Underage teen caught drinking thrown off Oasis 6/4

[Scotsnomad]

My mom is British, no wonder my youngest comes home and my mom says that she was "so well behaved" -- maybe my mum is knocking her out with a wee pint. :p

(yes, I am kidding ;) I am in no way assuming that my darling mother is feeding my child alcohol)

 

Drat and here was me thinking of asking for a call round to your mums !!! lol...:D:D:D:D

[kathyemma]

Legal age for drinking alcohol at home

 

The legal age for drinking in one's home is 5 provided parental consent is given. Children under 5 must not be given alcohol unless under medical supervision in an emergency.

 

HAHAHAHA! I wonder what kind of medical emergency would warrant a toddler to have a beer? :D

 

My mom is British, no wonder my youngest comes home and my mom says that she was "so well behaved" -- maybe my mum is knocking her out with a wee pint. :p

 

 

(yes, I am kidding ;) I am in no way assuming that my darling mother is feeding my child alcohol)

 

my dd was about 7 at the time - my mom always has a gin and tonic at night during the summer. my dd has taken many a sip from her gin and tonic thinking it was water. (and she hates it!) one day we were going from my moms house to soccer practice. i asked my mom to fix a water bottle for my dd. my mom did and off we went. half way thru practice my dd takes a big drink from her water bottle and then yells to me as loud as she can, "Mom, this isn't water, it's GIN!" I was mortified. I went over to get her bottle - turned out my mom put tonic water in her bottle, not regular water and thankfully not gin. of course at this point every parent is staring at me. i had to explain to everyone that it was tonic water.

[crusinmama06]

"Mom, this isn't water, it's GIN!" I was mortified. i had to explain to everyone that it was tonic water.

 

HAHAHAHA!

 

Ohhhh yeah! Out of the mouthes of babes! :o:o:o

[GAPeach68]

We just sailed FOS. I ordered a drink one night then quickly realized that my husband had my seapass and had gone to the restroom. Because my 13 yr. old son is on our account, I jokingly said "My son can buy my drink" and handed her his card. She laughed at me and said "Do you want me thrown off this ship?" She said they would send her home the very next day if she allowed a minor to put an alcoholic beverage on their seapass even if it was for an adult. No big deal. They are very strict, and I like it!

[Scottee25]

I could not imagine a 14 year old drinking. Something has to be said for the parenting (or lack there of) with a situation like that.

 

I can. Not sure about what types of things you did at 14, but I can recall those years. Roughly 25 years ago, but even then, 14 year olds would drink when they could get their hands on it. I had gotten drunk by 14 and I was considered a good kid. Never had sleepovers and whatnot with friends where you all piled into the basement of someone's house? Parents could only check on you for so long... eventually they go to sleep. We never got into trouble while being drunk, but yeah, we did it. I can't help but feel that so many people forget about what they did themselves in their youth.

[Scottee25]

And you Americans are always shocked when you come here to Spain, go into McDonalds, and see beer being served as if it were Coca Cola. That's just the cultural difference, nothing more.

 

Personally, I enjoyed having a vending machine in the hotels in Germany where I could get a cold beer if I wanted one. The thing to remember is that America was founded by prudes and their mindset is still alive and well to this day!

[Aquahound]

nevermind

[bigeagle12]

nevermind

 

You should have left it :D

[Sequim88]

I wonder what kind of medical emergency would warrant a toddler to have a beer?

 

Ethanol (booze) is antidotal for ingestion of anti-freeze (Elthylene Glycol). It binds to the alcohol dehydrogenase preventing it from doing damage. While usually administered via IV in a pinch vodka or gin by mouth - beer would be too weak.

 

As for the family splitting up - sounds like there were at least five so likely two cabins. Also one adult non-custodial female - not responsible unless proven supplier - so may have been a factor too. But straw that broke the back was probably the father's reaction.

[Mark_K]

Personally, I enjoyed having a vending machine in the hotels in Germany where I could get a cold beer if I wanted one. The thing to remember is that America was founded by prudes and their mindset is still alive and well to this day!

It's not just Germany, the fraternity house where I lived had one too, it was a real money maker. (Quite likely illegal too, but that's another story.)

[traveling1969]

If I'm reading the story correctly, people where thrown off the ship for abusing the staff. The penatly for underage drinking was being confined to room... in this case a suite.

