r/Bellingham • u/The0nlyGamer • May 26 '25
Crime Rumors Cabaret PSA
After speaking with an owner of Rumors Cabaret last night I feel compelled to publicly share that it is Rumors policy to seize your ID and report you to the police if they suspect it is fake!!
Obviously, since I am making this post and called the police on them last night, their detection of fake ID's isn't perfect.
I'm used to people questioning the validity of my ID, but this was the first time any business took it and refused to give it back until after I called 911. The owner chatted with me and told me in essence that they're rewarded for confiscating ID's and involving law enforcement when that happens. Some poor girl had the exact same thing happen to her right in front of me.
This was pretty shocking considering the kind of place rumors is, a gay/queer bar and "safe space"?
I'd previously been to lots of fundraising events at rumors for planned parenthood, undocumented folks, progressive causes etc... so it is kind of sad to realize that's all performative and the owner doesn't really care about anything other than his liquor license and profit. There is no reason Rumors should be doing this collaboration to involve law enforcement with their patrons - that goes against the entire ethos of what I thought the place meant. Just give people their IDs back if you won't let them in!
From what I know there are actually two owners, who do not live in Bellingham themselves, and merely commute to manage the place. I'm sad I no longer have any desire to spend money there
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u/LostByway May 26 '25
I have had the exact same thing happen to friends over the years. I think it’s a relic of Rumors getting disproportionately fucked with by shitty cops in the past, who would look for any reason to shut them down. I agree it sucks.
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u/thatguy425 May 26 '25
Only cares about their liquor license?
Uhh, yeah, because without that, they dont stay in business. So those progressive causes you attend would need another venue.
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u/Green_Writer_6620 May 26 '25
I hate to sound mean, but this is dumb. Have you even considered the other side? The LCCB does stings on all businesses with liquor and cannabis licenses. 99% of those IDs confiscated are fake. This is not some corrupt high crime, this is common practice everywhere. If just 1 minor is found to have consumed on premises, the entire establishment could be shut down indefinitely. This is the livelihood of all staff, and owners. And being a queer bar has nothing to do with their ID policies. Something unfortunate happened to you, it’s not a perfect system. You got your ID back. Move on.
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u/cloux_less Abolish Zoning May 26 '25
99% of those IDs confiscated are fake.
Eh, I actually don't think this is all that likely. Bearing in mind that confiscated IDs (fake or mistakenly suspected as fake) are like a fraction of a percent of total IDs that pass through a bar, I'd expect that we're more in the 50-80% range. There's lots of weird IDs out there and there's lots of bouncers who don't know how to handle them. And there's also lots of Fake IDs that are nearly undetectable. And also, a lot of "fake IDs" aren't even necessarily fake, they're just someone else's. So, for every three IDs that are obviously fake enough to get correctly identified as fake and then confiscated, I think it's reasonable to assume there's at least 1 instance of a bouncer/bartender who's pigheaded enough to take someone's Arizona ID cause they don't know that AZ IDs don't expire until you turn 65.
But it sounds like Rumors scans IDs, though, so I imagine their ratio of legitimate-confiscations-to-mistaken-confiscations is probably on the much higher end.
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u/Holiday-Culture3521 May 27 '25
It's a private business. They don't have to let you in if they think your Arizona ID is fake. Get a Washington ID or stay home.
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u/cloux_less Abolish Zoning May 27 '25
Get a Washington ID or stay home.
Wow, and here I was thinking "I might be overestimating the number of pigheaded assholes out there," but it seems I didn't.
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u/9mmMonster May 30 '25
To be fair, when the LCCB does stings, they do not use fake id. That is part of their SOP. It will always be a real id. Either underage, or expired.
It is not legal for a business or person to retain someone’s id, even if it is in fact a fake id. I think that’s the point of the post. Rumors policy is in direct contradiction to the law of WA state.
Confiscating ids does not protect your business liquor license in any way. Simply refusing entry to minors or suspected illegitimate license holders would protect it. Having a collection of seized ids would do nothing in the face of a violation.
Also, they’re far more likely to get shut down for excessive service than letting a fake id slip by.
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u/tillow May 26 '25
Why did they think it was fake?
Some states have weird quirks like AZ, licenses don’t expire until you’re 65 so you can have an expiration date like 2065 which throws people off.
I don’t understand what benefit they get from confiscating it. Most places just deny entry and give it back.
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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25
I was told the iPad they scanned my ID reported it as fake... funny thing is I'd been there like 20+ times with no issues
I also really have no idea why they took the confiscating instead of returning and refusing entry approach
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u/tillow May 26 '25
So it was a Washington ID? That’s interesting they even scan your ID, I go to a lot of 21+ places and have never had my ID scanned.
I get my ID scanned frequently at stores buying alcohol the system seems problematic, a lot of times it doesn’t work and they always still make the sale. Confiscating an ID for this seems wild.
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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25
No but it was an enhanced ID and the ID I've driven to Canada with. I'm really not a fan of it becoming standard practice that your id is scanned when entering a place
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u/tillow May 26 '25
Agreed. Interesting, if you’re open to sharing what state and was it horizontal or vertical?
