This seems exactly the same to me as convenience stores having policies where people who are not very clearly over 35 must show ID. Karl is very clearly “of age”, the beer tent is set up at 10AM for the tons of people who’ve run the race (most of whom were in costume) and he was humorously asking the question and didn’t intend the double-entendre that I think most of us heard. I’m not saying they didn’t have the discretionary power to keep him out on this basis, I’m saying it’s stupid of them to behave this way.

On St. Patrick’s Day (and other days), bars commonly have a policy of carding everyone without exception. It’s easier to have a flat policy than either giving the bouncers discretion who to let in or forcing them into the position of having to make a decision whether to allow someone in. It’s not just about complying with the law, but making things easier on the bouncers who will have to deal with a lot whiny, drunk people, while the buisiness tries to comply with the law. If they let your running buddy in, the 22 year woman in line after him who also forgot her id will say, “You let him in. I’m over 21, even if I don’t have id.” Suddenly the bouncer has to defend his decision on something other than a flat policy, which is generally a waste of time while the putative patron gets more and more annoyed (and annoying). And some 16 year olds these days look like they’re much older and could walk in without id simply because they look older.

For all you know, they were just looking for a reason to exclude him, and lack of id happened to work. Having a sweaty 50 year old patron “in costume” asking if anyone’s seen his “lucky charms” doesn’t help business. It might not keep you away, but I’d leave.