are highways partially to blame for the US' 21yr drinking age?

"MonkeePuzzle" (monkeypuzzle) 08/23/2019 at 11:46 • Filed to: None

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I thought this was interesting, perhaps you will to

9.5min

essentially the argument was that 18 was too young (based supposedly on stats, although it appears to be mostly gut instinct) due to single vehicle late night accidents; and that if a neighbouring state had a lower drinking age you young folk (GET OF MY LAWN WITH YOUR 3.2 BEER!) would dangerously drive to that state, then return inebriated even more dangerously

so the pres. withholds highway funding to states until they bend to his will to raise the drinking age; which the supreme court upholds when a state contests it.

and that is why you can go to war for the US , but not down a beer to steel your nerves before doing so

facw > MonkeePuzzle 08/23/2019 at 11:59

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Yep, I thought this was common knowledge... The feds used highway funding to bring the holdout states along. 

WiscoProud > MonkeePuzzle 08/23/2019 at 12:07

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Thats pretty common knowledge in Wisconsin. I believe we were the last holdout to the change to 21. I still think it should be 18, and I’m in my late 30s. 

Ash78, voting early and often > MonkeePuzzle 08/23/2019 at 12:16

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Yep, I learned this years ago visiting Louisiana — people bitched about the terrible roads there because the state had chosen revenue (underage alcohol sales) vs Federal matching funds for highways. I’m not sure how much truth there was, but I heard it for many years from a lot of people. I never heard the “neighboring state” part until just now. 

LA also had a weird law that bartenders could sell to 18 year olds, but individuals had to be 21 to purchase. This takes the legal burden off the business and puts it on the person.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > MonkeePuzzle 08/23/2019 at 12:29

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It’s been known for a while yeah. It was Reagan selling out his conservative political values in favor of badly researched strong-arming from MADD and RID

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > MonkeePuzzle 08/23/2019 at 12:30

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Essentially, yeah. States can set their own drinking age but if it's below 21 federal highway funding is withheld.

benn454 > Ash78, voting early and often 08/23/2019 at 13:00

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 In my experience, Louisiana roads were no better nor worse than many other states I've lived in or drove through. People like to complain. 

vondon302 > MonkeePuzzle 08/23/2019 at 13:03

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The ironic thing is he also was the one who slashed the federal funding of roads.

And yet still twice as good as Trump will ever be.

Ash78, voting early and often > benn454 08/23/2019 at 13:05

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20 years ago before the law changed, though? I definitely thought they were worse than MS or AL, but memories are foggy.

Either way, the horrible city streets of New Orleans make the highways look great!

Under_Score > MonkeePuzzle 08/23/2019 at 13:06

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I don’t drink or plan on it, but people that I know are under 21 regularly drink at restaurants, etc. It’s barely enforced down here.

Also, people bring the war argument up all the time, yet no one is mad that you have to be 21 to even rent something basic like a  Versa from Enterprise (there’s USAA exceptions and stuff, but generally speaking).

MonkeePuzzle > Under_Score 08/23/2019 at 13:35

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disagree . I was always mad that renting a car took so much age. I traveled long before then, and needed cars.

Chariotoflove > MonkeePuzzle 08/23/2019 at 14:00

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This is true.  I remember NY was one of the last hold outs.  The year before I went there for college, the state changed its drinking age from 18.  All of a sudden, the bars in Collegetown that could cater to three fourths plus of the college population now had that cut to one fourth.  Carding after that was not as strictly enforced as it might have been.  Places that had been there for decades had a bit of a time staying in business.

benn454 > Ash78, voting early and often 08/23/2019 at 14:06

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I want to say the summer of ‘01. It was before 9/11 and Katrina, at the latest . The roads seemed mostly fine, from the back seat at least. Didn't get to drive a whole lot on that trip since I had just gotten my license. Especially not in New Orleans traffic. 

Under_Score > MonkeePuzzle 08/23/2019 at 16:49

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I’ll be 20 when I graduate, so unless I’m renting through Hertz or driving my own car, I won’t be able to rent for my first couple months at a potential job.  Even Turo is 21. At the same time, there’s usually stuff to renting a car you usually need to be 18 to have (own credit card) & a few years at least of driving experience is good. 

Hoccy > MonkeePuzzle 08/23/2019 at 17:48

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In Germany you can buy alcohol when you’re 16. Gas stations usually have quite a lot to chose from.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > MonkeePuzzle 08/23/2019 at 20:39

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I think people gloss over how bad it was back in the 60/70s. My mom had 3 people in her high school class die her senior year. and this graph starts when the population was 2/3 what it is today.

As for 18 vs 21. I think a lot of parents do a shity job preparing their kids for when the reigns come off. I have an uncle, with a problem and from junior high wanted in no way to be like that, so I pushed off drinking till about 20 1/2.

duurtlang > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 08/24/2019 at 05:12

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I grew up with a drinking age of 16 (18 for strong liquor) and a driving age of 18. So people learned to drink before they learned to drive. Worked great. Additionally, they lived at home when they started drinking so there was some supervision.

duurtlang > Hoccy 08/24/2019 at 06:55

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Yet, you still can't drive you car to the gas station to buy beer in Germany. Given that 16 is too young to drive.

Hoccy > duurtlang 08/24/2019 at 07:10

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No rule without exception:

Stretching the term “car”, of course. I’m also yet to see one.

BigBlock440 > Under_Score 08/28/2019 at 11:21

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Difference between company policy and federal/state law