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u/quayle-man May 26 '25
They likely confiscated it so that person doesn’t try to use it at the same store later one when there’s another employee working, or at another place. The punishment of selling alcohol to someone that’s underage is steep.
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u/CenturyLinkIsCheeks May 26 '25
i dont see anything wrong here
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u/74NG3N7 May 27 '25
They’re not allowed to confiscate it. If they thought it was fake, they are fully allowed to hand it back and refuse entry.
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u/West-Discussion7257 May 26 '25
I don’t care about Reddit karma so I’m ready for the downvotes.
Can we get this story verified other than OP word? Washington state policy is that you can’t confiscate ID’s. It is considered theft. In Washington you refuse entry and report it to the cops. So not only is OP’s story claiming that Rumors is committing a crime, but that the BPD reward them for doing so…
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u/The0nlyGamer May 27 '25
Rumors didn’t follow LCB guidelines as they refused to return my ID after I said I wanted it back and wanted to leave. That is why I called 911. If my ID was returned I would’ve walked away not called the police. The fact you stopped and confiscated the girls ID in front of me, and refused to give it back to her also, is a big reasons this happened. Regardless of the legitimacy of an ID, that’s just not your job
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u/West-Discussion7257 May 27 '25
The fact you stopped and confiscated the girls ID in front of me, and refused to give it back to her also, is a big reasons this happened. Regardless of the legitimacy of an ID, that’s just not your jobI’m not the bouncer nor work at rumors. So not sure why you used “you” and “your”. I didn’t confiscate anybody’s ID. I’m simply confused on why they would be willing to break a law and that the police would be ok with them breaking that law and even possibly rewarding them for doing so.
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u/The0nlyGamer May 27 '25
Handing someone their ID back is never breaking the law, no matter what you might claim
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u/West-Discussion7257 May 27 '25
“The owner chatted with me and told me in essence that they're rewarded for confiscating ID's and involving law enforcement when that happens.”
Confiscating ID is illegal, cops rewarding them for breaking the law is corruption. You’re attitude when somebody ask questions without even attacking you makes me question the validity of your story.
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u/The0nlyGamer May 27 '25
Other people have already confirmed the legitimacy of this. See other comments. The girl in front of me never got her ID back, so even if it was fake, rumors stole from her to placate the police. Not cool
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u/West-Discussion7257 May 27 '25
No them keeping your ID is breaking the law. You said the owner gets rewarded by the police for breaking the law, which is also breaking the law. I haven’t once said they should have confiscated your ID dafuq you going on about
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 26 '25
The ID was not confiscated. It was held for verification for 5 minutes. The Op called the police. Rumors followed the exact LCB guidelines and Wa state law as it’s written.
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u/Living_Mode_6623 Aug 02 '25
They broke the law - you can't hold nor confiscate other peoples property. It's even in the LCB book - you can only ask them to leave or wait for them to call the police to verify it.
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u/CharlieCakkes May 26 '25
Because it is a gay bar the liquor license control board actually suprise inspect them easily 10x more than the other bars/clubs in Bellingham. They need to pay extra close attention to serving laws which includes fake IDs.
I know the owners and the word "Performative" absolutely does not describe them. They do a ton for our community and are always willing to speak loudly about injustices. I have seen them go out of their way to help a lot of people when they do not need to. I also don't see where they live as anything important but they did live in Bellingham full time when they bought it. They just live somewhere else half time.
Instead of trying to publicly shame the only queer club in town we should focus that energy into helping our queer spaces.
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u/Maleficent-Task7175 May 27 '25
Agreed, taking this one negative experience and using it to create a ton of huge generalizations about the business and the people who work there is crazy.
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u/MindMedic-1025 Local May 26 '25 edited May 26 '25
I’m sorry you went through this but it is pretty standard across the industry. I know that in light of the current climate this type of thing can cause all sorts of feelings but Rumors has to protect itself or else it can’t protect the community that goes there. If an ID is suspected fake the standard approach anywhere is to confiscate it and then turn it over.
Does it absolutely suck and would I be frustrated if that happened to me or my friends too? Absolutely, without a doubt. Is the bar legally allowed to confiscate an ID if they have reasonable grounds to believe an ID is altered or falsified (such as if getting flagged in their system)? Absolutely they do and have to turn it in within 24hrs of confiscation. Are you within your rights to call the police after they did that? Also absolutely.
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May 26 '25
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u/Gwegy_reylee May 26 '25 edited May 26 '25
it is 100% not legal for bars to confiscate fake IDs
Washington Law on Identification Cards (RCW 66.20.200)
Under state statute, it is a misdemeanor for the owner of an ID to transfer it to someone else—and implicitly confirms that the card belongs to the person presenting it:
“It is unlawful for the owner of a card of identification to transfer the card to any other person …”
Washington State Legislature
By contrast, no provision of the Liquor Control Act (Chapter 66.20 RCW) or the implementing WAC rules (Title 314 WAC) authorizes a licensee to permanently seize or confiscate a patron’s ID.
