So I ran away today...

[petik1]

So does that mean I can still run away and join the circus?

[Peps1ru1es92]

I think i know what he means by "magic age". Every US State sets their own. It's somewhere between 16-18 in all of them.

[Mindfreak]

Yeah...and my parents are like my house and my rules...and thats fine but it's almost like i have to ask to breathe....

[manuel]

I think i know what he means by "magic age". Every US State sets their own. It's somewhere between 16-18 in all of them.

That's a lot higher than in Germany. The magic age that allows you having sex is 14 in Germany. Nice, eh?
But driving a car starts from 18.

[nintendodork]

Driving a car varies by state, too.  You can get your learner's/school permit as young as 14 in Iowa, and get a full license when you're 16.

[manuel]

How is it with drinking alcohol? Does that differ by state, too?

[nintendodork]

Nope. In the United States, the legal drinking age in every state is 21.  Smoking age across all states is 18.

[manuel]

Thanks.
That's good to know. I think at least in terms of alcohol Germany should up the legal age to 21, too.

[UglyJoe]

Technically, it's up to each state to decide their drinking age.  However, if they make it lower than 21 they lose 10% of their annual federal highway apportionment, so everybody keeps it at 21.  See Wikipedia for more info.

Lowering the smoking age below 18 has similar consequences.  Some states have upped it to 19, though (Wikipedia again).

[linkzpikachu]

what i dont get with the drinking age is why can you go into the army at 18 and fight for your country and not enjoy a beer while doing so?

[nensondubois]

America is backwards that way, and in effect it is not the land of the free as it is seemingly called.

[nintendodork]

what i dont get with the drinking age is why can you go into the army at 18 and fight for your country and not enjoy a beer while doing so?

If you're fighting for your country and drinking, something's wrong.

America is backwards that way, and in effect it is not the land of the free as it is seemingly called.

It sure as hell beats a lot of places.

If you don't like it, go live somewhere else.

[manuel]

Dork is right on both counts.

[son_ov_hades]

If you don't like it, go live somewhere else.

Tell that to Washington, Jefferson, Adams, etc. Seeing problems in your country and wanting to change that is as American as baseball and apple pie.

[nintendodork]

I didn't mean it like that.  If they want to complain about it, they should do something to change it themselves instead of waiting on someone else to do it for them.