I don't know if anyones noticed but it's becoming more and more rife in town with underage drinkers.

I'm no bouncer and it is obvious to me some of them are barely 16 never mind 18!! What annoys me the most is that the bouncers actually stop these people, mostly girls, ask them for ID get shown blatent knock-offs which are easily to produce these day's then just let them pass!

I really can't get my head around it.

Yes it is. And the problem is getting worse. I dont understand why though. The penalties for being caught for serving drinks to underage people are a lot tougher now but people still let them in!

I used to work as a pub manager for Wetherspoons in Macclesfield and we ID'd ANYONE who looked remotely under 21. We had our fair share that tried it on but after a while we got a reputation for being tight on underage drinking and they looked elsewhere.

Are coppers looking younger too?

Are you sure it's not more to do with the time of year? GCSE's and study leave etc - when we were kiddies that was party time!

Well, I only asked for ID after I became 18 and they ask me everywhere since.

In my experience, they don't ask you to prove your age when you look young because they'd have to turn you away. And the name of the game is profit.

The generalisation seems to be, the younger you are, the dafter you are and more likely to spend a fortune on booze.

Immoral but good business sense.

Originally posted by mjlacey21
Are you sure it's not more to do with the time of year? GCSE's and study leave etc - when we were kiddies that was party time!

Not at all, i don't just mean recently. It's been gradually getting more and more full of kids for a long while now.

Originally posted by Scotty_78
I don't know if anyones noticed but it's becoming more and more rife in town with underage drinkers.

I'm no bouncer and it is obvious to me some of them are barely 16 never mind 18!! What annoys me the most is that the bouncers actually stop these people, mostly girls, ask them for ID get shown blatent knock-offs which are easily to produce these day's then just let them pass!

I really can't get my head around it.

i think you will find now at Gatecrasher they are having a big purge on underage drinking...... the only ID accepted is a driving licence ...original passport (not a photocopy) or a SHU card

I said no, because at the moment, i don't think it is to bad. The police have cracked down on the problem a lot. But i have to admit, there were a lot of underage drinkers this time last year.

and where does one find said under-aged drinkers?

and how does one authenticate them?

Originally posted by Norton
And the name of the game is profit.

The generalisation seems to be, the younger you are, the dafter you are and more likely to spend a fortune on booze.

Immoral but good business sense.

Until you get caught that is! Then fines can add up, not to mention lost revenue when your liscense is removed etc etc. Where's the profit when you pay thousands of pounds in fines and you've lost your liscense??

saturday on devonshire green is horrible,mini moshers everywhere,they used to buy booze from this shop until they got there final warning from police,its the shop we all use and now we get ID'd because they ruin it,i dont trust taking my passport out in some states i can tend to get in either :S

These theads always make me laugh - I started drinking at 15 & regularly going into town at 16 - and I'm sure most folk on here did too - the only reason people are looking younger is that we're all getting older...

It is getting worse!!!!

How can you not see? The problem is, its got a lot more noticeable since Berlins closed down in the city centre, Berlins was the youth club of Sheffield with an average age of 16/17!

Since it closed, they've all been forced to drink elsewhere!

SHOCKING (JAIL BATE)

Yes, i do believe that underage drinkers are becoming an increasing problem. Soem clubs do not vet the people that go in.

I know of one club, which shall remain nameless (mainly because the moderators will delete the thread) that is frequently full of underage drinkers, who sit on Devonshire Green and drink cider and then all go to the nearest club and are not stopped by the bouncers, drink copious amounts of alcohol and indulge in chemical stimulation of an illegal nature.

If the police were to raid aid establishment then the owner would end up losing his licence, his liberty and would realise that a 'Skool Disco' night doesn't need real School children.

Originally posted by jake
These theads always make me laugh - I started drinking at 15 & regularly going into town at 16 - and I'm sure most folk on here did too - the only reason people are looking younger is that we're all getting older...

I see exactly where you're coming from. I was the same. But having worked in the liscensed trade for a number of years and seen the other side of things, I can see the authorities point of view.

I have a 10 week old son, and, whenever he's old enough, theres no doubt in my mind that he'll be wanting to do the same. I cant stop him because that would make me a hypocrite but I'll certainly be telling him of the trouble he can get in if he's caught. The fines dont just stop at the pub. Underage drinkers themselves or people old enough buying drinks for underage kids can face hefty fines also.

i cant talk because i started going out in sheffield when i just turned 16, i used to go to places like weatherspoons and gatecrasher where i new id get served.

4 years later i dont like it but iv become snobby always having ago about town being full of youngens... the places i go have totally changed though, now i like to go to bars like bar hush, crystal and takapuna, clubs like Urban Gorilla and the pin up club. Being a deep, tech house dj i find that all the commercial pop and r&b music attracts a youger crowde where as house music in general attracts a more mature crowde of people.

Gotta agree!

True, so true

It's not just about them getting fined you have to worry about.