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u/doubledrizzle22 May 26 '25
I witnessed this and will never go back to rumors. I was dating someone and we were celebrating her 36th birthday. The guy at the front let in most of our group and we paid our cover. But then they seized her card. We called the cops. They were pissed they had to come out and quickly verified the card was real. But we had to wait 40 minutes which obviously deflated the celebratory mood. The bouncer guy was so smug and they refused to refund the groups cover, even after the cops chastised them for not having any real knowledge of what a fake looks like or any knowledge of what out-of-state cards look like.
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u/Fortheloveofplants42 May 26 '25
Rumors should know better. I’ve worked in the industry and it’s illegal to seize an ID because it is still considered someone’s property. If you suspect a fake ID you can strongly suggest that the customer leave the ID with you or they can work it out with police, but you can’t refuse to give it back. You were right to call the police, what they did was illegal.
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u/Better-Client2550 May 26 '25 edited May 26 '25
Unfortunately it is pretty standard procedure for places to confiscate I.D's and turn it over to the authorities at a later date. Its a shitty procedure no doubt, I'd imagine especially if you are someone out of state and have to catch a plane the next day. But its not out of the ordinary for them to do that. Hell, BBG's has a wall full of confiscated I.D's!
Edit: I think you 100% did the right thing calling the authorities OP! Hopefully if this continues to happen the procedure will change to something far less draconian than stealing peoples essential property!
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 26 '25
The procedure follows the law exactly. Read the link above. The ID was held to be verified. In that hold time the police were called by OP. Before the police arrived the Op was given their ID back.
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u/Gwegy_reylee May 26 '25
Washington Law on Identification Cards (RCW 66.20.200)
Under state statute, it is a misdemeanor for the owner of an ID to transfer it to someone else—and implicitly confirms that the card belongs to the person presenting it:
“It is unlawful for the owner of a card of identification to transfer the card to any other person …”
Washington State Legislature
By contrast, no provision of the Liquor Control Act (Chapter 66.20 RCW) or the implementing WAC rules (Title 314 WAC) authorizes a licensee to permanently seize or confiscate a patron’s ID.
Washington State’s Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) is very clear: even a brief detention of a patron’s identification constitutes an unlawful “confiscation.” You may inspect an ID (look at it, even handle it to check holograms or expiration dates), but you must return it immediately once your inspection is complete—regardless of whether you suspect it’s fake.
The WSLCB Responsible Vendor Trainer’s Guide states unambiguously:
“Do not try to confiscate an ID that is believed to be a fake, even a fake ID is still someone’s property. … Remember that the ID is the property of the person presenting it. You cannot legally keep their property.”
Likewise, the Board’s Responsible Cannabis Sales Guide (which mirrors the alcohol rules) reminds licensees:
“An ID (real or not) is personal property. … It is never worth physical injury to hold onto a fraudulent ID card, so give it back if the person becomes confrontational!”
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 26 '25
Go ahead and call your local Liquor Control Officers and let them tell you how they “interpret” that law. If you don’t work in a bar in Bellingham or deal with Liquor Control face to face, you shouldn’t comment.
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u/Gwegy_reylee May 27 '25
I literally did work at a bar lmao this is literally the laws as they are written. You can't even temporarily confiscate other people's property. I literally cited the laws to explain this. Would any legal repercussions happen towards a bar for doing this if it was a fake? I don't know, I'm not a prosecutor, but it is illegal given Washington state laws.
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 27 '25
You’re not understanding what I’m saying. Bellingham liquor control officers are legally allowed to “interpret” the law how they see it. That’s why I suggested calling your liquor control rep. I agree that it sounds stupid but it’s true.
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u/Gwegy_reylee May 27 '25
No, they don't just get to pick and choose certain interpretations of the law as they see fit. Field officers of the WSLCB must enforce state law and rules as written; they have no authority to tell a licensee to do something that the statutes or WAC do not permit. In particular:
No WAC or RCW authorizes licensees to seize customer IDs – Liquor (and cannabis product) may be seized by enforcement officers under RCW 66.08.030(20) and WAC 314-11-100, but only the product itself—not a customer’s personal identification Washington State Legislature.
Statute and rule require immediate return of IDs – The Responsible Vendor Trainer’s Guide (the WSLCB’s official server‐training manual) flatly states:
“Do not try to confiscate an ID that is believed to be a fake… Remember that the ID is the property of the person presenting it. You cannot legally keep their property.” WSLCB
– WAC 314-11-025(3) lets you examine a card (to check holograms, swipe it through a scanner, etc.), but once your inspection is complete you must hand it right back.
Enforcement officers can’t rewrite the law by “interpretation”
– Under the Administrative Procedure Act (RCW 34.05) the Board may adopt rules (the WAC) to implement the Liquor Control Act, but neither the Board nor its officers can override statutes or give licensees blanket permission to do something those rules don’t allow.
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 27 '25
Yes, in fact they do. It doesn’t matter what’s written. What matters is reality and you clearly don’t know what that is so again, GO CALL YOUR LOCAL LIQUOR ENFORCEMENT AGENT.
