# Party time! or What did you do when you became legal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 29, 2000, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975 "2000-09-29T03:55:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/1 "2000-09-29T03:55:48Z")
Okay I was just wondering since my 18th birthday is coming up (well not until November but by then I might forget about posting this so now is as good a time as any) what did you do when you turned 18 (or became legal drinking age/adult)? Did you have fun? Go out with friends? Get drunk out of your mind? What? ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/2 "2000-09-29T04:12:39Z")
I didn’t do much of anything special, but I have to vent. Back in Saskatchewan, they lowered the drinking age to 18 a grand total of SIX DAYS before my 21st birthday! April 1, 1971. Great joke, eh? ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/3 "2000-09-29T04:14:27Z")
geez **Topaz** , where do you live? 18 years? i’ve been 18 years for almost exactly 2 years now and i’m still counting down the days to legalizing my alcoholism. so i don’t have any stories to share about my personal coming of age, but my advice to any aspiring underage drinkers out there is to _hang out with your friends on THEIR 21st birthdays!!_ one of my best friends turned 21 this summer, and he and i and several of our friends went into the city (“the city” san francisco) and bar-hopped… all it took to get our whole group drinks was his ID stating that it was his big day. only his were free, of course, but it was nice to be able to participate in the revelry for one day. to answer your questions, on the only 21st birthday i have experienced, i had tons of fun, went out with friends, and got drunk out of my mind. i was _wrecked_. anyway, good luck with your 18th… lucky dog. ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/4 "2000-09-29T04:20:37Z")
\ I went to an “adult store.” Just because I could. It was amusing… i walked around for a little while, marveled at the variety of sex toys, and left. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/5 "2000-09-29T04:22:00Z")
_grins_ I live in Edmonton, Alberta (formerly a resident of Calgary, Alberta) and since I just moved here I know like next to no one but I am gonna go out with my Aunt and probably my Grandma and Dad’s girlfriend as well… just a girls night out cruisin the casinos… I think maybe… my Aunt is planning something but its a surprise I just know its a surprise but not what it is _smiles_ ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/6 "2000-09-29T04:31:26Z")
Hey **TopazAntares**. I’m also in Edmonton. Nice to meet you. My 18th happened to fall on “3 for 1” Tuesday, so I got totally blasted. Plus, all 5 guys I was dating happened to show up at the bar that night, so I had good reason to keep drinking and keep my head down. Also, I had been a regular at that bar for the previous 6 months, so I lied and told them it was my 19th birthday. Oh, to be young and foolish again. Ha. You couldn’t pay me enough… ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/7 "2000-09-29T04:38:07Z")
I didn’t do anything that I became legal for on my 18th birthday because I’d already been doing it for at least a year (except for one thing that I didn’t do until several months subsequently). ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/8 "2000-09-29T04:51:11Z")
I turned 18 before the federal government managed to impose 21 as the drinking age on all the states, but my state (Pennsylvania) had it at 21 anyway. So I didn’t go out bar-hopping or anything on my 18th birthday. (On the other hand, I could get served in some bars when I was 16–still five years underage.) ---
**Author:** ![muffinman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@muffinman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muffinman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/9 "2000-09-29T05:13:41Z")
I started smoking. I’m great at being a complete idiot and doing it fully within the bounds of the law. Coming up on my 19th birthday on sunday. I think I’m gonna quit smoking. ---
**Author:** ![Bluemonchichi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Bluemonchichi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluemonchichi)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/10 "2000-09-29T07:06:27Z")
My 18th birthday was boring. But my 21st was great! I flew to CO to visit my mom. She drove me to Disneyland the day before my 21st b-day and then we drove to Las Vegas. I got to spend my 21st b-day in Vegas! 😃 It was so cool. My mom was a little surprised that I already knew what I liked to drink though. :eek: It is one birthday that I will never forget. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tatertot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/11 "2000-09-29T08:06:10Z")
I was legal (well maybe not legal, but practically speaking) my entire teenage years in Germany, so 18 wasn’t that big a deal. Just partied as usual. Then I moved to the States in college…oh the agony! We still drank, but it took some plotting and it was so annoying not being able to have wine when we ate out. When I finally turned 21, I was 7 months pregnant and only had half a glass of champagne. Made me giggly, though. And can you believe my husband, who was a few months younger than me, had me waddle into the liquor store and by his booze? I felt like everybody was staring and me and feeling sorry for poor unborn TinyTot. ---
