# Questions on illegal matters

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [January 10, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387 "2006-01-10T22:16:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 14\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/1 "2006-01-10T22:16:56Z")

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If someone opens a thread asking for advice or telling people how to commit an illegal act, it gets locked. By what laws are illegality being judged? I guess it would be Chicago’s system?

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/2 "2006-01-10T22:39:14Z")

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More like U.S. laws in general, than Chicago laws in particular. I doubt there would be much at the local level that would apply to the Board that wouldn’t already be an issue at the national level.

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**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/3 "2006-01-10T23:15:47Z")

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\<mod\>

This is a question **About This Message Board**.

I’ll be happy to move it over there for you.

\</mod\>

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/4 "2006-01-10T23:20:21Z")

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From the [SDMB RULES and registration agreement](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/rules.php?):

> [@](#):
>
> You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use the SDMB to post any material that you know or should know is false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, threatening, invasive of a person’s privacy, or violative of U.S. law. You agree not to post material that in our opinion fosters or promotes activity that is illegal in the U.S. We reserve the right to revoke the posting privileges of persons misrepresenting themselves on the SDMB.

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**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/5 "2006-01-10T23:28:40Z")

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Ta very much, Rico, CK.

I have a further question then; I live in the UK, and am 19. If I were to start a thread about alcohol, would that be closed, as in the US i’d be to young to drink?

I’m not actually thinking about doing this. I just wondered, really.

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/6 "2006-01-11T01:07:29Z")

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It’s not illegal for sub-21-year-olds in the US to discuss alcohol, learn about it, even serve it as a waiter. They just can’t buy, sell, or consume it. If you started a thread asking how to get served in a bar/get a liquor store to sell to you, that’d be locked.

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**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/7 "2006-01-11T15:00:48Z")

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> [@Ferret Herder](#):
>
> It’s not illegal for sub-21-year-olds in the US to discuss alcohol, learn about it, even serve it as a waiter. They just can’t buy, sell, or consume it. If you started a thread asking how to get served in a bar/get a liquor store to sell to you, that’d be locked.

He can ask if it ok to ask _if_ they woud sell it to him.

Is it illegal for sub-21s to consume alcohol? I don’t believe it is in the UK.

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**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/8 "2006-01-11T18:59:40Z")

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> [@Revenant Threshold](#):
>
> Ta very much, Rico, CK.
> 
> I have a further question then; I live in the UK, and am 19. If I were to start a thread about alcohol, would that be closed, as in the US i’d be to young to drink?
> 
> I’m not actually thinking about doing this. I just wondered, really.

My understanding would be that you could certainly start a thread on, say, the appreciation of good wines. (Which, btw, I don’t think would even need to be closed if created by a \<21yo American; many states have provisions permitting the consumption of alcohol by \<21yo’s so long as they are in the presence of their gaurdians.) Debating the vitrues of particular alcoholic beverages is not illegal. However, if you start a thread asking how to obtain alcohol illegally (e.g. fake id’s or shady stores), it will get shot down like a slow, fat waterfowl in duck season.

(Disclaimer: IANA Lawyer/Mod/Admin)

Cheers,  
-Geek

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**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/9 "2006-01-11T19:18:43Z")

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What he just said there.

TubaDiva

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**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/10 "2006-01-11T19:35:34Z")

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Ok. Thanks for clearing this up for me, everyone 🙂

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**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/11 "2006-01-12T21:55:39Z")

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> [@JustAnotherGeek](#):
>
> it will get shot down like a slow, fat waterfowl in duck season.

Wabbit season.

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**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/12 "2006-01-12T22:21:03Z")

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> [@Contrapuntal](#):
>
> Wabbit season.

So shoot me now!!

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/13 "2006-01-12T22:30:27Z")

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> [@DSYoungEsq](#):
>
> So shoot me now!!

_BLAM!_

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**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2006, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-on-illegal-matters/339387/14 "2006-01-13T00:37:59Z")

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You’re desthipickalble.