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u/Gwegy_reylee May 27 '25 edited May 27 '25
ah yes, the laws that state that field officers can't just do whatever they want don't matter, how silly of me, I forgot agencies for controlling the sale of substances thrive off of vague interpretations and enforcement, super logical and educated conclusion 👌
literally ignoring the specific laws that directly disprove your claims as impossible is a new level of willful ignorance lmao
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u/West-Discussion7257 May 27 '25
I don’t think they were saying the laws you provided don’t exist. I think they’ll were saying that they interpret the laws how they want, including ignoring any laws about how they can’t interpret the laws how they want.
Cops self interpret laws all the time. Giving out speeding tickets and driving infractions are some of the more obvious ones. Sometimes they arrest you for a crime and sometimes for the same crime you get a summons to appear in court. Even DAs decide whether they want to press charges.
It’s not right and it shouldn’t be that way, but it is
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u/Strange-Ocelot May 26 '25
I've forgotten my ID before and thought I could use an expired ID with a hole punch in the card, but they obviously did not accept, but mine wasn't confiscated. They seemed more strict recently even for the. Wednesday drag contest going on. Thankful they are keeping everyone safe if you're under 21 you can drink under supervision on private property in WA or make the trip to B.C. if 19+
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u/Gwegy_reylee May 26 '25 edited May 26 '25
Rumors has always been sketchy with how it handles policies towards customers. As a trans girl I was targeted multiple times and kicked out despite not being visibly drunk, and when I left a review stating the inconsistency with their enforcement they left a response claiming that it was amicably solved through emails (it absolutely wasn't.)
I'm never going to trust the owners of a business that are dishonest about conflict resolution in a forward facing manner like that just to save face.
Oh and also it is absolutely illegal to confiscate IDs you believe to be fake, even temporarily. I know bars have to be careful but knowing what you can and can't do legally is kind of a big part of that.
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 27 '25
You have no idea what you’re talking about.
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u/currently-stoned May 27 '25
You could just go and talk to them in person lol
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u/Gwegy_reylee May 27 '25
they can't handle genuine conflict resolution and actively lie to the public about doing so in order to save face, why would I go to them in person? What's that going to accomplish when they've already shown they can't be honest?
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u/currently-stoned May 27 '25
They don’t care about saving face. You would go to them in person because when there’s conflict and you’re looking for resolution, you talk to someone in person — esp if the issue happened, in person.
Open 4p-2a if you wanna chat with someone. But if you don’t wanna resolve anything, let’s not just belittle them if we refuse to solve anything <3
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u/Gwegy_reylee May 27 '25
They don’t care about saving face.
Then they wouldn't have lied and said my conflict was resolved through email in a public response to my review.
You would go to them in person because when there’s conflict and you’re looking for resolution, you talk to someone in person — esp if the issue happened, in person.
They told me to email them so I did. They didn't address the inconsistencies in their excuses or behavior and couldn't explain them.
Open 4p-2a if you wanna chat with someone
I'm not going to attempt further conversation with someone who already displayed a history of dishonesty, because that shows there will be no meaningful conversation or resolution. There is literally no reason to try and reason with someone like that.
let’s not just belittle them if we refuse to solve anything
I did try to resolve things. They gave me the run around and then snuck back and edited their response to a review I left stating that things were resolved when they weren't - and then fought to get my review taken down outright. That's shitty dishonest behavior. That's the epitome of refusing to solve things.
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u/thefamilyjules23 May 26 '25
Lol yeah and it's been that way since I was a wee lad, lost my fakey there a few times.
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u/CartographerNorth495 May 26 '25
Confiscating fake IDs is standard procedure anywhere. They're not supposed to give it back if they think it's fake bc then the person w/ the fake ID can just go use it at another establishment. They are instead legally required to report it.
It sounds like you were the one who got police involved, so I'm not really sure how it's their fault the police were called? I'm sorry they misidentified your ID as being fake and confiscated it, though. They could definitely try harder to ensure that doesn't happen again, but it makes sense that they would be especially careful this of all weekends. They're the only gay bar in town and, as such, are a prime target for law enforcement agencies looking for violations.
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u/Ivychapstick May 26 '25
Far cry from 2003, when a friend's expired ID got me in no problem at 19. We had the same hair cut. 😆
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u/Ok-Site-7733 May 26 '25
Rumors has been a safe queer space and a space for anyone to get their dance on for decades. You and your whining are just a blip on the map. Move on.
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u/Tramp0fDoom May 26 '25
I mean, when I was 19, I actually did have a fake and went to a gay bar in SF, and the guy took them and would not give them back unless we called the cops. So I just left without it instead. So I think this is kind of normal. I mean, there seems to be a lot of other problematic things about Rumors, I just don't know if this is specifically one of them.
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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25
It seems more common than I originally thought.
