This just seems wrong to me...

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

http://shop.marvel.com/cat/Iron-Man/Glassware/

[The Baron]

Alan M. said:

The Baron said:

I was under the impression that drinking age was 21 nationwide.

The federal government has a law by which it withholds certain funds (infrastructure funding, I think) for any state that doesn't institute a 21-years-old age for the legal purchase of alcohol. So a state CAN be under 21, but they aren't going to be.

Additionally, the age of purchase and the age of drinking are different things. That's not regulated federally, so different states have different policies for what (if any) ramifications under-21s face for drinking alcohol, and most recognize an exception for at-home/family-provided drinking, religious observances, and etc. (According to Wikipedia, "14 states and the District of Columbia ban underage consumption outright, 19 states do not specifically ban underage consumption, and an additional 17 states have family member and/or location exceptions to their underage consumption laws.")

I was thinking about this the other day, as I got carded when I bought a beer at Yankee Stadium Friday night, and I don't kid myself that I look anywhere near 21, nor have done for quite some time.

As for my college years, we just got a senior to buy for us.

[Rich Lane]

In any event, I used to find the gift of a beer glass for graduation amusing. It is, however, a moot point; my school at least stopped the practice about a five years ago.

[The Baron]

Of course, once I was old enough, I never bought for no underages. One college summer, I worked in a factory (we packaged artificial saliva for people with drymouth disease) that was across the the street from a Blanchard's (a local chain of packies - that's "liquor stores" to you non-Bostonians). We would get out on Friday nights ten minutes before Blanchard's closed, and there was always a parade across the street, and tons of kids outside Blanchie's trying to get people to buy for them. I never did, not, I confess, out of any great public-mindedness, so much as for fear that there'd be undercover cops there waiting for someone to do just that.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

One of my favorite high school graduation gifts I received was pewter beer mug engraved with my name. I liked it so much, I bought one for each of my nephews (engraved with their respective names, Baron) when each of them graduated. I told them it was for root beer until the came of age.

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

The Baron said:

Of course, once I was old enough, I never bought for no underages. One college summer, I worked in a factory (we packaged artificial saliva for people with drymouth disease) that was across the the street from a Blanchard's (a local chain of packies - that's "liquor stores" to you non-Bostonians). We would get out on Friday nights ten minutes before Blanchard's closed, and there was always a parade across the street, and tons of kids outside Blanchie's trying to get people to buy for them. I never did, not, I confess, out of any great public-mindedness, so much as for fear that there'd be undercover cops there waiting for someone to do just that.

I would for my friends, sure, but I wouldn't have just for some random dude hanging around outside a liquor store. I was never asked to by anyone, but that I would not have done it.

[Rich Lane]

I never bought for underage kids per se, but when I was in my fraternity, the guys who were 21 picked up the kegs for everybody in the house, and once I got to that age myself, I confess to paying it forward.

No underage members were allowed to drive for the rest of the night, though, so I guess we did have some sense of responsibility.

Travis Herrick said:

The Baron said:

Of course, once I was old enough, I never bought for no underages. One college summer, I worked in a factory (we packaged artificial saliva for people with drymouth disease) that was across the the street from a Blanchard's (a local chain of packies - that's "liquor stores" to you non-Bostonians). We would get out on Friday nights ten minutes before Blanchard's closed, and there was always a parade across the street, and tons of kids outside Blanchie's trying to get people to buy for them. I never did, not, I confess, out of any great public-mindedness, so much as for fear that there'd be undercover cops there waiting for someone to do just that.

I would for my friends, sure, but I wouldn't have just for some random dude hanging around outside a liquor store. I was never asked to by anyone, but that I would not have done it.

[ClarkKent_DC]

Once or twice my dorm mates would ask me to help them out, and I would, even though I don't drink (and didn't then). They were on foot, so driving wasn't an issue.


Rich Lane said:

I never bought for underage kids per se, but when I was in my fraternity, the guys who were 21 picked up the kegs for everybody in the house, and once I got to that age myself, I confess to paying it forward.

No underage members were allowed to drive for the rest of the night, though, so I guess we did have some sense of responsibility.

Travis Herrick said:

The Baron said:

Of course, once I was old enough, I never bought for no underages. One college summer, I worked in a factory (we packaged artificial saliva for people with drymouth disease) that was across the the street from a Blanchard's (a local chain of packies - that's "liquor stores" to you non-Bostonians). We would get out on Friday nights ten minutes before Blanchard's closed, and there was always a parade across the street, and tons of kids outside Blanchie's trying to get people to buy for them. I never did, not, I confess, out of any great public-mindedness, so much as for fear that there'd be undercover cops there waiting for someone to do just that.

I would for my friends, sure, but I wouldn't have just for some random dude hanging around outside a liquor store. I was never asked to by anyone, but that I would not have done it.

[Dagwan]

Someone is burying the lede here.
The Baron said:

One college summer, I worked in a factory (we packaged artificial saliva for people with drymouth disease)

I didn't even know there was a drymouth disease.

---

"Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough." -Groucho Marx

Check out the Secret Headquarters (my store) website! It's a pretty lame website, but I did it myself, so tough noogies

Listen to WOXY.com, it's the future of rock-n-roll!

---

[The Baron]

Dagwan said:

Someone is burying the lede here.
The Baron said:

One college summer, I worked in a factory (we packaged artificial saliva for people with drymouth disease)

I didn't even know there was a drymouth disease.

---

"Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough." -Groucho Marx

Check out the Secret Headquarters (my store) website! It's a pretty lame website, but I did it myself, so tough noogies

Listen to WOXY.com, it's the future of rock-n-roll!

---

Well, maybe there isn't as such - but I do know that there are people whose salivary glands fail for some reason, and they had to use the artificial stuff in order to be able to eat.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

Sjögren's (or sicca) syndrome results in severe dry mouth...really dryness of all of the mucous membranes...some other conditions and medications can result in the same problem...

[Ron M.]

There's something wrong with being considered old enough to get shot at three years before you can drink.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Revised Patti Smith:

"Sixteen and time to pay off
I got this job in a spit factory inspecting pipe
Forty hours, thirty-six dollars a week
But it's a paycheck, Jack."

ETA: Holy cow, I didn't realize how old this thread was!