Friday, April 15, 2016

Auf wiedersehen, Deutscheland

I'm at Flughaven Frankfurt spending my euros on breakfast. It's always a good flight when you're going home.

And I probably won't show this picture to #2 Son. The drinking age here is 16. The kid on the far right looks to be about that old.


8 comments:

ASM826 said...

The drinking age in America is about 16, too. It's just unsupervised.

Goober said...

Yeah, asm, and what's worse, if you're a parent who recognizes that truth, but tries to supervise in order to keep it safe, you'll be prosecuted for it.

I drank at 16. Would have been a safer, smarter experience had we not had to hide it from our parents. For their sake, more than ours.

Guffaw in AZ said...

Enjoy, and travel safe, my friend!

gfa

Eagle said...

My kids were having a bit of wine with their meals since they were in the low single digits - but only in my home, and only when no strangers were present. Uncles and aunts, yes. Grandparents, yes. But never when anyone who wasn't a direct blood relative was present. NEVER.

Did my son and daughter occasionally have enough wine to feel the effects of alcohol, both at the table and the next morning? Yes - but only in my home... ibid.

And when the got a bit older, did my son and daughter occasionally have some beer or join me in a bit of Jack when they were in high school? Yes, but only in my home... ibid.

Both my daughter and my son went to college. It was never a "forbidden fruit", so neither of them ever "binged" at school. My son was sometimes a DD, although I warned him against this (didn't want him to get in trouble because OTHERS in the car were underage and drunk).

Do my son or daughter have a drinking problem? No. For both of them, fermented beverages - wine, beer, and liquor - is a normal part of life.

Ajdshootist said...

Last time i was in Germany i got wasted on open-vine in Cockem on the Moselle and ended up crawling across the hotels reseption to the lift went to my room and stoud in the shower fully dressed for about 20mins those were the days.

Unknown said...

Burt is a bad father. If "fermented beverages" are a normal part of life your kids have a problem. Alcohol is legal and acceptable but people who drink even once a week are alcoholics. Drinking alcohol regularly greatly increases your chance of throat and liver cancer and hepatitis and cirrhosis. Also high blood pressure and Alzheimer. This is not ancient times. Alcohol is literally poison.

Goober said...

"but people who drink even once a week are alcoholics"

I presume this is your opinion, and isn't backed up by any sound science?

Perhaps a link to the study?

Michael said...

I''l go with Harvard( http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/alcohol-full-story/#possible_health_benefits ) or the Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/alcohol/art-20044551 on the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, but thanks for the warning!