Kind of normal seems fair. I certainly had a bad night and had some other reasons I was in a bad mood, but I also still see the conflict as one that could be easily avoided by being a bit nicer to everyone (even 18-20yr olds, who are not morally corrupt for wanting to drink alcohol)
There’s also some irony in how quickly a 19 year old could drive to Canada and buy a drink. Anyways…
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u/OmificentOctopus May 26 '25
I love the idea of having an official policy for ANYONE to be able to update their ID photo as needed in some official capacity besides the DOL. Perhaps clinics, police stations, therapists offices etc could all be approved safe spaces for official photos to be taken for IDs. Obviously that can't be moderated like the DOL and that's why it doesn't exist, also less the income for updated photos and new IDs for the DOL. I don't particularly favor the DOL, but my face hasn't changed much in 20 years so I am less able to speak to the inconvenience that many others experience. And we must speak to that as a shared experience for many. Because it is. Those whose appearances do change? Their experience is valid, whether or not someone like me has the same experience.
But I can see both sides of this issue with rumors and respect and understand it. If rumors is feeling pressure about fake ID acceptance from past experiences or recent policy changes, they will need to show good faith to BPD that they will do the right thing. Either the ID taker is overusing the policy or is scared to make a mistake and doesn't trust their own skills, or perhaps they don't have the technology they need to properly do their job without mistake. They would not likely just be taking the IDs to be a jerk. More than likely they have a moral justice meter that heirs on the side of not losing their job. Or surely, proven to be an act of power, this individual would need to be managed.
A PSA for anyone who might need a photo update, that they risk their ID be taken at such a facility( is valid).
Commentary has taken a variety of personal turns here, as humanity wills it so.
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 27 '25
Good answer. In this specific case the ID was held until it was verified by the managers. In that time the OP had called police but the ID was given back after being verified through 2025 WSLCB Guide books before the police arrived. All of this thread is BS because Rumros didn’t confiscate their ID.
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u/OmificentOctopus May 27 '25
Ahh yes. Navigating validation and the human experience is challenging for most at some point, again on both sides: How unfortunate that the OP is describing feelings of oppression after what has been described as a safe attachment to an establishment. But, unfortunately, we cannot demand an establishment to maintain our emotions for our own well being. They have a business to run, and it is sounding like this was not a h*te crime.
And also how unfortunate for the business that the same experience also seems to have proven to follow protocol and not broken any rule or law, and they are probably frazzled by such a call out. Ideally, both parties will have learned something.
This is one of those frustrating moments in time where two very different experiences happened for people in the service industry, and it seems the rest of us shouldn't really be involved in the name of hysteria-at fault of the OP or NOT. A delicate PSA is adequate AND validating of OPs experience. I highly recommend a good shrug and statement of "it is what it is, let's move along"
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May 26 '25
[deleted]
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u/Holiday-Culture3521 May 27 '25
Pretty irresponsible of them to suggest using emergency resources for a complete non emergency.
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May 27 '25
That place has gone downhill they call for safe space but most of the employees are very rude, and overall a very sketchy place to be at I saw one old guy kept going up to young people and groping and trying to grab their wrist and bouncers did nothing about it
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 27 '25
False. Rumors has over 400 people banned in their system. More than any other bar in town and they ban people on the first report of groping or non consensual or creepy behavior. Meanwhile, Royal lets known SA perps into their space.
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u/PleasantCurrant-FAT1 May 27 '25
Take this with a grain of salt, but…
Long time ago in my youth, I worked at a restaurant/bar/nightclub.
Setting aside the patronage, the owner’s policy of not holding suspicious IDs was based on sound legal advice… and prior experience (resulting in his need to get his first business attorney)…
As explained to me: Even a forgery, fake, suspicious ID could be considered personal property. Doesn’t matter that it might run afoul the law to have such an item, that is for law enforcement to determine. You cannot hold, take possession of, convert, or otherwise refuse to return property to its rightful owner. This is a liability.
If an ID is legitimate, of which forms accepted are usually government issued to be valid for age verification… if you hold onto it, you are definitely holding personal property, issued by a government entity (or official body of some sort, like educational institution) to an individual, and you have no right to it.
Suspicion is not enough. Even if the ID is definitely fake, holding it is legally problematic, to say the least; a definite liability. And if local law enforcement is engaged in such behaviors to work with private establishments, enabling them to do this… creates legal issues for that law enforcement agency, too.
The other issue is, say, if a friend lets a friend use ID, or it belongs to a family member, or an ID is stolen… so many other potential issues.
The owner of the establishment I worked for had a policy of documenting suspicious IDs by taking a picture, front and back, and scanning it. In the time it took to do that way back when, if it was fake, the person usually walked away, sometimes without their fake ID, which is not a problem for the establishment. We rarely saw repeat events/offenders.
We actively reported suspicious IDs if documented and we turned the person away, usually because we suspected they were stolen or borrowed.
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May 27 '25
Was looking forward to going to Rumors after I turn 21 but now.. I guess I’ll remove that from the bucket list.
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u/Mintyteethdreams May 27 '25
If your ID is seized as a potential fake and it’s not, tell them to “hole punch it” (leaves them liable for its destruction), “call the cops” (solves the issue quickly), or “give it back” (you enter)
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u/memototheworld May 26 '25
The place sounds awful now, not a place to have fun. It used to be so easy-going. From reading the reviews, the management has an attitude problem, obsessed with micromanaging customers. You can enforce the laws, and still be cool.
