PSA to parents of college kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We know. And don’t care.

+1
I had one.
My HS senior has one.
Let them live.

FTR: I’m not saying to try to crack down on them. You can’t.

I’m suggesting you have a conversation about the fact that many bars aren’t as lax as those in college towns, so don’t assume you can use the fake ID anywhere.

I’m also suggesting you tell your kid to let you know if they ever receive a written warning, citation, fine, court date, etc. Why? Primarily so you can make sure their record is clear.

Thanks for the PSA--it's a good point even if people don't really seem to get it. Especially in the DMV where a lot of our kids may work with the government and government contractors and need security clearances.

[Anonymous]

A DC bouncer told my DC that they knew their ID wasn't real and that they needed to pay them $10 to get in. They did this with all of their friends too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The drinking age should really be 18.

I grew up in Arizona. They lowered the drinking age to 19 in 1972 due to the argument "if you can be drafted to fight in Vietnam, you should be allowed to drink." There followed ten years of significant increase in traffic accidents and resulting deaths, and as a result they raised it back to 21 in 1985. Many other states raised their drinking age in the 1980s for the same reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A DC bouncer told my DC that they knew their ID wasn't real and that they needed to pay them $10 to get in. They did this with all of their friends too.

Okay.

That’s one bouncer at one bar.

The point is some places have cops waiting in the wings.

Sometimes the cops just show up en masse and essentially lock the building down so they can check everyone individually.

And sometimes they chase you down and arrest you if you try to walk away when the people in line ahead of you are getting busted.

Just talk to your kids. Or don’t.

My kid actually enjoyed their 4 hours of community service. It was a good lesson.

But I’m checking to make sure their record is clear 90 days after the last court date.

I know two families who had zero clue about their students’ issues until it came time to sit for the bar and for a government security clearance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never had a fake ID. My student will barely be allowed off campus.

Who is "allowing" your adult student's movements on and off campus?

The school itself.

Let me guess.

A Service Academy.

Just remember, even they are good at improvise, adapt, and overcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The drinking age should really be 18.

It was when I was 18, for beer and wine.

And when we traveled to Florida for Spring Break, we could drink hard liquor, too!

Are you in your 60s?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The drinking age should really be 18.

I grew up in Arizona. They lowered the drinking age to 19 in 1972 due to the argument "if you can be drafted to fight in Vietnam, you should be allowed to drink." There followed ten years of significant increase in traffic accidents and resulting deaths, and as a result they raised it back to 21 in 1985. Many other states raised their drinking age in the 1980s for the same reason.

Weren't all states required to raise it to 21 around 1984 or so--or they would lose some type of funding?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The drinking age should really be 18.

I grew up in Arizona. They lowered the drinking age to 19 in 1972 due to the argument "if you can be drafted to fight in Vietnam, you should be allowed to drink." There followed ten years of significant increase in traffic accidents and resulting deaths, and as a result they raised it back to 21 in 1985. Many other states raised their drinking age in the 1980s for the same reason.

This was all pre-Uber

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never had a fake ID. My student will barely be allowed off campus.

Who is "allowing" your adult student's movements on and off campus?

The school itself.

Let me guess.

A Service Academy.

Just remember, even they are good at improvise, adapt, and overcome.

Ha ha! My college freshman met her Navy sophomore boyfriend at Mr. Smith's. 18 and 19.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A DC bouncer told my DC that they knew their ID wasn't real and that they needed to pay them $10 to get in. They did this with all of their friends too.

I was thinking that the bouncers at bars in Bethesda must wonder why there are so many out of state patrons over the Thanksgiving weekend and around Christmas!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid has a fake ID or will soon get one.

College towns typically have bars and restaurants that don’t ask questions when it comes to fake IDs. They also have bars and restaurants that take a hardline and turn kids away at the door.

Kids figure out pretty quickly where they can go and where they must avoid.

Cops in college towns are typically pretty lax: they tend to confiscate the fake ID and give them a warning. Sometimes they issue a citation that leads to community service.

Here’s the PSA: kids get accustomed to easily using their fake ID since there aren’t real consequences in their college town…and they try to use them elsewhere like DC, Ocean City, a casino, etc. and there are real consequences because the cops aren’t lenient.

Talk to your kids about this.

PS - I know you think your snowflake would never have a fake ID, but trust me even the bookish kids have them. They are so easy to get online or through a trusted local source.

Yes, and didn't we all have fake ones too back in the day? 1991 college grad, and I had a fake ID, as did all my friends

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A DC bouncer told my DC that they knew their ID wasn't real and that they needed to pay them $10 to get in. They did this with all of their friends too.

Okay.

That’s one bouncer at one bar.

The point is some places have cops waiting in the wings.

Sometimes the cops just show up en masse and essentially lock the building down so they can check everyone individually.

And sometimes they chase you down and arrest you if you try to walk away when the people in line ahead of you are getting busted.

Just talk to your kids. Or don’t.

My kid actually enjoyed their 4 hours of community service. It was a good lesson.

But I’m checking to make sure their record is clear 90 days after the last court date.

I know two families who had zero clue about their students’ issues until it came time to sit for the bar and for a government security clearance.

So, is it the possession of the fake ID that is getting kids in "more" trouble, or the fact they were caught underage in a bar?

I would imagine that if busted in a bar one would say they just managed to sneak past the door person vs. own up to possession of a fake ID.

[Anonymous]

You are concerned about the wrong things OP.

The law that raised the drinking age to 21 has been very rigorously evaluated, and it has saved the lives of thousands and thousands of kids.

Whether that is intuitive to you or not, it has been proven without a doubt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never had a fake ID. My student will barely be allowed off campus.

I think you're projecting a bit.

I didn't think colleges allowed parents to live in the dorms with their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid has a fake ID or will soon get one.

College towns typically have bars and restaurants that don’t ask questions when it comes to fake IDs. They also have bars and restaurants that take a hardline and turn kids away at the door.

Kids figure out pretty quickly where they can go and where they must avoid.

Cops in college towns are typically pretty lax: they tend to confiscate the fake ID and give them a warning. Sometimes they issue a citation that leads to community service.

Here’s the PSA: kids get accustomed to easily using their fake ID since there aren’t real consequences in their college town…and they try to use them elsewhere like DC, Ocean City, a casino, etc. and there are real consequences because the cops aren’t lenient.

Talk to your kids about this.

PS - I know you think your snowflake would never have a fake ID, but trust me even the bookish kids have them. They are so easy to get online or through a trusted local source.

Yes, and didn't we all have fake ones too back in the day? 1991 college grad, and I had a fake ID, as did all my friends

I wish! I wouldn't know where to get one, but I definitely would have bought one.