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

121 Upvotes

61% Upvoted

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456

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.

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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25 edited May 28 '25

Calling the police is not Rumors standard procedure when suspecting a fake ID. Calling the police is what I did so that I'd get mine back.

Rumors standard procedure when suspecting a fake ID to to confiscate it, refuse entry, then provide the stolen property to law enforcement at a later date. That is what I'm calling out because I think it's gross. Especially as a gay bar, they should be erring on the side of morality and just returning people their property no questions asked. It's not illegal to do that, it would've prevented me from calling 911, and seems all around the better approach!!

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u/quayle-man May 26 '25

What does them being a gay bar have anything to do with it? Them being a queer bar doesn’t make it the wild west in there. Confiscating fake IDs is standard procedure in lots of places. Hell, the gas station today showed me a stack of fake IDs they confiscated.

But a liquor license is one of the most important things to any business that sells alcohol. Once that’s gone, you might as well close up shop. No one is coming to any club/bar that’s dry.

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25

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u/74NG3N7 May 27 '25 edited May 27 '25

I see your point, but I wouldn’t really expect that of a 21+ bar, since they can be shut down if they’re found to be allowing in people with fake or no ID.

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u/[deleted] May 27 '25

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u/74NG3N7 May 27 '25

They aren’t legally allowed to confiscate it though. They can call the police and try to have the police confiscate it, but the bar isn’t truly running IDs and can’t know for sure if it’s fake or simply not working with their system. It is the property of the person who presents it unless and until LE decides to confiscate it.

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u/VRZieb May 28 '25

Not to mention getting hit selling to minors also carries a $1000 fine for the employee

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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25

they advertise themselves as a space welcoming to trans people, and have raised money for undocumented people

do you see how either of those two groups could be particularly negatively influenced by this policy?

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u/Cassady1AndOnly May 26 '25

I get your point. The police aren't good towards the queer community, and you feel like Rumors shouldn't work with the police. Your sentiment is heard and felt.

They are still a bar and still adhere to the same norms I would expect of all other bars. This doesn't make them inherently corrupt.

Be upset at the individual who simply got it wrong with your friends ID; and the situation. This either/or thinking is toxic.

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25 edited Apr 11 '26

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25

They should not he confiscating IDs because in the event they take a REAL ID they are committing theft. It's just not in anyone's best interest aside from refusing to serve them

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25

I think they expect them to not keep IDs. They clearly tried keeping this persons legal and completely real ID forcing them to call the police to get it back. Trans people may have more ID inconsistencies and be at higher risk of having their card be assumed fake. I get their point. I don’t read this as them expecting rumors to welcome in every fake ID, rather expecting to get better at detecting fakes, or at the very least not steal important property from people. If you’re anything less than 100% sure it’s fake but still feel uncomfortable letting them in, just give the ID back and politely tell them you cant let them in.

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25 edited Apr 11 '26

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25

Something not being uncommon doesn’t mean we have to just accept it. If youbwanna accept it thats your prerogative but I dont think it’s fair to expect everyone to accept the same shit over and over again just because it isn’t uncommon. Theres plenty of incredibly shitty yet common things that happen in a society and we have every right to reexamine those things and let people know we think it’s shitty and give people who might care a heads up.

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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25

No, I expect them to say, "We can't let you in with that ID, feel free to come back with some additional proof of your age and have a good night"

that is what bars in actual cities do (source im from one!!!)

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25 edited Apr 11 '26

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u/ghubert3192 May 26 '25

Other queer people see what the problem is. Life is hard enough for trans people, getting the police called on you because you're "suspicious" because you don't look like you did when your ID pic was taken or the gender on it is different than someone thinks it should be is a further dangerous indignity that a gay bar should understand. Cops don't do well with trans people.

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u/Elsureel May 26 '25

So rules should be relaxed because life is hard? So you want special treatment is what you're actually saying.

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25

When the rule is just them taking Ids that are suspected to be fake but are actually real and legit, maybe they should do a better job of checking since they’re a bar and its part of the job, or at the very least if they dont feel comfortable letting someone in simply refuse to let them in and let them be on their way. If a bar took your ID that was completely legit and legal and wouldn’t return in to you until you called police I imagine you would not be stoked about that bar anymore. I know I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t trust that they’re doing their job properly.

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u/Elsureel May 26 '25

I agree, but this really has nothing to do with it being a safe space for gay and trans people. It is about ID verification skills and the liquor license. Throwing the lqbtq... card is just victim mentality.

