Drinking in the US

[Posie]

If I do ever get around to booking, I'm wanting to do a little backpacking in the US later this year.

Now, I'll be 20, turning 21 in January next year, and I'm wondering how strict the drinking laws are in the US, as I've heard that the answer in VERY. I'm kinda totally used to drinking you see, as in the UK it's quite common to see 16 year olds drinking in clubs... if they look old enough/the bouncer can see their ass peeking out under their skirt... you catch my drift.

Not sure how good a thing that is, but I find most people my age that I know have a relaxed outlook on drinking, we do go out and get twatted, but often just go to the pub for a beer or two and a chat.

Anyway, off on a tangent there... Do you have to be 21 to even get in to bars and clubs in the US, or can you get in underage if you just don't drink? Or, as I'm 5'11" and look old for my age, would I just not get ID-ed? I read somewhere that in some places it's policy to ID anyone who looks under 40!!! And for cigarettes!!!

Any answers would be great... thanks

xx

[space virgin]

posie, I hate to tell you but pretty much everything you've heard is true. In most cities & states you cannot get into clubs where alcohol is served (at least after a certain time) if you're under 21; if you look like you're under the age of 30 or 35 you will almost certainly be asked to show ID. Now, some bars are a little more lax than others about this but you can never tell which places will be strict and which won't.

It's also not uncommon to be asked for ID for cigarettes. I'm getting close to 30 and I get asked for ID for freaking lottery tickets, let alone alcohol or admission into a bar.

[Posie]

Dammit...!... thanks for the reply though.

How come you see Kelly Osbourne in clubs on the Osbournes? Damn bitch... bet it's because she's famous!

Is it the same policy for when live bands play in venues that happen to be bars?!

xx

[jteichgrab]

the beer tastes so bad in the U.S. that you probably wouldnt really want to get into a bar.

[Posie]

Haha! I had heard that actually... I've also heard that Americans are real light weights when they come over here and get some quality beer like Stella or Kroney down their necks...!

Could be a massive stereotype I know.

xx

[voyd]

It's true - the draconian Puritanical liquor and "sin" laws here are straight off of the Mayflower. Just read about some of them here...or browse through The Bible, lol.

[kyle j]

Ha being possibly the resident alcoholic in training and I have a good idea of how strict bars are so Ill throw in my two cents , If you can aquire any form of fake id it would be pretty easy to get in most places and drink, however travelling internationally esp. to the US with fake identification may not be wise, American beer is fine some is damn good, just most is pretty light on alcohol content. but you can buy an ICE beer which is generally considered cheap beer but its my personal favorie, Natural Ice cheapest stuff around but it does the job. and as far as Americans being light weights i dont know but I can only speak for my friends who tend to drink a lot and Id bet money we could drink with anyone from anywhere But then again we drink too much too often if you ever go to my site drunkeness is the prevailing theme so good luck, if you cant get into bars dirtier type convienience stores are a good place to try and grocery stores as well you just have to drink before you go out, Goodluck and Bottoms up.

[Posie]

thats a fantastic Dumb Laws site - I heard about some of the England ones on the radio t'other day - Radio 1 were running a competition to see who could get arrested for hanging a bed out of a window first or something!!!

We're a dumb country... but at least I can fecking drink here!

xx

[Diorama]

How come you see Kelly Osbourne in clubs on the Osbournes? Damn bitch

hahaaa funny . actually that's what i've always wondered. I always hear about these underage stars shaking their booty in clubs. I guess it's all about da fame. sucks to be poor

[Sijuki]

Yeah it's a damn shame Posie. But I have been ID'ed almost every bar I go into, unless I am a frequent visitor. The reason for the strictness is that the police love to run stings on bars and stores. They'll send their underage kid in to buy alcohol and if they get it. Then its major fines. At least in Michigan it is up to $1000 for the person who sold it, up to $2500 for the business and a mark against their license. That's the first offense. I think 3 offenses in a year gets it immediately revoked. So most people don't want to get caught, so everybody gets ID'd.

Crying shame I know, I think we should have more lax laws like some of Europe where I have heard that as long as you can see over the bar you are old enough to drink. But America likes to stress that people can't drink, so thus we have higher rates of alcoholism, and binge drinking especially at colleges. Although surprisingly I didn't hear of any deaths this year at Michigan State.

hmmm... Actually that would be your best bet.. to hit up a good college town and get yourself invited to a party. Otherwise find some T-punker or somebody to hang out at their house.

[LiveFreeorDie]

Sijuki's right.....and if you are from out of the country, I believe the only ID you can use to get into a bar or buy liquor in a store is a passport.....so if you have a fake one...pack it in your checked bag, for sure...rolled up inside a shaving cream can or something

Probably not worth the risk though...........

[Canadian Dude]

I believe the only ID you can use to get into a bar or buy liquor in a store is a passport.....so if you have a fake one

YIKES!!!! Please do not pack a fake passport...you will get sooo busted when you go through customs, your better off to pay some guy 5$ to buy you some booze at the store before you go out for the night!!!

