Gov. Chris Gregoire was turned away from an Olympia bar by the bouncer after she was unable to provide her ID.

The governor reportedly forgot her ID at home and was denied access by the 23-year-old who told her no one is allowed in the bar without valid identification. So she went home.

The bouncer was simply following the rules and he should be commended for not budging, despite her status. Rules are rules even if you are the governor.

Unfortunately, his boss didn’t seem to back him up to KING 5 News and questioned why he would card someone who’s obviously older than 21. But the owner shouldn’t give his employees a set of rules to abide by if he’s not going to back them up in front of news cameras.

Those with Gregoire vouched for her identity. The bouncer told her he understood, but he wasn’t permitted to allow anyone in without ID. This is a policy of many bar and restaurant employees who will card patrons who are obviously of legal age and maybe even two or three times older than them. But depending on where you go, it’s a common rule to card all patrons despite how old they look.

Several local bars and restaurants in Kitsap County have the same policy of requiring any patron who is drinking, or even in the bar and not drinking, to show their ID. The various overreactions and hearing “I was 21 before you were even born” time and time again undoubtedly gets old, but these employees are doing what they’ve been told.

The governor told the TV crew she would continue to go to the bar, but with her ID. That sounds like a good idea.