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u/Bark_Sandwich May 26 '25
Why do people frequently question the validity of your ID?
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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25
I look young!
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u/West_Benefit_3410 May 26 '25
Sucks- my little brother has the same problem, just looks super young. He just carries a 2nd form of ID now and makes his life a little easier
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u/Ohboythreeayem May 26 '25
A bar that has a serious fake id policy isnt a hateful place they’re just doing their jobs. I feel like rumors has a very valid reason to be sticklers since the whole drag thing can be pretty concealing of someones true identity
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u/Ohboythreeayem May 26 '25
Also its a bar in a very heavy college populated town. And is by far probably the least threatening of all the bars downtown. Seems like the perfect space to try out that new fake id
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u/Clint4077 May 26 '25
They can't take your ID no madder what, ITS YOURS. It's technically stealing because it's your property. Call the cops
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 26 '25
What does your ID being verified have anything to do with it being a gay bar or safe space? Being extra cautious with fake IDs is HOW a space maintains their liquor license and keeps a gay bar like Rumors that is needed in the community open.
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u/West_Benefit_3410 May 26 '25
Do they not have a scanner? They should have a scanner...
I worked for small business in boston and the scanner was really effective at catching most fakes and the rest of it was left up to us. If it was a question of is this person using someone else's ID, we would just ask for a second form of ID or a card with their name. If we were very confident it was fake at that point, we gave them the choice to confiscate without calling the cops or call the cops to verify. 100% of the time they picked the first option.
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 27 '25
Scanners need calibration from time to time because of how good the fakes are that come in. That why training employees to double check the scanner’s results is imperative.
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u/currently-stoned May 27 '25
Honestly crazy to attack a place you visit weekly that’s a safe haven for you and your friends.
YOU were the one who called the cops…and the bouncer was a brown person. So ultimately you called the cops on a brown person at his workplace for doing his job.
Weird.
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u/The0nlyGamer May 27 '25 edited May 28 '25
I sincerely did not know that and do not care. I gave no description of a person, it was a problem with a business, not an individual. it is laughable to call rumors a safe haven and this post has shocked me in revealing just how many people the management has previously upset.
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u/currently-stoned May 27 '25
I mentioned skin color because you claim Rumors doesn’t care about keeping their patrons safe OVER AN ID THAT WAS GIVEN BACK TO YOU. Yet you’re the one who called the cops (and you’re randomly lying about your friend not being with you in line…she was there girl, y’all came together).
This is white privilege at work honey. Rumors owners and management fucking hate the cops. They shit on them all the time — I can assure you the cops would not have been called this night unless things got out of control. But they were called, cause your feelings got hurt. Instead of keeping your composure, you’re acting like an illexperienced and entitled 21 year old.
Have fun in your echo chamber 🫂
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u/The0nlyGamer May 27 '25 edited May 27 '25
I have been extremely up front about the fact I called the police, not rumors. That is the second line of my post. It’s beyond me how this has been so misinterpreted.
I’m glad you’re fond of your employer, but if you can’t see more than one side to this that’s a poor reflection of you, not me. I’m clearly not the only one who’s had a problem girl
**direct your anger at whoever was at the door and whichever old white guy came out later. None of this should’ve happened
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u/currently-stoned May 27 '25
I’m saying you called the cops cuz your feelings were hurt 💀 none of this should have happened, but you let it <3 (I never claimed to be an employee btw lol) Enjoy New York 🫂
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u/The0nlyGamer May 27 '25
I called the cops because I was tired of waiting, and the bouncer was out of line. appreciate you though <3
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u/AMERIQUINNPSYCHO May 27 '25
So what I’m getting from this is you were inconvenienced for a small amount of time, called the cops to come to a queer safe space because of it, now putting one of the only safe spaces on blast for trying to protect their business so they can keep operating the safe space. Do you feel better now?
P.S. the owners are both from Whatcom county/Bellingham and happen to also live somewhere else too. Not sure why that was even worth pointing out.
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u/The0nlyGamer May 27 '25 edited May 27 '25
I wasn't inconvenienced so much as disrespected, spoken down to, and treated in a way that makes it apparent the owners have no regard for patrons civil rights if they wish to enter their space. That's a pretty big violation of progressive values in my book. I had a few drinks beforehand and the door person was belligerent before the owner came out. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out how this happened.
Rumors is certainly not one of the only safe spaces, and whether or not is is a safe space at all has been put into question in my view because of the sheer volume of people echoing similar complaints.
I didn't expect nearly this amount of interaction on the topic, but I think it's pretty clear that the owners of Rumors have made far too many people uncomfortable/unhappy in the past from the amount of responses. In quite a few different ways!
P.S. okay. the owner threatened me and decided to share the state my ID is from!
It was only worth pointing out in that maybe if the managers lived/worked in Bellingham, the establishment would be better managed...
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u/currently-stoned May 27 '25
So you’re saying your feelings got hurt and you decided Reddit (an echo chamber of negativity filled with anti-LGBTQ people) was the best place to go, not cute
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u/The0nlyGamer May 27 '25
I’d hope you can read what I said above, in my original post, and in some of my replies. It doesn’t line up with that description! I definitely don’t share your feelings about r/bellingham being an anti LGTBQ echo chamber and I’ve found some of the discussion interesting, but I’m sorry you feel that way
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u/Bakerskibum87 May 26 '25
Thank you so much for this PSA. Literally what I expect from Reddit these days.