There are alot of unsavoury characters hang around town, yobs wino's, smackheads etc...... So you have these kids running round town drinking themselves stupid and acting around, it's only a matter of time before something bad happens to them.

And as for the jail bait girls, you hear the stories all the time about them getting attacked. They get so ****** they don't know where they are. It's not their fault they get attacked but they shouldn't be out to get in a position like that in the first place.

Originally posted by Scotty_78
It's not just about them getting fined you have to worry about.

There are alot of unsavoury characters hang around town, yobs wino's, smackheads etc...... So you have these kids running round town drinking themselves stupid and acting around, it's only a matter of time before something bad happens to them.

And as for the jail bait girls, you hear the stories all the time about them getting attacked. They get so ****** they don't know where they are. It's not their fault they get attacked but they shouldn't be out to get in a position like that in the first place.

I agree.It's underage drinkers being where they shouldn't be and doing what they shouldn't do that leads to all kinds of trouble and ruins things for everyone else. There is one club which will happily stop me for wearing a shirt and jeans but will happily let a 14 year old walk through the doors.

I dont see that many underage kids when Im out in town, but mebbe thats cos of where i drink.

And yes, I did go out about age 16 on a forged ID most weekends (im 28 now)

Do as I say not as I do eh? I'm hardly gonna stand here and harp on about underagers now am I?

Some bars in town let em in, some don't. If you dont want to be wondering whether the girl (or boy for that matter) you're eyeing up is jailbait dont go them places...

basic rule if u want to stay away from all the youngens is go to the posh bars where, ok u have to pay a bit more.. but you get a nicer service, a more enjoyable nite out.

If your looking for a nite of cheese or urban music unfortunatly theres no getting away from the kiddies. lol

Originally posted by sergeantb
basic rule if u want to stay away from all the youngens is go to the posh bars where, ok u have to pay a bit more.. but you get a nicer service, a more enjoyable nite out.

If your looking for a nite of cheese or urban music unfortunatly theres no getting away from the kiddies. lol

That's not good enough though really. The fact is: we are allowed to be there, they are not. And it's the police (whose wages we pay) that should be cracking down on pubs/clubs that do not tow the line. Why should i, as a law-abiding adult with a legal right to drink alcohol on licensed premises, have to avoid places because somebody else is breaking, or is being allowed to break, the law??

I could list quite a few bars that let this happen, especially on west street. But as the moderators don't take too kindly to us listing such establishments i'll curb my tongue!

Originally posted by The_Sharp
That's not good enough though really. The fact is: we are allowed to be there, they are not. And it's the police (whose wages we pay) that should be cracking down on pubs/clubs that do not tow the line. Why should i, as a law-abiding adult with a legal right to drink alcohol on licensed premises, have to avoid places because somebody else is breaking, or is being allowed to break, the law??

Too true, Why should we change where we drink because the crettins on the door let anyone in with a skirt above the knee regardless of age. I t's pathetic!

Originally posted by Scotty_78
I could list quite a few bars that let this happen, especially on west street. But as the moderators don't take too kindly to us listing such establishments i'll curb my tongue!

We need that guy from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang going round town offering 'Lollipops, Ice Cream and Treacle Tarts, and all free today!'. That would catch them all....

Originally posted by The_Sharp
That's not good enough though really. The fact is: we are allowed to be there, they are not. And it's the police (whose wages we pay) that should be cracking down on pubs/clubs that do not tow the line. Why should i, as a law-abiding adult with a legal right to drink alcohol on licensed premises, have to avoid places because somebody else is breaking, or is being allowed to break, the law??

i couldnt agree with you more.... the problem is i cant see the problem improving unless major changes are implemented.. although im not really a fan of national ID cards... they wud be amazingly successful in age verification, maybe this wud help solve the problem... i certainly dont think puting more polkice on the beat will help reduce under age drinking.

Originally posted by bigjay
i think you will find now at Gatecrasher they are having a big purge on underage drinking...... the only ID accepted is a driving licence ...original passport (not a photocopy) or a SHU card

Ive been turned away on a couple of occasions even though I showed my SHU card. They said it doesnt prove you are over 18. I said surely you need to be at least 18 to go to uni... He said no, you can start uni at 17 and a half. then that was me stumped.

Hehe I turn 18 in 6 days :P

I've said this before:

Raise the drinking age of spirits to 21.

If all pubs and bars in and around the city centre cracked down on underage drinking, many would go out of business.

Originally posted by Agent Gypo
If all pubs and bars in and around the city centre cracked down on underage drinking, many would go out of business.

Exactly, and until something is done about it by the authorities nothings gonna change. The bars are laughing at the moment, it's all about profit, morality doesn't even come into it for them!

Originally posted by Scotty_78
Too true, Why should we change where we drink because the crettins on the door let anyone in with a skirt above the knee regardless of age. I t's pathetic!

why should you change where you drink?

