renfro said. "A person that was involved with the last check apparently recognized what was going on and tried to warn others," Renfro said. "They still ended up bringing the beer out." At Market 7 on Table Rock Road, a new employee who told Renfro she hadn't been told about OLCC procedures sold beer to the minors without taking a close look at the identification. "She was under the assumption that 'If he handed me his identification, then he must be 21,' " Renfro said. At TimeOut, on Barnett Road, a bouncer checked the teen's identification but allowed them inside. A bartender, who assumed the couple was 21 if they got past the bouncer, served the two alcohol. "I sat there and knew they were young but I didn't want to leave the door," Shane Wallace said, adding that it was his second night on the job and his first time working in Oregon. "I was like bombarded with people." In some cases, Renfro said, carelessness or the distraction of a busy store is to blame for the lapses. "It's nothing other than a little laziness, just not doing the math and not paying attention," Renfro said. "All of these (establishments who sold to minors) asked to see the identification and all of them looked at it." Businesses who were re-checked and passed the test included: Si Casa Flores, Elmer's, Habaneros, Thrifty Nifty Market, Spring Street Market, Cedar Links Golf Course Restaurant, Food For Less and Market 10. Duck N Deli was checked for the first time and did not sell liquor to the minors, Renfro added. However, Renfro was disturbed that few of the businesses made any moves to keep the driver's licensees or contact police. "The goal is not to punish or trick the businesses but to bring an awareness," Renfro said. "We want you to call us and let us know. We want to stop the kids that are out doing this." Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.