[PhilBill]

I FEEL OLD, IGNORANT, LUCKY and more determined than ever to live LESS of my life here in the States; when I first clicked on this post I did so "knowing" I could find a few states with legal drinking age laws under 21. WOW what a surprise! In 1984, our elected "BIG BROTHER" reps in D.C. passed the Minimum Drinking Age Act taking that freedom away from all local governments.

16 years olds are considered adults in regards to drinking, marriage and consentual sex in many countries all over the world.

18 year olds can die in the armed services, be punished as an adult within the penal system and vote BUT not enjoy a beer or a glass of wine LEGALLY at home with their parents or at a local pub or sports bar. MY GOD, living and traveling in the States is WORSE than I realized.

Guess the only option is to promote MASS voter registration in every high school across the country when students turn 18 and encourage them to vote OUT such tyrants in D.C.

I was SO LUCKY, the year I turned 18 Iowa passed a law allowing 18 years to drink and a year later amended it to 19 when I turned 19.

I wouldn't use a phony I.D. in the States; it's just not worth the downside. I will add this issue to my Explore Philippines' website's best beach and Boracay pages as another promotion point to traveling the islands. There's no age limit enforced in the Philippines and the attitude is if you can afford to buy it then you're old enough.

[worldwidemike]

Originally posted by Sijuki@Mar 23 2004, 01:35 AM
Actually that would be your best bet.. to hit up a good college town and get yourself invited to a party.* Otherwise find some T-punker or somebody to hang out at their house.

-- Well, Posie, you are certainly welcome to visit Columbus, OH, which not only is a good college town, but you'd be welcome to hang out at my house. I'd throw a party for ya! And Sijuki would drive down from Detroit, and who knows? Crazy CD might even come down from Canada if his wife has family in Ohio.

Actually, since I'm due to close on my house April 20th, let me make that a standing offer for all TPers. I'll put you up if you come to Columbus. Who knows? Maybe I'll even fly you somewhere on a companion pass on my airline...

worldwidemike

[voyd]

^^ Yea, "Land of the Free," my *ss...

Problem is, with the drinking, people can be too irresponsible here about it - and couple that with the fact that the US is a car culture = drunk driving & bodycounts.

Thank you, Reggie Stephey. :greenguy:

Sadly, such low legal drinking ages are also testament to the reckless immaturity endemic in our culture, here. These 2 evils go hand-in-hand.

[Sijuki]

Those are very nice pictures Voyd...

Yeah, I like to go on road trips. I'd join ya mike.

No offense to anyone else, but Michigan also has good college towns.. particularly Ann Arbor and Lansing. But also Kalamazoo, and a few others.

[Posie]

Woah, cheers for all the tips and lovely offers guys!

It could fast turn into a big 'ol debate as to whether it's a good thing or not that in the UK you CAN (if you've got a nice enough ass) get served at a very young age - in Pubs and off liscences alike... I got first served when I was 15... hehehe! ...I think it's my height rather than my ass... hmmm

But yeah, so what would a 20 year old do out at night in the US? I'm thinking about hitting NYC and San Francisco, because I've been there before but not alone - so it eases a little scaredy cat like me into the whole swing of things...

xx

[ashpunk]

Sadly enough I think I beat out Kyle on the resident alchey I can drink with the best of the boys... Natty Ice tastes like crap but it has a higher alcohol content than more normal us beers. Actually because of that they wont sell it in Utah anymore. OK OK enough of that...

I'm only 21 so I've been dealing with this problem for a while now. Sucks to be underage... but there are a few possibilities for you.

-18+ clubs (they do exist..drink before)

-pool halls

-private parties (like the one I'll be throwing for you at my house... if you make it out to cali)

-Mexico!! Lol I've been offering this one to lots of people... I love Mexico... and the legal drinking age is 18. So no worries about a fake id. Actually I'm going to rosarito tomorrow! yay me! Only thing is be careful... even the police are criminals down there.

[AdamTheCultured]

Kyle J........HAHAHA.........I feel ya on the Natural Ice thing...Its cheap and it does the job, but definately don't reccommend it to a seasoned beer guzzler from the UK She'll think that American Beer is absolute Piss......

Drinking laws are strict, but there are also a lot of exceptions....I have definately had high school girls come out with me to a club and drink without being carded...But of course I am required to use my fake ID if i want to order anything at a club or bar.......its unfair.....oh well........Being a hotty definately does help girls drink underage though.....

[clemsam]

It definetly depends on where you are....I go to college in South Carolina and the bouncers are strict as hell. I had a fake id, but apparantly it's against the law in S.C. to take id's, so the worst that ever happened was that I just had to turn around and go home. Some places do let you in to bars/clubs as long as you're 18, you just can't drink if you're not 21. And not that I reccomend this, but it can be easy sometimes to get someone of age to buy you a drink, and you can chug it in the bathroom stall or something...NYC is a pretty leniant place, especially at restaurants, I guess they have bigger problems to worry about than a lil underage drinking. I'm speaking from my experiences though, so you never know. I'd reccomend drinking before you go out somewhere and you should be fine. It sucks to get your ID taken away, especially when ur on spring break like I was. Anyway, good luck!!