A bouncer allegedly took a man’s REAL ID at a Brooklyn club, then he said NYPD refused to help, and he had a flight the next morning

A TikTok creator says a night out in New York City turned into a two-hour ordeal after a bouncer allegedly confiscated his REAL ID at the entrance to a Brooklyn venue. The creator also claims responding New York Police Department officers declined to intervene, even though he told them he had a flight home the following morning.

The videos, posted by TikTok user Chillguy123 (@chillguy123970), drew attention online as viewers debated whether venue staff should keep a customer’s identification and what role, if any, police should play in such disputes. The first video shows the creator speaking with an NYPD officer.

According to the video, the officer tells him she cannot help him recover his ID. On-screen text in a later post states that he also spoke with a police supervisor, who likewise declined to intervene. A third video includes text that reads, “NYPD cop trying to intimidate me with a 2 min staring contest after refusing to help get my Real ID back that bouncer took at the door,” showing the officer from the first video locking eyes with the camera.

The police supervisor says he can’t help him, either

The creator said in a comment that he specifically requested a supervisor after the initial interaction with police. “I requested the supervisor the supervisor came and said ‘hey, just get a number from them and see if you can get it later on,'” he wrote.

“The venue kept trying to have me removed from the property,” he added. “Until they gave up and gave me id after 2 hours of waiting and trying to get the police to do something. I have a video of the supervisor interaction and it will be posted later.”

If accurate, recovering the ID that night could have been especially important because the creator said he had a flight home the next morning. In that same post, the creator identifies the venue as Brooklyn Storehouse.

Since May 7, 2025, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has required travelers aged 18 and older to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of identification, such as a valid passport, to pass through airport security for domestic flights. Travelers who do not have an acceptable alternative ID face delays, additional screening, or, in some cases, are not allowed through the checkpoint.

That does not necessarily mean losing a REAL ID automatically prevents someone from flying. TSA says officers have procedures that may allow some passengers to verify their identity through other means.

However, the agency warns that the process can take additional time and is not guaranteed. The TikTok series does not indicate whether the creator had another acceptable form of identification, such as a passport, available for his scheduled trip.

The allegations made in the videos have not been independently verified, including why the ID was allegedly retained or whether venue staff believed they had grounds to keep it. As of publication, the nightclub and the NYPD have not commented on the situation.