Strange age of majority question

As I mentioned in another posting, my twins turn 18 today. This
morning, they went out to buy bagels for the friends who slept over last
night, and while they were out DD tried to buy a pack of cigarettes.
(No, I don't want to talk about how I feel about her smoking.)

However, the clerk refused to sell it to her, saying that she wasn't 18
until the day AFTER her birthday -- she could come in and buy them
tomorrow, but not today.

Was this just a clerk who didn't know what he was talking about? Or is
there some weirdness in the law that has escaped my notice? If there
is, does that mean that all those 21 yo's who go out to have a drink on
their birthday are actually drinking a day earlier than they are legally
allowed to do so?

Now, this isn't likely to come up again in THIS house -- I'm just
curious, and thought someone on this list might know the answer.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

At least in Pennsylvania, there are signs at places where they sell
cigarettes that say something like: If you were born on or before this date
in 1985, you are old enough to buy cigarettes. (It should say: If you were
born on or before this date in 1985 and you are stupid enough, you may buy
cigarettes.)

Jeff

"dragonlady" wrote in message
...
However, the clerk refused to sell it to her, saying that she wasn't 18
until the day AFTER her birthday -- she could come in and buy them
tomorrow, but not today.

Nope -- the clerk is wrong. By this clerk's stupid "logic," most states are,
therefore, violating their own statutes when they issue driver's licenses to
kids on the day of their 16th birthday.




Bill
--
Bill Peckenpaugh

http://www.plimu.com/bill.htm (Boring me...)
http://www.plimu.com/daniel.htm (The Amazing Daniel!)

In article , dragonlady
says...

As I mentioned in another posting, my twins turn 18 today. This
morning, they went out to buy bagels for the friends who slept over last
night, and while they were out DD tried to buy a pack of cigarettes.
(No, I don't want to talk about how I feel about her smoking.)

However, the clerk refused to sell it to her, saying that she wasn't 18
until the day AFTER her birthday -- she could come in and buy them
tomorrow, but not today.

Erg.

Sounds like the motor vehicle department beaurocratoid who once tried to tell me
that my printed signature couldn't be accepted on my driver's license because
"signatures aren't printed".

Banty

"dragonlady" wrote in message
...
As I mentioned in another posting, my twins turn 18 today. This
morning, they went out to buy bagels for the friends who slept over last
night, and while they were out DD tried to buy a pack of cigarettes.
(No, I don't want to talk about how I feel about her smoking.)

However, the clerk refused to sell it to her, saying that she wasn't 18
until the day AFTER her birthday -- she could come in and buy them
tomorrow, but not today.

Was this just a clerk who didn't know what he was talking about? Or is
there some weirdness in the law that has escaped my notice? If there
is, does that mean that all those 21 yo's who go out to have a drink on
their birthday are actually drinking a day earlier than they are legally
allowed to do so?

Now, this isn't likely to come up again in THIS house -- I'm just
curious, and thought someone on this list might know the answer.

practically everyone i know went out drinking on the night before their 18th
birthday, & the moment midnight has passed, they're legal & that's all there
is to it.
kylie
--
www.rdj.com.au

In article ,
dragonlady wrote:

As I mentioned in another posting, my twins turn 18 today. This
morning, they went out to buy bagels for the friends who slept over last
night, and while they were out DD tried to buy a pack of cigarettes.
(No, I don't want to talk about how I feel about her smoking.)

However, the clerk refused to sell it to her, saying that she wasn't 18
until the day AFTER her birthday -- she could come in and buy them
tomorrow, but not today.

Was this just a clerk who didn't know what he was talking about? Or is
there some weirdness in the law that has escaped my notice? If there
is, does that mean that all those 21 yo's who go out to have a drink on
their birthday are actually drinking a day earlier than they are legally
allowed to do so?

Now, this isn't likely to come up again in THIS house -- I'm just
curious, and thought someone on this list might know the answer.

meh

the clerk was wrong -- one's birthday is the FIRST day of the 19th year
[in this case] This is obvious since one's initial birthday is the
first day of the first year.

dragonlady wrote:
As I mentioned in another posting, my twins turn 18 today. This
morning, they went out to buy bagels for the friends who slept over
last night, and while they were out DD tried to buy a pack of
cigarettes. (No, I don't want to talk about how I feel about her
smoking.)

However, the clerk refused to sell it to her, saying that she wasn't
18 until the day AFTER her birthday -- she could come in and buy them
tomorrow, but not today.

I cannot cite it, but in a business law class I had in high school (over 27
years ago) they had us read a case about the exact opposite, where a father
took his son to celebrate his 21st birthday at a bar, and a similar thing
ensued, where they claimed he was not 21 until the day AFTER his birthday.
The surprising result was that the law stated you are actually 21 the day
BEFORE your 21st birthday. I do not recall the reasoning, however.

--
Fris "45 on Monday (or Sunday)" bee® MCNGP #13

http://www.mcngp.tk
The MCNGP Team - We're here to help

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/certaholics
Certaholics - We're here if you're beyond help

"Frisbee® MCNGP" wrote in message
...
dragonlady wrote:
As I mentioned in another posting, my twins turn 18 today. This
morning, they went out to buy bagels for the friends who slept over
last night, and while they were out DD tried to buy a pack of
cigarettes. (No, I don't want to talk about how I feel about her
smoking.)

However, the clerk refused to sell it to her, saying that she wasn't
18 until the day AFTER her birthday -- she could come in and buy them
tomorrow, but not today.

I cannot cite it, but in a business law class I had in high school (over
27
years ago) they had us read a case about the exact opposite, where a
father
took his son to celebrate his 21st birthday at a bar, and a similar thing
ensued, where they claimed he was not 21 until the day AFTER his birthday.
The surprising result was that the law stated you are actually 21 the day
BEFORE your 21st birthday. I do not recall the reasoning, however.

I don't know how true that is in general, but I do know that for US tax
purposes you are considered to have attained a given age on the day before
your birthday. Which given the rest of the tax law ought to be just par for
the course.

Grace

In article ,
Frisbee® MCNGP wrote:

dragonlady wrote:
As I mentioned in another posting, my twins turn 18 today. This
morning, they went out to buy bagels for the friends who slept over
last night, and while they were out DD tried to buy a pack of
cigarettes. (No, I don't want to talk about how I feel about her
smoking.)

However, the clerk refused to sell it to her, saying that she wasn't
18 until the day AFTER her birthday -- she could come in and buy them
tomorrow, but not today.

I cannot cite it, but in a business law class I had in high school (over 27
years ago) they had us read a case about the exact opposite, where a father
took his son to celebrate his 21st birthday at a bar, and a similar thing
ensued, where they claimed he was not 21 until the day AFTER his birthday.
The surprising result was that the law stated you are actually 21 the day
BEFORE your 21st birthday. I do not recall the reasoning, however.

your birthday is the first day of the next year i.e. the 21st birthday
falls on the first day of the 22cd year [since your actual day of birth
was the first day of the first year] it is thus possible to argue that
on the day before you are completing 21 years -- it is the last day of
your 21st year. Day before maybe, day of most certainly, day after --
nonsense.