I am 22. Have been for five months.

Simple math would conclude I’ve been of legal drinking age for 17 months.

Yet three weeks ago at Tiki Room on Landsdowne Street, I wasn’t allowed in by the bouncer. Not because I was too drunk (really, I wasn’t). Because I am from Rhode Island and have a Rhode Island driver’s license as my primary form of ID.

Police found 15 fake IDs in Tiki Room that night and the assistant manager (who looked about as qualified as a passed-out CR at West Village) told me the policy for the night was all out-of-state IDs would require a backup with date of birth.

Look through your wallet. How many IDs do you have that also feature your date of birth? Except for possibly a health insurance card, the answer is not one.

There’s a problem in Boston, and Massachusetts in general. The state has been burned by fake IDs so often, liquor stores, bars and other establishments serving alcohol are required to utilize policies that alienate a vast number of residents.

Considering Boston is a college town and imports students from a number of states, isn’t this a form of subliminal profiling? If you’re not from Massachusetts, you can’t be trusted. Isn’t that the message being sent here? Granted, Massachusetts trusts us out-of-staties enough to force us into jury duty, but that’s a whole other rant.

Now, those possessing Massachusetts IDs are in good shape. Besides meaning you’re a bad driver and you know what an RMV is, having that ID means you can get in just about anywhere. For those of us with out-of-state IDs, well, you’re in for a rough time.

Huntington Liquors, which proudly sports a wall of caught fake, out-of-state IDs, requires a photo backup. Fine, but TD Banknorth Garden won’t sell alcohol to any out-of-state ID under 25 – 25! How does that make any sense?

There is a simple solution. It’s time for the U.S. to adopt universal driver’s licenses. There’s no reason for an Idaho license to look different from a Connecticut license. If the entire nation adheres to a singular ID format, the ability to spot a fake becomes much easier, and could cut down on problems faced by out-of-state residents in a new state. Our friends with New York license plates can attest to that.

Considering how well-known it is that a majority of people who purchase fakes seek out-of-state IDs, would you trust some kid who claims he’s from Oregon? Probably not.

Because driving laws vary by state, licenses should certainly still advertise the city and state of origin of the licensee, but the overall look and style of a driver’s license is more vanity than anything else.

You could make the argument that underaged drinking is no reason to implement outlandish policies. (My suggestion is to hire bouncers who can actually spot a fake, although considering a majority of bouncers look as though they can hardly read, that might be a tad far-fetched.)

After all, Huntington Liquors has clearly spotted quite a few. What do they know that Boston bouncers – and to a larger extent, our local government, which supports these mandates – don’t?

– Justin Rebello is a senior journalism major and a member of The News staff.