So THAT'S How Big Ben Feels

[Greenday]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...isberger-case/ - The specific story I'm relating to. If you want to debate one of his other shenanigans or about how he's a douchebag, go start your own thread.

I'm in New Zealand right now. Drinking age is 18. I'm 23, almost 24, so back home, I'm pretty good at guessing who is at least 21 and who isn't. But 18 year olds look so young that I'm no good at picking who is at least 18.

I've been regularly going to this local bar and lately I've been chatting up this one girl. She looks like she could be the identical twin of a friend back home who turned 21 in August. My friend is 21, but she probably will get IDed for movies that are rated R for years to come. She looks extremely young for her age. So I figured it was kinda the same deal with this girl I've been talking to. Maybe she isn't 21 but she has to be at LEAST 18. Was going to buy her a drink when another friend I made who works at the bar stopped me and told me it wasn't a good idea. She said that the girl "couldn't drink" and couldn't say why. Well, the girl isn't driving, wasn't drunk at all, definitely wasn't pregnant. When I ask is it because of her age, I just kinda get a smirk and that's when it hit me that she's not even 18.

I get that the age of consent here is only 16 and there's no way in hell she isn't at least 16. But to find out that the girl who I've been flirting back and forth with isn't 18 kinda freaks me out. I fell for the same crap Big Ben fell for: If they are in the bar, they are at least the drinking age. It's their job to make sure those there are of legal drinking age, not me. And drinking aside, while I think America's age of consent laws are pretty God awful, I don't even know if I'd want to hook up with someone 17 or 16. I don't care that she's clearly not some innocent kid (She has no problem showing her goods or grabbing a guy's junk to make them miss a shot in pool), I just feel...tricked and deceived.

[Ginger Tea]

Some venue's really didn't care about age during the 90's when I lived oop norf, hell one guy I know had a freind who was under 18 regularly go to a rock club, iir she didn't drink and had a similar aged BF (so my friend wasn't trying anything on TYVM) but finding out more than 10 regular girls are under legal drinking age and some just barely legal sexually, kinda puts you off even making eye contact with someone without asking for their ID.

If you are in an (alleged) age restricted environment, you shouldn't have to second guess every young girl who mgiht be your age, if you do a trainspotting and end up in bed with a school girl after pulling her in a club, then you should have legal recourse against the door staff for allowing you to be put into a sistuation that could land you on a sex offenders register.
Sadly iir in the UK atleast, the onus is on us to think with our brains and not our dicks, but if weve been drinking, what the fuck else do you think will happen?

[Greenday]

Sadly iir in the UK atleast, the onus is on us to think with our brains and not our dicks, but if weve been drinking, what the fuck else do you think will happen?

Even if you haven't been drinking, expecting the bar to do it's job and have the bouncers not let underage people in makes a lot of sense.

[Ginger Tea]

I noticed in the original link, that the venue in question ran a wristband method, TBH I've only encountered this once in all my life and that was because a music venue had a band on that was made up of 6th formers and their mates obviously wanted to see them play, so the venue issued wristbands to those over 18 and were a bit more proactive on taking pints off anyone without a wristband, even 30 year olds.
Yes even 30 year olds, if you didn't ask for a wrist band you could not get served even if you were obviously well over the legal age.

[jackfaire]

It's funny I was actually thinking about this the other day. Honestly if an underage girl is in a bar of her own volition and her and a guy hook up then the guy should be immune from any and all sex offense charges, if the hookup was mutual, on the basis that there is a reasonable expectation that she be of age.

I am sorry it is not reasonable to start making everyone use the pick up line, "Can I see some ID"

[Andara Bledin]

I feel for the same crap Big Ben fell for: If they are in the bar, they are at least the drinking age. It's their job to make sure those there are of legal drinking age, not me.

Well, except for the fact that the article has an update noting that the bar is a college bar, and thus is mixed ages, with wristbands for those who are old enough to drink, so anyone without a wristband would have been on the "do not buy drinks for" list.

I've been to a lot of clubs that do the wristband thing, and it's really easy to spot who has one and who doesn't, as more often than not, they're bright day-glo colors to help the staff catch underage drinkers and they must be worn on a specific wrist, and they're put on by staff to ensure that they aren't so loose that they can be slipped out of.

Considering that the club in question is in the US, it's fairly likely that they use the same or very similar system, as it works quite well.

^-.-^

[Nyoibo]

In Aus and NZ I think, you don't have to be over age to be in a bar, you just can't drink.

[Greenday]

In Aus and NZ I think, you don't have to be over age to be in a bar, you just can't drink.

I was told by a friend who worked there that they aren't allowed to have anyone under 18.

[Nyoibo]

Varies by state and town.

[BlaqueKatt]

I am sorry it is not reasonable to start making everyone use the pick up line, "Can I see some ID"

even that wouldn't work, as they obviously have a fake to even get in and be served.

[Greenday]

even that wouldn't work, as they obviously have a fake to even get in and be served.

Who needs a fake when you are friends with all the bouncers and bartenders.

She was back tonight. She was also being served. I am really freaking confused. I'm also relatively hammered but I think that's besides the point.

[BlaqueKatt]

Who needs a fake when you are friends with all the bouncers and bartenders.

She was back tonight. She was also being served. I am really freaking confused. I'm also relatively hammered but I think that's besides the point.

personally I've called the police on stuff like that, a decent fine usually reminds the patron's "friends" it's not worth it.

[Greenday]

personally I've called the police on stuff like that, a decent fine usually reminds the patron's "friends" it's not worth it.

I just don't see the point. She doesn't get trashed. She doesn't drive. I've never felt so safe walking around alone at night in my life (she has a block walk on a very busy street that's well lit). I don't think it's worth getting people fired over.

[Silverharp]

I got that once, about 10 years back I was having some fun, got a little too touchy feely (I was definetly in the wrong here, didn't get express permission) and got tossed from the club because the girl was only 16. I FREAKED when I found out. She was one of the bouncers daughter and he had here there with him many nights rather than her being alone at home.
I explained the situatin, apologized and given my clean track record was told to come back in a few months, but I still needed a rape shower after that...

[BlaqueKatt]

I don't think it's worth getting people fired over.

until something happens to her or someone else......them letting her in almost got you thrown in jail, but I guess since it wasn't you the next guy can go to jail and everything will be just peachy right?

My husband was overserved at a bar known for doing it, no one said or did a damn thing, my husband almost died*, once I reported it I got tons of "oh yeah that happened to 54656096 other people too." Because no one would stand up and do the right thing because it was "just overserving", it was breaking the law, and they deserved to be fired over it.


*seriously I had to pick him up off the floor and hold him over the toilet while on the phone with 911 because he was continuing to vomit while unconscious.