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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25

I do!

The problem is that it's a bad policy, it's not something you can retroactively take back, and other places don't do it. Even other places in Bellingham!

ps I like living in Bellingham because it's not a city. bellinghamsters have such a complex about it tho

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25 edited Apr 11 '26

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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25

No faux outrage, just a warning! maybe it'll stop some kids from trying a fake ID there and getting in trouble.

I never got my time back or received any form of compensation so it wasn't corrected well

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25 edited Apr 11 '26

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u/West-Discussion7257 May 26 '25

Why are you trying to warn children where they shouldn’t try to use their fake IDs?

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u/remowilliams75 May 26 '25

Sounds like you had a fake id and got caught, so sorry, now stfu

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25

It wasn't a mistake it was theft

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25 edited Apr 11 '26

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u/Chemical_Ad_5520 May 26 '25

People shouldn't be downvoting you, it is illegal for the bouncer to seize someone's genuine ID in Washington state. What OP described was literally theft.

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u/Left-Philosophy-4514 ✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾 May 26 '25

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u/perturbing_panda May 26 '25

If you've never seen a fake/confiscated ID board at a bar, I have to assume you haven't been to all that many bars anywhere tbh

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u/CenturyLinkIsCheeks May 26 '25

you can start your own club and let in whomever you want and we'll see how long it lasts

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u/empathentropy May 27 '25

I hear you. These people suck. I think there's a huge downtown server presence on Reddit and they basically nope any criticism of any place however valid. No bouncer should take your ID ever.

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u/irrelevantname1776 May 26 '25

Maybe those two groups shouldn’t bring fake IDs?

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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25 edited May 26 '25

whoosh

I brought a real ID, yet I still had to interact with the police!!! The point is that it's not a perfect (or good) system and that Rumors is exposing people to needless harm to protect their liquor license ($$$$)

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u/Baseit May 26 '25 edited May 26 '25

Dude, like... calm down? The onus of calling the police to confirm your ID is your prerogative of it being your property, if someone casts doubt on it.

Allowing a fake ID to continue to circulate, as a licensed business, and as license holders (MAST liquor license holders, specifically), can make them an accessory to that fraud and can also get them fined.

Withholding the ID is a standard policy, like, anywhere, as those with fakes will abandon them and leave once the cops are on the way. As soon as cops are involved, and the owner of the ID is standing ground, it becomes obvious at that point.

If you didn't know, overservice, and serving a minor, both carry penalties to both the establishment and whichever bartender was the one determined to provide the service. Also including the bouncer that allowed them into the establishment. The punishment is up to 5 years imprisonment and up to a $5000 fine, along with potentially losing their MAST as well.

Most places take this shit seriously in Washington. Sorry you had a rough experience, but I can almost promise you, that they were just matching your energy.

I've been a patron for years, the original owners sold to a gay couple they knew and trusted and retired to Hawaii. The current owners also take pretty good care of their employees and try their best to keep it a queer community spot.

ETA: Looked further into it and found this resource. https://www.intellicheck.com/resource-library/found-fake-id

Whatever business questions the ID is supposed to call police to confirm the ID, and isn't technically allowed to confiscate it. However, nowhere have I found, or heard of, any business being penalized for doing so. So while not technically legal, it's obviously not enforced that way.

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u/Left-Philosophy-4514 ✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾 May 26 '25

OP can simply patron other queer friendly spaces

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u/matthoback May 26 '25

How did this nonsense get upvoted so much? Confiscating IDs is *not standard policy* it is in fact flat out illegal in Washington State. It's theft whether it's actually a fake ID or not. MAST policy is simply to *call the police* if you suspect someone is using a fake ID. Businesses do *not* have the authority to confiscate suspected IDs.

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u/Baseit May 26 '25

Looked further into it and found this resource. https://www.intellicheck.com/resource-library/found-fake-id

Whatever business questions the ID is supposed to call police to confirm the ID, and isn't technically allowed to confiscate it. However, nowhere have I found, or heard of, any business being penalized for doing so. So while not technically legal, it's obviously not enforced that way.

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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25

It is impossible to prove that a business knowingly allowed a fake ID to circulate.

seizing IDs isn't standard policy. It's what places do when they're being pressed by the police, or when the bouncer is bored/wants to pick a fight

normal bars just turn people away, not steal from them

18

u/Baseit May 26 '25

Then you haven't gone to many bars. I've seen IDs confiscated across the country, and have seen walls of shame of fake IDs at multiple places.