**Author:** ![Torberg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ea924/32.png) [@Torberg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torberg)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/12 "2000-09-29T15:37:41Z")
Well, I turned 21 on Super Bowl Sunday a few years back. I can see some of you thinking, “WOW! PARTY TIME!” Not quite. I’m not a fan of pro sports, so I didn’t go to any Super Bowl parties. Instead, while most of the people I knew were at said parties, the guys I lived with and one or two others and I just hung out in our apartment for a quiet night. Was very nice. And yes, we did have the Super Bowl turned on…we were watching it for the commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/13 "2000-09-29T15:49:57Z")
I turned 18 in 1978 when I was a resident of the somewhat irritating state of Connecticut, which nonetheless allowed its subjects to start boozing with impunity at 18. Since it was 1978 and I was 18, I had already been smoking mountains of inexpensive marijuana for years, and I pretty well didn’t give a shit that I could drink liquor legally. Sometime in my 19th year I did develop a taste for gin martinis (they were rare animals in 1979, let me tell you), and also started keeping a fifth of bourbon around my room. Purely for social obligations; one bottle would last me a month or two. ---
**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/14 "2000-09-29T15:58:04Z")
When I turned 18, I took my dad out for a beer. ---
**Author:** ![Kiki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kiki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiki)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/15 "2000-09-29T16:01:10Z")
I moved out of my parent’s house on my 18th birthday. They told me I had to live with them until I turned 18 and wouldn’t let me leave any sooner! My 21st birthday sucked shit! I was dating the man I would marry, and 2 years later divorce, and he didn’t want to go to the bar because my old boyfriend’s band was playing there. So we went to Applebees and I had 2 Bahama Mama drinks and we went home. I had been getting into the bars and drinking since I was 17 so the novelty was worn off but I really wish I would have spent that night with my friends instead of with _the asshole_! Now, my 17th, 19th and 20th birthdays were a blast. I partied all night and had free drinks all night long. Those were the good old days! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/16 "2000-09-29T16:10:11Z")
I got my pilot’s license the day I turned 21. Never was much of a drinker anyway - alcohol puts me to sleep. I don’t recall any celebration - I was SOOOO boring back then - not the scintillating conversationalist I am today. _\_ ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/17 "2000-09-29T16:13:56Z")
Wow! You mean you could have celebrated your 21st birthday by legally flying drunk? ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/18 "2000-09-29T16:18:46Z")
Thanks to my disjointed university career, I bounced between legality and illegality for almost three years. I was born in 1973. Before 1992, living in PA (the state that’s scared of anything stronger than beer). Between 1992-93, living in Leeds, England (where you warm up for a night out with a dozen shots or so). Back to PA in 1993-94, missing Jack Daniels. Lived in Toronto, 1994-95, reacquainted with Jack Daniels. So, I guess I spent the two nights I “became” legal 1) flying over the Atlantic and 2) driving over the Canadian border. At least flying over the Atlantic _all the booze was free!!!_ ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/19 "2000-09-29T16:43:32Z")
At midnight when I turned 21(9/19/93), I walked to the row of bars across from campus, proceeded to buy drinks in a couple of them, went to the convenience store next door, bought 2 six packs of beer, and \*\* NEVER got carded \*\*. Really took some of the fun out of it. The following night,which was the actual night of my birthday, I think we went out & did some very minor partying. We kept it calm because I had a calculus test the following day. Yay. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975/20 "2000-09-29T16:55:00Z")
Well, I had a balloon tied to my thong and I took all my clothes off (except the thong) on stage while the Birthday song by the Beatles played and people came up and put cash in my waistband, until I had so many that I was given a pitcher to carry the money in. Then a cake was brought onto the stage and I blew out the candles while a couple hundred people clapped and hooted. Then I made the rounds of 5 more stages, gathering a total of around $600 while I danced. Wait. No… that was my 22nd birthday. My 21st birthday I didn’t really do anything special. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-time-or-what-did-you-do-when-you-became-legal/34975.md?page=2)