21 Years of Age

[pmcd9]

21 is the legal drinking age in the United States.  This suddenly struck me as absurd and I felt the need to share it with you.  I guess I need a blog or something.

[KeithHernandez]

I think we should get everything (cigs, drivers license, alcohol, vote, etc.) at 18.  Maybe move driving back to like 22 and have alcohol at 18.  Driving is more dangerous than alcohol, people.

[Asherdan]

The only time that 21 thing ever bothered me was the day I graduated high school and went down to the post office and turned in my selctive service card.

I remedied that by going down to my friendly booze merchant, buying a 12 pack and drinking until I puked paisley.

What makes these age barrier deals tough is whether it's booze, cars or training as a kill-bot folks all have different maturity levels that make trying to draw a hard line in the sand a bullshit exercise. Some are ready early and some ain't never gonna be.

[jaydub]

I think we should get everything (cigs, drivers license, alcohol, vote, etc.) at 18.  Maybe move driving back to like 22 and have alcohol at 18.  Driving is more dangerous than alcohol, people.

QFMFT

Whether it was booze or pot - the first few years after I started doing them, I did them way too much.  Better to get that silliness out of the way before putting me behind the wheel.  Fortunately, my peer group was broadly inclusive of ages and degrees of indulgence (and really disapproving of driving while impaired - ostracism was not unknown).  Having a designated driver was pretty easy to do - and having an age-of buddy was useful in all circumstances.

[side_show]

Ha!  It would be so hilarious if Canadians couldn't drink 'til 21.  I we like to abide by the law, and we like beer.  We would all be so conflicted!

Yeah.  That shit totally needs to change.  I don't get it.  I thought there were some states where it was 18 though... or am I wrong?

[Asherdan]

That's been standardized since a decade back the Feds threatened to withold highway funds from states who didn't toe the 21 line. Most (like Arizona) grandfathered the 18 -> 20 year olds and made it mandatory 21 for those under the current law.

Speaking of rule abiding Canadians, I get Smells joke because the first time driving through Canadialand I found out the hard way that yellow means slow down and prepare to stop going into a light. The effects of 'Merican stomp the gas and beat the yellow conditioning were nearly tragic.

[Teatime]

I am in definite agreement. 21 is a totally arbitrary number. Maybe 18 is not right, on account of I can see why people don't want high school students drinking (an idea that totally ignores the ease with which an enterprising high school student can acquire alcohol), but later than 19 makes absolutely no sense to me.

[wombat]

Perhaps you should get drinking privileges when you earn your high school diploma.  It would certainly raise the graduation rate.

[Asherdan]

I like that idea wombat but we're not exactly in a social structure that rewards achievement with priviledges.

So unfair!

[theinevitable]

I am 18. I will be 19 soon, but that doesn't help very much.

[Clotho]

Move to Australia? I don't understand your age restrictions, I turned eighteen in my last year of highschool and havent stopped drinking since.

[pmcd9]

For me personally the point is moot.  I'm way past 21 and I don't drink anymore besides, but I would love to move to Australia.

[Lister]

Licensing alcohol use is an interesting idea.  It really would be the best solution, allowing maturity and readiness to govern the privilege rather than an arbitrary number of days you have been alive.  Imagine getting points on your drinking license every time you're thrown out of a bar or punch some stranger at a concert.  Might make the world a neater place.

Now I'm just imagining the written portion of the test...

You have been drinking beer all night, but a friend encourages you to buy a round of tequila shots for last call.  What is the correct response?
A) Buy a round of what you've been having
B) Call him/her a cab and settle your bar tab
C) Buy your round and drink up
D) Refuse, question his/her parentage, and vomit on a stranger

[Doc]

I can't even comprehend the 21 thing, most people I knew in highschool drank at least occasionally before they were 18. The concept that a law like this stands up for more than 5 seconds after someone has moved out of their parents house and gone to college is pure madness.
What's driving age over there anyway? Over here you can get a learner's permit at 16 and 6 months and you need to hold that for at least 6 months before you can go for your test. So you ideally you can drive a year before you can drink.

[Asherdan]

15 and 6 for permit, 16 for limited license (may vary by state) 18 for full priviledge.

That licensing deal above is friggin' hilarious.