Our age limits for stuff are so incongruous! Drive a car at 16 (15 in some cases), buy cigarettes and military-grade killing machines at 18, alcohol at 21. Want to rent a car? 25!
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Always felt I was a late starter amongst my friends here in Oxford, when I bought my first point in a pub
I was 17…
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My buddy owned a restaurant right on the Square. When I’d visit from Chicago it was always Genna’s or the Tornado Room after service and it was never an easy night.
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Go to war at 17…
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As in the classic, “if drinking and driving is bad, then why do bars have parking lots,” America has a fundamentally irrational relationship with alcohol
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That was just Friday night back in the day. When the drinking age was 18.
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These are truly “nanny state” laws, where idiots who can’t parent spawn irresponsible kids that ultimately result in the state taking draconian action.
It shouldn’t be the job of a barkeep to be a surrogate parent to stupid kids. If the state wants to nanny them, the state can bloody well post an inspector at the door. And if they can’t afford all the inspectors that would take? Not anyone’s problem except the state’s.
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Same thing in Ireland. Went on a weekend excursion to Ireland and me and this other guy were the only 25 year olds out of the 6 of us going. Was fun learning to acclimate to driving stick in a RHD (plus first go was at night and in the rain). Iirc the other 25+ year old wasn’t either that good on a manual or had never driven one… plus he also forgot which side of the road he was supposed to be on. Found out that the local cops arrest Americans when they inevitably to crash.
Fun times
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Well, since “the state” has granted those “barkeeps” a license to print money via their de facto monopoly on public drinking, which is illegal everywhere except a licensed “bar,” perhaps “the state” is already way up in their business and it’s a little late to start complaining about it 
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What we really need is Responsible Beverage Service legislation, training, and certification. 
Though I guess this story sort of makes a good case for it.
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Fun fact: if your car is in an accident and it’s the other driver’s fault, Geico will allow an under-25yo to rent a car through their subsidiary while the car is being repaired.
Literally a TIL, from a friend who mentioned it happened to her son a few days ago. (He’s fine, but his car isn’t. Other driver was given the ticket.)
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No, it’s always the “breeders” fault for making the decision to have kids… sorry… “spawn”, since children are really humans, after all… /s
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Some people really shouldn’t have kids.
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Oh, the irony!
Wisconsin was the first American state to pass a minimum drinking age in 1839. It prevented the sale of wine or liquor to anyone under 18 without parental consent.
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Wisconsin was one of the last 2 states to raise the age to 21, though. [added] Weird times when my cousin couldn’t drink in a civilian bar, but he could on base.
[Not to get all pedantic on you, but letting this go is going to make me insane - residents are Wisconsinites.]
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Our problem is also an extreme classist disdain for working public transportation systems.
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Thank you!
I tried “Wisconsinians” then “”wisconsonans,” then something else. I couldn’t find a version that didn’t give me the red squiggle, but didn’t look it up. 
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There are some fun ones: Illinoisans springs to mind for obvious reasons – pronounced “Illi-noy-ans” – and Utahns.
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Could be worse, as you well know, my very dear.
I was once asked at a party, “Which do you prefer, Chris? ‘Michigander’ or ‘Michiganian’?”
I vehemently replied, “Michigan resident!”
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