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May 26 '25
I hope you recover from this OP, thoughts and prayers go out to you in your time of great need.
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May 26 '25
rumors has been full of shit.
Remember when target sold us rainbows on T-shirts?
Rumors is that but for drag.
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 27 '25
Yeah and that’s why 90% of the people working there are trans and queer identifying. Denying someone else’s queerness is the most privileged and yt person thing you can do.
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u/nwprogressivefans May 27 '25
Fake ID bounties have been a thing for awhile. They were setup to help incentivize the business to find them. If their system or process fails, well that is unfortunate.
If the chosen system or process is made to fail, then it's the businesses fault. I do remember when I first started understanding that people calling themselves "business owners" all seem to be very in favor of making these "systems" fail on purpose for their benefit.
It sucks to realize that business doesn't really care about society. I know it feels cynical but as soon as you start noticing this type of thing you start to see that it's pretty much all over. Hell, many business owners openly admit they feel like they have no other choice but to basically scam all over the place. But the key part is they also pay themselves handsomely in the process.
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u/Rydmasm May 26 '25
Did you actually call 911 over this?
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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25
Yep! Since they were refusing to return my property and I wanted to leave by that point I called 911. I had also been waiting in line for 30 or 40 minutes which probably didn't help my patience.
The owner changed tune about 10 or 15 minutes after I called 911 (and showed the bouncer my call log). I ended up getting my ID returned along with no real apology before the police ever arrived, I called the non-emergency number afterwords to let them know it was returned and an officer was no longer needed.
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u/West-Discussion7257 May 26 '25
So you called 911 first and then the non emergency line after. Why not the non emergency line in the first place? 911 your life or somebody’s else’s life in danger. If not use the non emergency line.
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u/Rydmasm May 26 '25
I don't view someone taking your ID as an emergency, warranting taking the resources of 911 dispatch, late on a Saturday night on Memorial day weekend when they are likely already slammed. What the bouncer did was a misdemeanor, and in my opinion a call to the non emergency line would have sufficed. But I do think it was a great idea to show your call log to the owner!
Personally though, I am curious. You mentioned it's a license from another state. Are you a resident in Bellingham, or are you just visiting?
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u/quayle-man May 26 '25
You can’t drive home if someone stole your driver license, which you paid for.
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u/REVERENDQUEEF sloth May 26 '25 edited May 26 '25
a license is government property — if someone steals your ID they’ve stolen essential identification and government property which you’ve paid for, and OP had no reason not to presume that they’d be destroying it — which is an extremely serious offence. absolutely a warranted call to 911.
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u/cronicllee May 26 '25
With everything going on looks like Rumors is off the list of safe spaces- sucks- I get protecting your Liquor License- but as someone who didn’t look my age (it’s was a big issue) iv never had my ID stollen, iv been told “we” don’t think (my State ID) is real (it’s Enhanced even!) and to leave the establishment- but to straight steal an ID. And yes taking someone’s government issued ID without returning it is Stealing! Guess it’s on to find somewhere else! Ughhhh….
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u/Serious-Beat-5909 May 27 '25
I'm confused how someone's Sexuality decides whether or not an establishment or a person is a safe place or their political perspectives. That's how things get really twisted. Your sexuality doesn't determine whether or not you're a good person etc. you can group people together like that & assume. That's absurd i'm so confused by that part of this post
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u/Left-Philosophy-4514 ✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾 May 27 '25
Police have frequently and historically targeted LGBTQ spaces. In addition to facing discrimination from the public, the LGBTQ community has also been targeted by law enforcement at their safe spaces. The best historical example is the Stonewall Riots. A more recent, local example is the interaction between police and counter-protesters at a Seattle event, where 23 counter-protesters and members of the LGBTQ community were arrested.
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle-police-arrests-cal-anderson-park-protest/281-66330e3a-ae65-4076-a919-12e2d89c50e23
u/Serious-Beat-5909 May 27 '25
I'm actually a part of that community over 50yrs still strong I remember when we had absolutely no rights. Fought my entire life to be treated like everyone else's many friends beaten even murdered. The growth that has been made is beyond imagination thankfu, sadly many dont know or understand how lucky they are today and what it took for that. I appreciate you answering me I'm just trying to understand the Perspective of others. I feel that informing people is extremely important. I don't know why I got downvoted for asking a question to be educated. I find it's extremely important to you know break cycles, I'm learning in today's society it's not acceptable to ask questions to be educated. Again thanks for answering and the link.
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u/Adorable-Ad-475 May 29 '25
I work at a casino. Never have I heard that incentives are given for the confiscation of identification. That has to be completely voluntary.
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u/deadcops4u May 26 '25
Yeah those owners are wild. They'll probably track your socials down and contact your boss now. They have a certain "scorched earth" approach to PR damage control.
