OT: Legal ages?

[Orphin]

I hope this isn't one of the threads that aren't allowed.
We had this conversation on legal ages yeasterday and I realized I don't know what they are in UK or USA. Please fill me in:

These are Sweden's legal ages:
Drinking age: 18
Buying alcohol in stores, stronger than 3,5%: 20
Voting: 18
Sex: 15
Drivers licence: 18
Retiring: 65

All I know is that the drinking age in US is 21. What about the others?

[Bink]

Drinking age: 18
Buying alcohol in stores, stronger than 3,5%: 18
Voting: 18
Sex: 16
Drivers licence: 17
Retiring: 65 (this is the state age for men)
Retiring: 60 (this is the state age for women)

[nmendoza]

USA-

Drinking: 21
Voting: 18
Sex: (age of consent) Varies quite a bit from state to state but mostly between 16-18.
Drivers license: 16, though various restricted permits etc. are available in some states as early as 14
Retiring: Depends on how well you play the game... you can start receiving social security benefits at 62 I believe. 65-ish is typical

[Sooner]

In the US

Drinking age: Varies by State. Typically 18 to 21
Buying alcohol in stores, stronger than 3,5%: same as above, 18 to 21
Voting: 18
Sex: 18 (unless your partner is also under 18 then anything goes)
Drivers licence: Varies by State. Typically 16 to 17
Retiring: Early retirement option typically starts at 55, Mandatory retirement I think is now 70 unless your an airline pilot. Not sure about them.

[Sooner]

Retiring: Depends on how well you play the game...

Or in some cases... how well your parents played the game.

[ESBlonde]

Drinking age: 18
Buying alcohol in stores, stronger than 3,5%: 18
Voting: 18
Sex: 16
Drivers licence: 17
Retiring: 65 (this is the state age for men)
Retiring: 60 (this is the state age for women)

State age for women is being equalised and for those under about 53 now will be raised by a period and those under about 41 will do 65, those in between get a proportionate increase. By then the state retirement for both male and female will have increased to about 68 or even 70 to offset the demographic time bomb.

You're likely to be a long time all growed up so don't wish away your youth because you will most likely regret it later, or is that L8r for you young'uns

[MaxRossell]

I've never understood the principle in some US states whereby you can operate a car and own a firearm as early as 14, and you can join the military and get your ass killed at 18, but you can't take a drink before you're 21.

If I had the choice between handing a fifteen-year-old a can of beer or a rifle, I know which I'd pick.

[nguideau]

As you can gather, it's basically a state-by-state game in the U.S. Most states have similar (and nearly identical) laws, so you're looking at 21 to drink, 18 to smoke, 16 to drive, and 16-18 for sex.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by retirement. There's no such thing as a legal restriction on retirement. There is for collecting social security, but even that isn't strictly based on age (it can be based on many factors, and with certain hardships/injuries/handicaps, you can collect SS at any age). Besides, if you're any younger than the oldest portion of the baby boomer generation, there's no money in SS for you to retire with anyhow, so retirement is all about how well you did saving and investing on your own.

Some people are just work-a-holics regardless of how well they saved for retirement. It's pretty regular (at least everywhere I've lived here in the U.S.) to see senior citizens in jobs like store greeter, library page, ushers at churches, stadiums, etc. I think some people just get bored in retirement and look for easy part-time jobs to keep busy with.

[AJS19]

In South Dakota, i'm fairly sure we have one of the lowest driver's license ages in the country - we can get a license at 14, and 13 if you live on a farm.

[ronnes]

in Norway

Drinking=18
Buying alcohol up to 22%=18
Buying alcohol above 22%=20
Earliest joining in Military wich is also not freely to join its obligated=18
Sex=16
Voting=18
Driverslicense for car=18
Driverslicense for motorcycle from 50ccm-125ccm=16
Driverslicense for motorcycle medium engine up to 34hp=18
Driverslicense for motorcycle with no limit on HP= either hav had the license for medium engine size mc for two years or above 21.


Cheers
ronnes

[Norrin Radd]

In South Dakota, i'm fairly sure we have one of the lowest driver's license ages in the country - we can get a license at 14, and 13 if you live on a farm.

That's because there's nothing to hit in South Dakota!

[AJS19]

In South Dakota, i'm fairly sure we have one of the lowest driver's license ages in the country - we can get a license at 14, and 13 if you live on a farm.

That's because there's nothing to hit in South Dakota!

Haha. True. Except for deer.

[Nork]

Canada

Drinking: 19 (18 in Quebec and other provinces)
Voting: 18
Sex: (age of consent) Varies quite a bit from state to state but mostly between 16-18.
Drivers license: 16 (in ontario, full licence possibly by 18)
Retiring: depends on what you do/if you can really.

[tony_clifton]

Belgium:

Drinking: 16 (but not as thoroughly checked like in the US)
Driving: 18 (17 possible when taking lessons)
Sex: 16
Gambling: 21
Heavy motorcycles: 21 as well I guess

This is a difference between the US and Europe. Over here we don't see any sense in some of the US rules like drinking and firearms. Almost nobody I know has ever touched a gun or a rifle or something like that, but some of my friends drink way too much though...

But that's just culture I guess... We all get along.

[Deacon Blues]

yes it is truly remarkable that you can give your life up for your country but not your sobriety