Another retailer asking for ID for seemingly no reason whatsoever.

Since when did caffeine become a controlled substance?

There are Dunkin Donuts where I live, else I'd be tempted to get a vanload of kids (without IDs) and take everyone for iced coffee.

Screw any company that tries to sue its franchises out of business.

[consumerist.com]

"Ah, another slow day on the consumerist. I applaud Dunkin Donuts in refusing to pump out kids full of caffeine."

Or something like that...just saving the peanut gallery the trouble

The guy behind the counter just wanted to see their IDs so he could make sure they were legal before he hit on them

I was at three DD's in Boston today, and one was full of dozens of middle school kids getting their free iced coffees.

it's the same policy at costco for sampling...you need your parents permission.

It's a sue-happy society. That's what you get.

Good for them for being cautious about liability. A bill was recently introduced in my state to ban coffee and energy drinks in high schools after a child was sent home vomiting and in a cold sweat after drinking Red Bulls one after another all day.

@musitron: Don't forget to screw Quiznos AND Subway, then. (Their approach is mostly just to oversell the franchises, though.)

I'll take an iced coffee and a copy of penthouse please...

OK, hate to be the guy who sticks up for D&D and their awful burnt coffee, BUT:

Doesn't some coffee contain nut extracts? Would a person with an allergy have a reaction? Can a minor give consent to waive the liability D&D might be held to were a child//minor to have an allergic reaction? I think if the answer to 1&2 is yes, and the answer to three is no, then this is a good rule. Especially if it's the franchise owner responsible and not D&D. While they have deep pockets for a lawsuit, I'm sure a settlement would leave the franchise owner and all of his family out on the street.

I've haven't heard that coffee is for adults or at least that's what Dunking Donuts are saying. I've been drinking coffee since I can remember. My mom, and I still do, used to prepare the "afternoon tea". My mother doesn't like tea, so she raised us (my brother and I) with coffee (with milk at that time). And the teacher said that her 14 yrs old student got their free iced coffee, maybe the server was just a douche.

@amoeba: The teacher didn't say which D&D his students went to. Carey tried two other shops who said "OK", so I'm guessing it's a specific franchise owner who made this policy.

@Git Em SteveDave: I think restaurants are generally not liable for serving food to people who just might be allergic to it, adult or minor. Taco Bell doesn't card you for a gordita on the off-chance you are allergic to mystery meat. My grocery store doesn't ask me if I'm gonna be allergic to those shrimps I'm buying.

It may have been during school hours and the manager wanted to make sure they werent truants

@Git Em SteveDave: I pointed out what the teacher said about the students. I don't care which D&D was. In my opinion, if one franchise does a bad job, they give a bad name to the whole brand name. So...?

Yeah, none of the Dunkin Donuts I went to today asked any questions, so that's gotta be one franchiser covering their ass. (although the bigger problem would be someone who's prepared to hit at least six locations in one day... which, being CT, isn't THAT hard to do)

Is every free item offering going to come with a story of somebody not getting it? I had no trouble getting my free chicken sandwich at McDonalds. Well, except for the fact that it tasted like rubber. Other than that, it was fine.

@amoeba: Well, a we're talking about a company that's hand over their direct customer interaction to anyone as long as they're willing to pay the franchise fee and put up with an onerous franchisee agreement. That company doesn't evidently really value its brand that much.

I RUN ON DUNKIN!! (see picture)

No, but seriously, folks... ID'ing over Iced Coffee? Damn, that's cold.

Ignore the pun, it was intended.

The guy was horny and the girls were good looking jail-bait.

@Git Em SteveDave: Dunkins coffee is excellent. If you are getting it burnt then that user error, not the beans.

Every morning at 5am I get a coffee from a nice old lady at a gas station dunks and its always perfect. Every morning at 8:30 am I get an iced coffee from a Indian man at a Dunks in a mall. Always perfect.

A couple times someone got me some Starbucks coffee...nasty

Trades Joe's won't give samples to kids unless a parent or guardian says it's ok. I saw that myself I'm guessing for some reason the store wanted to make sure they were adults. I also wonder what high school they went to. back when I was in high school we all had picture ID's from the school. middle school kids drinking coffee is wrong kids are hyper enough as it is they don't need any stimulants

Im sure clerks are fully trained in checking and identifying all forms of identicication... oh wait, wtf... its dunkin doughnuts

Coffee nazis! lol

There was an entire highschool at the Columbus Circle store getting iced coffee today.

My sister and I got our coffee with no problem, we're not 18 and I doubt the girl behind the counter was any older than us so I'd be surprised if she asked us for id. we also went by McDonalds and got chicken sandwhiches.

I've been strung out on coffee ever since I was old enough to pour a cup and turn on the TV by myself. And i can't begin to tell you how glad I am, living in California, that DD is an east coast phenomenon. I've had more than enough dealings with their incompentent/uncaring/drunk/cracked out staff when I travel to yhe right coast to know I don't want them here.

BTW, Timbit firing aside... Tim Horton's for the win!