No, you are not reading it correctly. The underage drinker was indeed confined to a suite but as noted, it was the last night. Had there been another port of call, that person may also have been "thrown of the ship" but since there was no other port of call, the offender was confined to their room. What would you have done? Thrown the underage drinker over the side:confused:

[uksimonusa]

Im sorry to say but this is a situation that is wide spread in the UK (Underaged drinking), whether blame is down to social barriers, economics or family discipline its a sorry reflection of todays modern society

 

rgds :)

 

Underage drinking is wide spread in the UK???

 

It is legal to drink alcohol at age 5 in the UK, in private, 16 year olds are allowed to drink in a resturant, pub etc, as long as it is with a sit down meal, although an adult has to order the alcohol in England and Wales, not Scotland. The legal age to purchase alcohol in the UK is 18.

 

Is there really widespread drinking by children under 5 in the UK?

[MikeNJ1109]

I can. Not sure about what types of things you did at 14, but I can recall those years. Roughly 25 years ago, but even then, 14 year olds would drink when they could get their hands on it. I had gotten drunk by 14 and I was considered a good kid. Never had sleepovers and whatnot with friends where you all piled into the basement of someone's house? Parents could only check on you for so long... eventually they go to sleep. We never got into trouble while being drunk, but yeah, we did it. I can't help but feel that so many people forget about what they did themselves in their youth.

 

I'm pushing 50 and also remember doing the beer thing when I was in my early to mid teens. As for the parents, there wasn't the same sense of liability back in the 70's as there is now ... not that you "couldn't" get sued at the drop of a hat, but it was more the embarrasment of having the police come to break up a loud party that was the deterrent, *NOT* the thought of getting sued.

 

Michael

[crusinmama06]

Ethanol (booze) is antidotal for ingestion of anti-freeze (Elthylene Glycol). It binds to the alcohol dehydrogenase preventing it from doing damage. While usually administered via IV in a pinch vodka or gin by mouth - beer would be too weak.

 

Ooohhh! Thanks! :D

 

That makes sense. :)

[kpatrick74]

Then things started changing and you folks in the States started to feel that it was okay for an 18-year old to be killed while fighting a war, but had to wait now until age 21 to drink.

 

And at the same time in Europe, we unified our drinking laws at least in the EU and raised the bar to age 18 across Europe.

 

Also, as others have already hinted, there are always three sides to every story -- I would like to hear the other side, and also the middle ground.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

I agree with your way of thinking and I am a proud "folk in the States". For the life of me I have never understood why they changed it other than some teens at 18 aren't mature enough to understand/handle the effects of alcohol. But, are they "mature enough" to play the lottery, buy tobacco, and fight in wars which we allow at 18.........hmm........but in reality, are 21 year old's (or anyone for that matter) "mature enough" to handle alcohol.....not always.

 

would love to hear the rest of the story.

[Single Cruiser]

Underage drinking is wide spread in the UK???

 

 

 

Is there really widespread drinking by children under 5 in the UK?

 

 

So that's what they put in Calpol! alcohol! :D

[dajulieness]

Ethanol (booze) is antidotal for ingestion of anti-freeze (Elthylene Glycol). It binds to the alcohol dehydrogenase preventing it from doing damage. While usually administered via IV in a pinch vodka or gin by mouth - beer would be too weak.

 

As for the family splitting up - sounds like there were at least five so likely two cabins. Also one adult non-custodial female - not responsible unless proven supplier - so may have been a factor too. But straw that broke the back was probably the father's reaction.

 

I'm glad I remember one thing from chemistry.

[CaptData]

In Canada depending on province, drinking is allowed at 18 or 19. We almost made the mistake on board ship once with the group I was with. We thought it was 18 too. When it was explained that it was 21 we agreed to follol that rule. I told them befor we left that it was 21 but many said that that only appled while wde wer in the states. I won the bet we set up for it.

[mjldvlks]

. . . For 75% of the 20th century it was considered fine and legal in the United States for 18 year olds to drink. . .