Does the beer taste bad because there's a 17 year old in the corner pretending to be older?

I don't actually see what the complaint is. Sure they shouldn't do it, but we all did, what's with the sour grapes?

Personally I don't think there's enough mindlessly drunk underage girls in town.

I appeal for more shops to sell alcopops to young girls.

my daughter could never get in down town so she gave up trying,but today is her 18th birthday,but she will still have to carry identification with her,have a great day and night leanne,aka missgobby.

Originally posted by Scotty_78
Exactly, and until something is done about it by the authorities nothings gonna change. The bars are laughing at the moment, it's all about profit, morality doesn't even come into it for them!

Who needs morals when you can make money, and lots of it?

Originally posted by Cyclone
why should you change where you drink?

Does the beer taste bad because there's a 17 year old in the corner pretending to be older?

I don't actually see what the complaint is. Sure they shouldn't do it, but we all did, what's with the sour grapes?

Well said, I agree

I pretend to be older, I'm 6 days away from my 18th birthday.

Originally posted by deelightful3
my daughter could never get in down town so she gave up trying,but today is her 18th birthday,but she will still have to carry identification with her,have a great day and night leanne,aka missgobby.

She shares her birthday with me, hope she has a blast.

shes off in a limo with all her friends,then staying in a hotel for the night,hope i dont get any late nite phone calls.

yeah... and i do miss the days sometimes that i was one of them... still time yet though!! :) never used a fake ID though, never needed to!

no, where is everyone going as I'm around own every weekend and see very few underage people (unless I go to Corp:gag: )

I dunno though - people you may think to be underage might not be and vice versa, you can't tell on sight neccessarily whether someone's 18 or not. I am over age but still feel like people are judging me as an 'underager' when I go out because I look quite young, which is pretty upsetting. People are patronising.

When I go out especially down town I get a lot of stick from strangers telling me that I’m not old enough to drink when I’ve blatantly got a valid driving license.

All of them in there late 20's early 30's, it did used to really annoy me but now I jus put it down to the fact that there just jealous cause there not young any more :-D

I used to drink underage in town at 16 and found it a lot easier to get in and served, now nearly everywhere I go I get asked for id.

Originally posted by spyro2000
Ive been turned away on a couple of occasions even though I showed my SHU card. They said it doesnt prove you are over 18. I said surely you need to be at least 18 to go to uni... He said no, you can start uni at 17 and a half. then that was me stumped.

yeah, there are a few places that do that... even though SHU cards actually have your DOB on anyways, so its no more difficult than them checking your DOB on your driving license... they just like to be asses!

I've been ID'd many times since I turned 18, dont remember getting ID'd when i was 17 though :hihi:

I have no problem with 17yr olds, maybe even 16yr olds being out... is when they're younger than that that its a problem! after all, aren't college and 6th form students allowed a good night out too? :P

I dont think any of us can complain, we've ALL done it, if you haven't then your probably not a drinker, which means why the hell you whinging? :P

they should just make things simple, if they look under 21 ask for a driving license... could be really quick if they had UV lamps, you've got to be 17 to have the license anyways so 9/10 provided you see the holograms, its real and the person is over 18 or getting close... sorted! and it doesnt take much effort to check that a DOB is past 87 or whatever

Originally posted by jake
Are coppers looking younger too?

No, that's just us getting older, mate!

A couple of points not yet mentioned in this thread:

Firstly, maybe, just maybe, the police and authorities are turning a blind eye to the number of underage drinkers in the city centre simply because it's arguably the only area of Sheffield that actually has a police presence each evening. Thus, the police can 'keep a beady eye' on the youngsters, more in a parental sense than under the guise of The Law.

Thus, the police's job is probably easier in the city centre than in the outer city regions; more police, less chance of trouble? To most folk, that is the huge majority, the kids want a trouble-free night and the visible presence of the police helps provide that safe environment;

Secondly, and further from my comments above, most youngsters taking their first steps into the world of Drunkendom simply wish to go out and have fun. Yes, I agree it is against the law, but as many have admitted on here, we all did it. And IIRC, when I started boozing in pubs (February 1986, York Hotel, Broomhill - were you there?) some of the best behaved customers were us youngsters who simply kept our heads down.

Chances are, it's the so-called 'more experienced drinker' who makes all the agro.

Maybe the police have bigger fish to fry? Anyways, enjoy your beer and keep out of trouble!!!!!

Originally posted by Ousetunes
Chances are, it's the so-called 'more experienced drinker' who makes all the agro.


Agreed. I've been out drinking since I was erm... 15 (slaps own wrist... naughty Norton) but since alcohol was never a big thing in our family and my parents were fairly easy going, I never felt the need to go mad and have never caused trouble.

The amount of 30-something blokes I've seen fighting and glassing each other at cash machines is disgraceful! They should be old enough to know better.

Ban alcohol for the over 25s I say ;)

Where did they all go after Kirky's bar closed down ? :confused: