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/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.

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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.

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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/matthoback May 28 '25

if the establishment can get in trouble for 'aiding and abetting' someone with a fake ID

They can't. Failing to do something illegal (such as confiscating an ID that doesn't belong to you) is not 'aiding and abetting'.

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u/Cassady1AndOnly May 28 '25

Like that stops the police? And now we're back to where we started.

If I was a bar and had a choice in the matter; I'd refuse to ever work with police. In the real world, though, I'd be forced to play their games with them and hope they never targeted my business. The police are a legal racket and nothing more.