A 53-year-old England fan was refused alcohol at a bar in Seattle because his UK driving licence was deemed invalid ID. Layth Yousif, editor of a fanzine, settled for a banana milkshake while his friends enjoyed beer.
The Incident at Lost Lake Cafe
Layth Yousif, a sports journalist covering the World Cup, was out with three friends at the Lost Lake Cafe and Restaurant in Seattle, Washington State, on Sunday. When the group ordered alcohol, the barman asked for identification. Yousif presented his UK driving licence, expecting it to be accepted. However, the barman consulted his manager and returned to say the licence was invalid.
Unable to prove he was over 21 – the legal drinking age in the US – Yousif had to order a soft drink. He chose the milkshake of the month, a banana cream pie flavour, while his companions drank beer.
A Humorous Reaction
Yousif, from south London, said he was initially taken aback but quickly saw the funny side. 'I wasn't angry in the slightest. It was actually just funny as I'm 53. The banana cream milkshake I had instead was delicious,' he said. His friends joked that there can't be many 20-year-olds in Seattle with salt-and-pepper beards.
The father-of-three added, 'It was also amusing that they simply didn't recognise my British driver's licence. I might as well have shown them my Costco card for all the good it did. To be fair at my age, I was flattered.'
World Cup Coverage
Layth, a lifelong Arsenal fan, is covering the World Cup for the Morning Star. The trip gave him an excuse to visit friends, including Jason Quillin from Seattle and a Canadian friend, whom he met while studying for an MBA at Westminster Business School in 2011.
Despite the milkshake incident, Yousif had no trouble getting drinks later. 'I had no issue getting hammered on Monday night,' he joked. His World Cup coverage has included a visit to Toronto earlier in June before England's opening game against Croatia at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