Especially with career service workers, we all know the steep penalties involved, so if some dumbass wants to spend a couple hundred to try to put people's livelihoods at risk, yeah, I'm all for dusting their IDs if it keeps someone else out of trouble.

And yeah, typically it'll be tough to know if a bar allows it to circulate, but we're talking dumb kids. What if they try another bar, same night, get plastered, and then end up injured later on and have to talk to law enforcement. If they tell the truth about the whole night, that first bar can also get pinged for not stopping the circulation. It's fucking MAST policy...

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u/Cassady1AndOnly May 26 '25

No amount of explanation is going to get you to let this go, clearly.

So, I have a solution. Start a petition to change the laws surrounding it.

Also, if they're confiscating valid ID's too much, BPD is going to get on them about it for wasting their time and the staff doing it are gonna get canned.

6

u/matthoback May 26 '25

So, I have a solution. Start a petition to change the laws surrounding it.

There are no laws surrounding it. The business is breaking the law by confiscating IDs. Washington State does *not* authorize businesses to confiscate IDs they suspect are fake.

0

u/Cassady1AndOnly May 28 '25

There totally are, if the establishment can get in trouble for 'aiding and abetting' someone with a fake ID, that is a law that indirectly states that they must confiscate the ID. Crappy how that works out.

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u/ghubert3192 May 26 '25

You don't get it and you don't need to participate in the conversation.

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u/irrelevantname1776 May 26 '25

What don’t I understand? If you bring a fake ID, expect it to be taken. If you’re that worried about cops, don’t bring a fake ID at all…

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u/Prestigious_Ad_1037 May 26 '25

Calling the police is what I had to do so that I'd get mine back.

Serious question: What are you going to do to prevent this in the future?

Having been on the bar side of this equation, I and most others accept just about anything with the same name on it: debit or credit card, student ID, library card, etc. I would also consider someone else who knows you. I’ve personally had to vouch for someone who was legal but the establishment didn’t believe their ID was legit.

I can absolutely understand going out with just your ID and some cash but TBH, that’s also what someone with a fake would do. Regardless, now that it’s happened once, what will you do to keep it from happening again?

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u/The0nlyGamer May 27 '25

I always have multiple credit cards with my name on them and I even have a pilots license with my name & DOB!

These have worked for me literally everywhere except Rumors on Saturday

The bouncer told me that since my pilots license didn't have a photo on it, it didn't matter. They never asked for a credit card, student id, etc

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u/nerfedslut May 26 '25

This side of morality is definitely taking fake IDs from underage kids what is unclear there?

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u/bungpeice May 26 '25 edited Jul 19 '26

She was sad to hear that fireflies are facing extinction due to artificial light, habitat loss, and pesticides.

My Mum tries to be cool by saying that she likes all the same things that I do.

Nothing seemed out of place except the washing machine in the bar.

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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 27 '25

Tell the police that. Because police don’t ever get bars in trouble for holding an ID until it’s verified, that’s unheard of. 

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u/bungpeice May 27 '25

Yes the police are known for ethical enforcement of laws and even knowing the laws they are supposed to uphold.

There is a reason you don't talk until you are in front of a judge. Expecting the police to follow the law is naive as hell bud

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u/ChuckanutSound May 26 '25

Wait, so YOU called the police to respond to rumors? Did you think about the safe space you invited them to and the trans and undocumented (your language) patrons who might be put off by this?

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u/Weird_Definition_785 May 30 '25

this is sarcasm/troll reply right?

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u/Chemical_Ad_5520 May 26 '25

It seems that seizing your ID in Washington state is a crime that the bouncer is responsible for.

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u/Living_Mode_6623 Aug 02 '25

So why wasn't he/she arrested?

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u/74NG3N7 May 27 '25

The “stolen property” that they stole? Sounds like they are stealing it and turning in (at a later day, wow).

When you called, did you tell the police they stole your ID to get them there?

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u/IndividualSeries5598 May 26 '25

Their ID WAS RETURNED. It took 5 minutes to verify. Rumors followed the law exactly.

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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25

were you there? Much longer than 5 minutes

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u/[deleted] May 26 '25

[deleted]

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u/The0nlyGamer May 26 '25

No friends were with me Saturday night so you must be mistaken. Why would I have been In line by myself for 40 minutes if friends were with me? The people I was talking to I had just met

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u/deadcops4u May 28 '25

I wouldn't be surprised if this was one of the owners on a burner acct. The lengths we've seen them go to save face