@Lea9017: You are busted. I'm calling the Mormon police. You shouldn't have had that coffee. And then I'm calling the chicken police, just because.

I was able to score a cup this afternoon. Unfortunately, it reminded me of why I don't rust water -er, I meant iced coffee. I'm not sure if the staff was just burnt out by this time and didn't care, or this was really how it was supposed to taste but whichever the results were not very good. I loves me some Dunkin Donuts regular coffee though.

Here's the funny part, if they DID give free coffee to a minor then some cholo from California would be taking them to court for contributing to the delinquency of a minor!

@RagingTowers: cynical, yet quite funny. i wouldn't doubt it
@Git Em SteveDave: good point

@ironchef: yeah costco is quite particular about that...i was there last week and they were sampling chocolate calciums supplements... one mom wanted to give it to her child and the sampler lady practically freaked out.

personally, i think this guy was being a douche. i've been drinking hot coffee and tea since i was three years old. i even had my own mug. my parents did not police my caffeine intake and neither should dd

@loueloui: ewwww yeah, fast food iced coffee probably not the best

@ironchef: Seriously, I don't remember that? Myabe its a store specific thing. I never had to present a card when I ran out getting free samples.

They're trying to use the minor not being able to give proper consent to drink a potentially harmful substance. However, they have no basis because caffeine isn't considered to be a controlled substance.

@rg: Cholo? Kinda weird to get all racist over iced coffee. Or is that just the way you are all the time?

@Kounji: * cough* okay let me rephrase that. They seem like they're trying to use the part of contract law that says a minor can withdraw consent due their incapacity to understand contracts. However, coffee is not a controlled substance so they are no more liable serving to a kid then they are any adult.

Also I think this is the case of the franchise probably not wanting to lose a ton of money on corporate promotions like this. Another example of why franchises suck from the consumer end.

Ok, here's my question on this whole thing...

If they had instead decided to BUY an iced coffee, would they have allowed the sale? Or was it denied simply because it was free?

@Saydrah: That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. At what point does the kid assume responsibility? Vicious circles like this are the reason society sucks: All blame gets put on the parents and the children grow up passing it on to someone else like McDonald's for making their coffee too hot.

FFS, make the morons take responsibility for their actions. Either they'll learn not to touch the stove or they'll die. Natural selection shouldn't only apply to nature.

And as for Dunkin Donuts, fail.

We have no Dunkin' Donuts in our area, and the McDonald's here didn't offer any free chicken sandwiches. I feel deprived. They only have Sausage McMuffins 2/$3. Yuck. Then again, when you live in an area where the major shopping consists of Wal-Mart unless you want to drive about 45 minutes to an OfficeMax, well... (yet we have an Applebee's, go figure).

@hypochondriac: Yes, most schools have photos on their student ID cards, but they do not have birth dates on them. Thus, they are useless for proving age.

I wouldn't want my children served coffee.

Of course, the oldest is only 4 :P

When I was younger, I was told that caffeine would stunt your growth. Is that an old wive's tale?

@rabiddachshund: McDonald's DID make the coffee too hot. Again and again and again. The much misunderstood and misrepresented coffee case has nothing to do with personal responsibility or faux-Darwinism.

@pigeonpenelope: Me too! It's practically the law growing up in england anyway. I always found it odd watching cartoons making a big deal about kids drinking coffee...

In any case, iced coffee? What's wrong with people?! Gas station coffee FTW!

@B: I drank coffee all the time when I was young, and I didn't notice anything. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go put the box in the car so I can see over the wheel.

caffeine should be a controlled substance way before pot... caffeine is extremely toxic and pure caffeine just on your skin would kill you

pot - totally nontoxic!

time to legalize it.

@Git Em SteveDave: Love it! LOL!

I have to say, I like the idea of young'ins not drinking coffee. I miss the social mores that used to define us as a people. Not that it was illegal but everyone understood that coffee was for grown-ups and most wouldn't have dared to serve it to a kid.

Coffee was viewed as a right of passage when I grew up and was off limits until I was "old enough". I still remember the look my father gave me the first time he saw me make a cup at home. I think it was my first visit after I went to college. He was stunned and shocked to see his "little girl" drinking coffee but he realized I wasn't a kid anymore and said nothing.

Years ago, I was so curious about our cultural reluctance to let kids drink coffee I searched the internet to find out what other people thought. I found a couple of forum topics on the subject and it seemed the majority of comments were also against kids drinking coffee. Some Europeans chimed in and commented that Americans are too uptight (what else is new) and that it is perfectly acceptable behavior in Europe (what isn't).

Starbucks has ruined the innocence of kids. Let them eat cake, drink milk and but no latte mochachino's for them.

Thank you Dunkin Donuts!! I'm buying a chocolate creme donut tomorrow in honor of you doing the right thing instead of pandering for a buck like Starbucks.

damn. Well its a good thing that I didn't go because people never believe me when I tell them my age :( I hate it! I feel like it's discrimination--age based hehe