In their cart was a bottle of Sake, Japanese rice wine, so the cashier asked for Ferreira’s identification, Ferreira said.
But the clerk asked his wife for her ID as well, Ferreira said. It was a policy he said he’d never encountered.
the clerk at the register called a manager, who explained that the store is required to ask for ID of everyone present at the sale.
“I said that’s OK, I didn’t know about the policy, I want to know its real,” Ferreira said. “But I’m a young black man in America. I want to make sure I’m treated the same as everyone else.”
It was at that point, Ferreira said, that the manager changed her tone.
“She then said, ‘I don’t have to sell you alcohol. I don’t have to sell you anything,’ ” before telling the cashier to cancel his grocery sale entirely, Ferreira said. He said he watched as the manager gathered up his grocery order, ripping a paper bag.