# People lying about their 21st birthday just to get free drinks **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 6, 2024, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242 "2024-12-06T03:59:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242/21 "2024-12-08T13:35:37Z")
Are you talking about bars or clubs? Because I’ve never been to a bar that carded people at the door or even prohibited entry to people under 21. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2024, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242/22 "2024-12-08T14:43:19Z")
I have seen people being carded at the door of a bar (not a club with bands playing). Two I can think of were a bar in Denton, TX (a college town) that regularly did this, and a bar in Deep Ellum (I’ve only seen that on weekend nights, there). ---
**Author:** ![sta3535](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@sta3535](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sta3535)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242/23 "2024-12-12T03:33:10Z")
Both bars and clubs It must be location based since every bar that I’ve been to (so far) has carded everyone at the door or inside before entry. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242/24 "2024-12-12T04:04:56Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > That’s odd. My first legal drink was at a bar around the corner from my house. I went in at the stroke of midnight on my real 21st birthday. I showed the bartender my ID and I got free drinks on the house all night which for me was only a couple of shots of tequila but still. Everyone I knew celebrated at midnight the same way. Of course different times, jurisdictions and bars have different rules. Yep. Here’s the state statute in Minnesota. No midnight partying for you! > [@](#): > > Attainment of age. With respect to purchasing, possessing, consuming, selling, furnishing, and serving alcoholic beverages, a person is not 21 years of age until 8:00 a.m. on the day of that person’s 21st birthday. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242/25 "2024-12-12T14:54:18Z")
> [@sta3535](#): > > every bar that I’ve been to (so far) has carded everyone at the door or inside before entry. You need to visit a few working-man’s bars that typically have three drinkers spaced along the bar drinking shots&beers. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242/26 "2024-12-12T20:03:49Z")
> [@sta3535](#): > > It must be location based since every bar that I’ve been to (so far) has carded everyone at the door or inside before entry. Are you by any chance in a college town? Because that might make a difference. I’m not sure if the bars @kayaker mentioned are what I would call “old man bars” - dark , quiet , no fancy/frozen drinks, a single , small old TV on mute but they don’t check ID at the door , either, Nor do bar & grills or taverns that have a few tables and serve burgers etc. They don’t have anyone at the door _to_ check ids. ---
**Author:** ![sta3535](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@sta3535](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sta3535)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242/27 "2024-12-13T19:59:27Z")
I live near a bigger city that has several neighborhoods and areas that have a nice mixture of restaurants, bars, clubs, and taverns. There’s a college area, an area with several bars and restaurants geared more towards Gen Z & Millennials, and several surrounding bars and taverns that are geared more towards Gen X and Boomers. So it probably depends on the bar/location, since I do remember certain places asking for ID’s at the front counter, even though the college/younger areas may or may not be that much different from each other. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2024, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242/28 "2024-12-14T13:54:18Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I’m not sure if the bars @kayaker mentioned are what I would call “old man bars” Guilty as charged. 🍺 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2024, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242/29 "2024-12-14T13:57:42Z")
I don’t understand this at all. Bartenders will card anyone saying they just turned 21. Others might want to buy someone a drink on their 21st birthday but the same problem exists. OTOH I know someone who says it’s his birthday at restaurants to get a free slice of cake even though it may come with a terrible rendition of something that is not Happy Birthday for copyright reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242/30 "2024-12-16T06:49:41Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I’m not sure if the bars @kayaker mentioned are what I would call “old man bars” - dark , quiet , no fancy/frozen drinks, a single , small old TV on mute but they don’t check ID at the door , either, Nor do bar & grills or taverns that have a few tables and serve burgers etc. They don’t have anyone at the door _to_ check ids. My kind of place! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-lying-about-their-21st-birthday-just-to-get-free-drinks/1011242.md?page=1)