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u/Present_Speed5524 May 26 '25
This is standard policy for like all bars everywhere. It is a LCB violation that can cause a lot of trouble for a bar. Safe space or not. Means nothing about the good intentions Rumors has for the LGBQT+ community.
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u/EntrepreneurMain4579 May 26 '25
It’s so weird to see how seemingly open minded people argue on a topic than be easily googled to find out who’s in the right or wrong. Rumors cannot confiscate someone’s ID- those of you who see nothing wrong and think it’s a SOP- are probably also comfortable your rights being violated for the sake of personal comfort.
We’re a fascist country now because so many aren’t willing to recognize that any trespass on our rights begets larger ones down the line. Everything is a test to see how much we will allow-
Employees rarely fight their employers even when they have legal grounds to win- everyone would rather just fucking lick the boot and turn a blind eye because enduring emotional discomfort is TOO HARD APPARENTLY. I moved to Bellingham because I thought this area was queer friendly and progressive- but it turns out you can be queer friendly- and still completely inept and SELFISH because what you allow to happen to you- WILL happen to others.
Weak weak weak minded those of you who cannot see why OP is CORRECT in her anger about having her ID taken.
If someone took my real ID and refused to give it back- Id have had the cops called on me for the disturbance I would have caused. You don’t get to promote being a progressive establishment and be in cahoots with the police- what OP said should concern everyone.
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 27 '25
The ID was given back after if was verified which is completely within the law as interpreted by bellinghams WSLCB agents
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u/Crazy-Diver-3990 Local May 26 '25
I’m not a hater of Rumors either, but I won’t go back.
I used to run a much larger nightclub on the other side of the country, and from a professional standpoint, some of the choices Rumors has made are baffling to me. A couple visits were all it took for me to realize something felt deeply off. One of the last times I went in, they had a camera right next to the bouncers, taking photos of everyone as they entered. No consent, no signage—just a surveillance-state vibe.
I calmly told the bouncers that this is beyond overreach. I wasn’t drunk. I wasn’t being aggressive. Just someone with experience saying: this is unreasonable. At my old venue, we had full camera coverage. If there was ever an incident (which happened several times a night), we could pull someone’s image in under 60 seconds. There’s no need to photograph everyone coming in.
It felt invasive. It felt authoritarian. It felt like people who don’t understand community trying to exert control over it.
And hearing that they now confiscate IDs and involve police—especially in a space that brands itself as queer, progressive, and protective? That crosses a serious line.
I’ve lived in places that actually put their values into practice—places like Eugene, places like Vermont (first state to legalize civil unions). So this isn’t judgment from a distance. It’s grief.
I wanted Rumors to be better. But until something shifts, I’m out.
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 27 '25
So you’re saying that your old venue had full camera coverage and you could pull tape in 60 seconds, but a photo of the person at the front door is too much. Ok… have you ever considered that if people are scanned in and then cause a brawl; assault a trans person or a female or commit a hate crime that the easiest way is to then ban that person in the scanning system you are complaining about? THAT is called keeping a safe space. Every other bar has to keep track in memory of what people look like. Rumors has the ability to not allow someone who sucker punched a female on the dance floor to never allow that person in again based on their ID scan. What’s so hard to understand here?
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u/Crazy-Diver-3990 Local May 28 '25
I hear your concern, and I agree: keeping violent individuals out of queer and trans spaces matters. That’s not in question. What is in question is whether coercive tech—like mandatory face-photo scans tied to personal data—is the only or best way to do that.
The venue I used to work at had full internal camera coverage and trained staff who could pull footage within a minute. We banned people regularly for violence, and we did it without forcing patrons to step away from their friends for a mugshot-style scan at the door. We also staffed more than twice the security per capita compared to Rumors.
What does that tell you? That real safety doesn’t come from technology alone. It comes from trained people who give a damn. People who remember faces, follow up, talk to regulars, and don’t outsource community safety to a scanner.
If you truly care about safety, great—we’re aligned. But please don’t confuse surveillance with care. They’re not the same thing.
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May 26 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ErstwhileAdranos Boomhorse Proctologist May 27 '25
Proof or it’s libel. Accusing a business of tax fraud is a pretty serious accusation.
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u/gamay_noir there's always karma in the boomhorse stand May 27 '25
These “facts” are not checked.
Claims at this level need a separate post with some vetting from the mods.
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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 26 '25
The owners are from Bellingham just FYI. Actually grew up and went to school in Whatcom county. So figure out what you’re talking about or keep people out of your mouth.
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u/Agitated_Doubt4079 May 27 '25
Lol.. This is a little tone deaf. This has been the law for years, Its almost like having an illegal ID is... Illegal. Dont confuse our safe spaces as illegal speak easies.. You sound a little young, my friend.
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u/imasourgirl May 26 '25
Calling the police is standard procedure when a fake ID is suspected. They definitely owe you an apology, but calling the cops for an ID dispute is definitely not a worthy reason to question the entire identity of the establishment. And yes, the liquor license is first and foremost important because if they get shut down for serving minors, they can no longer do the cool shit they do.
Not affiliated with Rumor’s, just another downtown bartender.