Date: 16 Aug 96
Having followed this thread for some time now, I figured it was my turn to add my 2 cents worth. In South Africa the legal drinking age has always been 18 (which seemed a bit ironic when we still had military conscription and as a 16 year old you could fly off to some neighboring country and kill people but had to wait until you were 21 to see Sharon Stone reveal her Instincts)
Although all liquor outlets displayed the "No persons under 18" signs, it was never really a problem to buy booze. Just wonder in, trying not to look too nervous and grab the cheapest bottle of hooch and head for the cashier. Now sad as this was, back in the days of apartheid, if the cashier was black they would never even consider asking questions and if they were white and got clever, the standard answer was "Its for my father" - No problem!
Many was the day when I can remember heading off to the beach with a bottle of stuff that would surely strip paint tucked safely in my backpack and wonder why the trip home took twice as long as the trip there.
Cheers
ALAN - Mentally still underage.