# Why is ignorance of age not an excuse? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 7, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ignorance-of-age-not-an-excuse/538677 "2010-05-07T20:44:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 34
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ignorance-of-age-not-an-excuse/538677/661 "2012-12-05T02:48:58Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Although I agree that it’s inconsistent, I wouldn’t say “ridiculously” so. Selling a 17 year old a six pack of beer isn’t the same as having sex with her. For some that s seems to be a combo deal… (Not known from experience, I assure you…) ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ignorance-of-age-not-an-excuse/538677/662 "2012-12-05T03:31:15Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > People don’t ordinarily get prosecuted for selling alcohol to a minor on just anybody’s say-so; if there’s word that a particular vendor is selling to minors, whoever regulates the sales (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, in my case) will set up a sting, using a minor as a buyer and another undercover agent in the store as an observer. **The minors used for the stings definitely look like minors** and do not carry fake IDs. Untrue. The sting group will often pick a minor who looks older precisely to see if the clerk will card a borderline case. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ignorance-of-age-not-an-excuse/538677/663 "2012-12-05T14:56:57Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Untrue. The sting group will often pick a minor who looks older precisely to see if the clerk will card a borderline case. In every case I’ve filed, the minors looked like minors. Not like “Justin Bieber T-shirt” or “propeller beanie” minor, but young. We also ask that TABC takes a picture of the minor immediately before the buy so that the picture can later be presented to a jury: “_This_ is what she looked like when she bought the wine coolers. _This_ is the girl he sold to, the one he decided didn’t have to show ID.” Very effective in making the case. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ignorance-of-age-not-an-excuse/538677/664 "2012-12-05T16:20:29Z")
> [@DevilMayhem666](#): > > I know all too much about how uptight up Western Culture is with sex and I can tolerate things like that. I could also tolerate punishment for someone who unknowingly lusted after an underage minor with the appearance of a 20-30 year old, but as a sexual misconduct misdemeanor (even though its BS). But to treat him/her like he/she is into toddlers at daycare or school children is both an unnecessary and nonsensical punishment in my eyes. For one thing, it’s not “Western Culture” that’s uptight about sex. _People_ are uptight about sex. There are very few places where people talk about sex more openly than they do in North America and Western Europe. The second thing is that those people aren’t treated alike. The penalties for statutory rape and other sex crimes become more severe as the victim gets younger. > [@Max\_Torque](#): > > In every case I’ve filed, the minors looked like minors. Not like “Justin Bieber T-shirt” or “propeller beanie” minor, but young. We also ask that TABC takes a picture of the minor immediately before the buy so that the picture can later be presented to a jury: “_This_ is what she looked like when she bought the wine coolers. _This_ is the girl he sold to, the one he decided didn’t have to show ID.” Very effective in making the case. I suspect this is going to be an issue of differing policy between ATF enforcement agencies in differing states and is not worth arguing over. As a drugstore clerk and bartender I saw obvious, borderline and obvious-the-other way people used for ID enforcement. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ignorance-of-age-not-an-excuse/538677/665 "2012-12-05T18:13:54Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I suspect this is going to be an issue of differing policy between ATF enforcement agencies in differing states and is not worth arguing over. As a drugstore clerk and bartender I saw obvious, borderline and obvious-the-other way people used for ID enforcement. Agreed. I was friends with a guy who did the “try to buy alcohol as a minor” thing for police sting operations and he looked like he was in his early 30s even then. If that’s not the way they do it in other places, it must be different strokes for different po-pos. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ignorance-of-age-not-an-excuse/538677/666 "2012-12-05T23:06:12Z")
Can we bump the plane on a treadmill thread next? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ignorance-of-age-not-an-excuse/538677.md?page=33)