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Cellar Scribblings
brianr:
One thing I do like about Air New Zealand is that they bring around a basket of boiled lollies just as the plane begins to descend. They often get a child to do it. I try to grab 2 as my ears hurt a lot when landing. I understand why babies cry.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: brian on July 04, 2020, 05:21:14 pm ---We always find it hilarious being asked for age ID when buying alcohol in USA. I remember it happening at a Bettermost dinner in Boston in 2010.
--- End quote ---
I once went with my then-husband and sons to a pizza restaurant. I happened to have forgotten my purse at home and when I tried to order a glass of wine I got carded. I was in my late 40s. My husband, who did have his ID, was in his 40s. My kids were around 10 or 12. But the waitress wouldn't serve me.
Fine. Maybe it's a rule there. But then the manager came over and she, too, refused to serve me a glass of wine. They said it was the law in Edina (the Minneapolis suburb where the restaurant was located) not to serve anyone without ID.
I doubted that and was so annoyed that they would stick to that rule in the face of complete ridiculousness that we left the restaurant. It was located in a shopping mall, so we just went to a different restaurant where we had no problems and a fine meal. (Well, it was an Applebee's, so probably not that great, but good enough.)
I was still so annoyed the next day that I called the Edina police and asked if there was a law forbidding serving alcohol to people without an ID. No, they said.
Of course there's a law that would get the servers in big trouble if they did serve someone underage, so I can totally understand playing it safe even if the person looks to be in their 20s. (You have to be 21 here, Brian, which I assume is different in NZ as well.) But nobody is required, in Edina at least, to abandon all logic in order to obey a law (in that situation, anyway).
--- Quote --- We had an argument (always friendly, Graham loves to argue) over the comparative dangers of alcohol and marijuana.
--- End quote ---
Who took which side?
brianr:
I have never tried marijuana, i am very anti-smoking of tobacco. It killed my father and I believe his smoking was the cause of my childhood asthma.
When Graham was still my student and I took him on surfing/camping trips, I tried to stop him smoking. He idolised me (embarrassing now as he tells people about me) but obviously not to the extent of stopping him from smoking. His 2 older brothers were criminals and he became a primary (elementary) school principal so I did have some influence or so he tells everyone.
He does smoke marijuana and it is still illegal but he rarely touches alcohol now. I like my glass of wine before dinner every night.
My main argument was it is against the law. We have a referendum on legalising marijuana here in NZ (He is in Australia) on September 19. I do not know how to vote and may leave it blank. There is also a referendum on euthanasia and I am a keen campaigner in favour.
brianr:
In both Australia and NZ, alcohol is allowed once you are 18. Besides the dinner in Boston, I know I always had to show ID when buying a drink on Amtrak trains.
Here in NZ, alcohol (wine, beer not spirits) is sold in supermarkets and if the checkout person is under 18 they have to call a supervisor over to allow the purchase but they would only question the customer if they looked underage or was borderline. Sadly i do not look anywhere near 18 now.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: brian on July 05, 2020, 04:49:44 pm ---
My main argument was it is against the law. We have a referendum on legalising marijuana here in NZ (He is in Australia) on September 19. I do not know how to vote and may leave it blank. There is also a referendum on euthanasia and I am a keen campaigner in favour.
--- End quote ---
One argument for legalizing marijuana, beyond the "which is worse for you" argument, is that -- at least in this country -- there are wayyyy too many people spending too much time in prison for minor nonviolent crimes. Maybe even for crimes that literally would have been legal in a neighboring state. And they're of course disproportionately poor and/or people of color.
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