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tabbs · 07-13-2004, 12:08 PM

Hey there- I'll only be 17 when I travel to Europe next summer (yeah, I'm a young one :P ). Will I have trouble getting into clubs, getting drinks, etc.?

**JiveTurkey** · 07-13-2004, 01:25 PM

naaaaahhhh .. I went to europe (UK) when I was 17 and I never got carded. I was there about a month, and went out to clubs and bars almost every night. actualy anyone as young as 16 can drink if you are at a sit down dinner with your parents. So they could care less.. Just go over there and party your balls off.

tabbs · 07-13-2004, 02:57 PM

haha thanks

**TheWills** · 07-13-2004, 04:58 PM

Man you should have no problem at all, I went when I was 17 and didnt get carded once, the only time you should have an issue is if you look like gary coleman
Will

crious · 08-19-2004, 07:04 PM

Tabbs

I lived in France when I was 15 and look as young and young can be. I had no problems bar hopping the entire time. Plus I think 16 is the legal age to drink any ways. Click Here[color=blue][b] for a web site that lists all the drinking ages for around the world. I hope you have a great time!! Ohh and trust me do not get to stupid if you have ever heard stories about the drunk tank in the U.S. theirs is a million times worse. Unfortunately I found out the hard way.

Mikie

**Canadian Dude** · 08-19-2004, 07:20 PM

I think the only place you might have problems is getting into clubs in the UK...Or the casinos in Monaco..thats the only time I have seen any one get carded...

Hey Rozza can you give an answer for this one???

crious · 08-19-2004, 08:25 PM

In the UK you will be fine if you stick to the restaurants it is only 16 there. The bar scene is 18 and over. I never had a big problem in the UK but I never hit the big pubs. My advices is stick to the smaller places and avoid casinos, you will never get in to gamble. I am from the US so I may not be completely correct, any one out there from the UK who could help???

cazzabean · 01-25-2005, 10:29 AM

I live in England and I'm only 16... the drinking age over here is legally 18 as you said. It varies quite a bit, some pubs/clubs can be really easy to get into (it helps if you go earlier when they aren't so busy because they'll be glad to let as many people as possible in) although others have very strict policies like only accepting passports and drivers licence as id and id'ing everyone who looks under 24. Some places won't let anyone in under the age of 21. You've just got to try different places. Hope this helped a bit!

**voyd** · 01-25-2005, 10:52 AM

It's interesting how "Red" China has no minimum drinking age, yet "free" USA has one of 21 (highest in the world). In reality, "freedom" often varies per line-item. And yet, despite the laws, the US has an underage binge-drinking problem whereas China and many other countries don't. Anyways, I digress...bottoms up!

**pinion** · 01-25-2005, 12:10 PM

^

I think if you can die for your country before you can legally drink it's cause for question...

**TimmyJames1976** · 01-25-2005, 12:32 PM

oh crap, 16 and 17 y/o's in the clubs n bars....guess us older guys have to be careful

**Tadpole** · 01-25-2005, 12:40 PM

Slight correction on the "freedom" part voyd. Freedom in America never meant no laws,no rules, and no regualtions. It simply aroused from the freedom from a England and a king. The US has a underage drinking problem because the legal drinking age is so much higher than other nations. But in reality the US doesn't have anymore percentage of youths drinking than other comparable nations. One of the reasons the drinking age is so high here is beacuse of DUIs. You can't live in America without driving everywhere, so more driving with drinking means more deaths because of drinking. The drinking age is 21 but that just means an underage youth can't get into clubs. If someone may age wants beer at a party...there is no problem.

...sorry I had to do a research paper on this topic last semster. Anyways drink up haha

**Tadpole** · 01-25-2005, 12:45 PM

Im going to the UK with two buddies in June. Both of them will be 17 and by then I will be 18. From what I have gathered, most clubs dont care exepct for the really popular ones. Tabbs I wouldn't worry about not getting into clubs at all. let me know if you plan to go to the Uk. We could meet up for a round on me.

**TimmyJames1976** · 01-25-2005, 12:48 PM

question: what do laws make?

**Tadpole** · 01-25-2005, 12:52 PM

laws make restrictions

**TimmyJames1976** · 01-25-2005, 12:52 PM

Answer: criminals

**TimmyJames1976** · 01-25-2005, 12:53 PM

just playin devil's advocate...don't mind me

**voyd** · 01-25-2005, 01:26 PM

Good points, Tadpole!

In other words, freedom from British royalty does not necessarily mean personal freedoms. That is the point I was illustrating. What's interesting though is that most all of our President's actually come from royal British bloodlines anyways (see Burke's Peerage). So, freedom from British royalty does not even always mean...freedom from British royalty, either...

But politics aside, power = choice = freedom. The more power you personally have, the more freedom you will also have - regardless of your government.

As far as underage drinking - I will use China for comparison. Even a 10-yo there could legally buy alcohol at the store and drink it. Yet, they don't for the most part. And most high school or college parties there are centered around food and conversation, not 6-packs, kegs and gettin' wasted. Whereas very few high school parties here are booze-free. So, I would argue that far more young teens do drink more in the US than in China - and probably other countries as well. That's just one small example - but I just find it very ironic because it is opposite to the laws in both countries.

I would agree that the US car culture does necessitate stricter drinking laws here, though. What's interesting about that is Eisenhower sort of had a choice in the 50s to build more rails or highways - and the auto lobbies "persuaded" him to make more highways. Thus assuring a future car culture, oil dependancy, obesity from lack of walking, drunk driving, drinking age laws, strip malls, social segregation/isolation and suburban sprawl landscaping, etc... Well, maybe it was all inevitable anyways given the immense open size of the US though, so I shouldn't lay it all on Dwight.

But, I digress. Y'all get back to drinking ages and stuff, yo.

**TimmyJames1976** · 01-25-2005, 01:30 PM

I do have to agree with Voyd on this issue, and would luv to elaborate more, but I am trying to get out of work, so maybe if I have time later I'll put some more into this thread.

skorch · 01-25-2005, 01:46 PM

In Canada, the drinking age is 18/19 (depends what province) and we have to drive everywhere as well.