 

Not really [and not that it really matters much, but in the interest of accuracy and my obsessive compulsive nature]. There was generally no minimum prior to prohibition in 1920. [Keep in mind that in the US, the law can vary wildly from state to state -- federal imposition of mandatory laws is relatively rare (I said reltively)]. While the minimum age varied from place to place and state to state. The general minimum was 21 from the repeal of prohibition in 1933 to the early 70's. Some states or certain areas within states remained [and some remain to this day] "dry" after the repeal of prohibition. At that time, many [probably most] states reduced the minimum to 18 in recognition of the fact that the voting age was lowered by constitutional amendment to 18 at about the same time. Having been 18 at about that time, I was very interested in the issue. [For some reason, my interest and concern waned about the time I turned 21] Another rallying cry of those seeking to lower the age was, as you say, the fact that 18 year olds could be drafted. Of course 17 year olds could serve and lowering the age to 17 was never seriously discussed. In 1984, with the support of pretty clear statistical evidence, the federal government said if you don't raise the age to 21, you won't get any federal money for highway construction and maintenance. Surprisingly, every state complied. So the bottom line is that, except for 1900-20 and 1973 or so to 1984 or so, (about 65-70% of the century) the minimum drinking age was been (at least generally) 21. And now moving into my late 50s, I am fine with that.

 

Also, as others have already hinted, there are always three sides to every story -- I would like to hear the other side, and also the middle ground.

At least two.

[janetz]

A parent may need to escort them off the ship, but a 17 year old can fly by themselves, even internationally, so there's no reason the adult couldn't rejoin the ship if they so chose and made appropriate arrangements for the child.

 

 

We had a 17 year old taken off the ship in St.Marten, by staff and taken to the airport. No parents. He was the guest of his friends family.

[Tucker in Texas]

Reading these posts reminded me of two stories.

 

1) Every Sunday, my parents would go to the in-laws for afternoon happy hour. They would drink Gin and Tom Collins mix. They would give me the Tom Collins mix as my special drink. I developed a great taste for it.

 

When I went to college, I would buy bottles of it. We were not allowed within a country mile of alcohol being as it was a girls school out in the sticks of Georgia. The school was convinced I had some gin/vodka to mix with it and would toss the room looking for it at various times. After about the fifth time this happened, my roommate told me to find something else to drink or find another roommate, she was tired of the room/drawers being searched. I switched to plain ole Coke and probably haven't had a glass of Tom Collins since then (lol).

 

1) On one of our earlier cruises on the now defunct Commodore Cruise Line, we cruised with our 14 year old son. While the boy was big for his age, he didn't look near 21 with his baby face. Maybe that was when 18 year olds could buy, I estimate it was around 1982.

 

A day or two into the cruise, my husband noticed that his card had a hole punched in it but mine and my son's did not. Finally curiosity got the best of him and he went to Guest Relations and asked why his card had a hole punched in it. They gave him a funny look and said it meant he could not buy alcohol. Was he an alcoholic? Medical problem? He immediately knew what the problem was, his and our son's first names are the same with different middle names and they had mixed the cards up during check-in. They told him to come down to the desk with son and they would straighten it out. Husband is not a drinker and really didn't care but laughed his son would have to buy his beer. In the meantime, I had sent son to the bar a couple of times for a bourbon and water which was sold to him with no questions.

 

Tucker in Texas

[Ocean Boy]

A parent may need to escort them off the ship, but a 17 year old can fly by themselves, even internationally, so there's no reason the adult couldn't rejoin the ship if they so chose and made appropriate arrangements for the child.

 

Considering the kid's actions on the ship I don't think I'd be very comfortable putting him on an international flight home and having him go it alone. I'd be on the plane with him making him miserable every minute of the way home.

[foxesden1]

I can. Not sure about what types of things you did at 14, but I can recall those years. Roughly 25 years ago, but even then, 14 year olds would drink when they could get their hands on it. I had gotten drunk by 14 and I was considered a good kid. Never had sleepovers and whatnot with friends where you all piled into the basement of someone's house? Parents could only check on you for so long... eventually they go to sleep. We never got into trouble while being drunk, but yeah, we did it. I can't help but feel that so many people forget about what they did themselves in their youth.

 

I was thinking the same thing.

 

I also have a five year old, and in Europe, many children are given a small glass of watered down wine with dinner.

 

not a big deal

[foxesden1]

We had a 17 year old taken off the ship in St.Marten, by staff and taken to the airport. No parents. He was the guest of his friends family.

 

WOW. Not sure what he did to get tossed off but good for the family for staying on with their vacation. I am guessing that kid got a whopping when he got hom.. ;) and in most cases, he may not be allowed over again! :eek:

[bajathree]

The staff is actually required to report if they see a parent offering or buying their underage kid alcohol.....if they are found looking the other way or ignoring it, it's their job at jeopardy.