Student suspended from school team for going to pick up a drunk friend at a party

[ch33zw1z]

In NJ teens aren't allowed to drive with another teenager in the car. She would have been in big trouble around here.

http://www.massrmv.com/rmv/dmanual/Drivers_Manual.pdf

page 21:

"You may not operate a motor vehicle within the first six months after receiving your JOL while any person under age 18 is in the vehicle (other than you or an immediate family member), unless you are accompanied by a person who is at least 21 years old, has at least one year of driving experience, holds a valid driver's license from Massachusetts or another state, and is occupying a seat beside you."

Possible to be in violation, but if she got her license at 16 1/2, no.

 

[Matt1970]

Um, the girl wasn't driving at all. She WENT to the party, ostensibly to pick up her drunk friend, but she was AT the party - a party filled with drunken teenagers - when the party got busted by the police.

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/10/14/massachusetts-teen-erin-cox-suspended-being-designated-driver



I'm pretty sure that if Cox had pulled up in front of the house and called her friend ("Hi [friend], I'm here waiting for you in front. Come on out and I'll drive you home."), she would not have been punished. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have been punished merely for driving her friend home. She was punished for being AT the party when it got busted.

That's pretty much it right there. If you go into the party you are an accessory to the fact. If you are out in the street to pick someone up, no harm, no foul, no charges. Sorry, but this is not what the media would like to make it out to be.

 

[ch33zw1z]

You are comparing a felony to a misdemeanor.

Try again.

Its more like you got a speeding ticket, and your job fires you.

There are many variables at play regarding these scenarios. For me:

In shira's version, my employer probably wouldn't even know about it.

If your version, one speeding ticket to many means terminated.

 

[her209]

If someone's had too much to drink, calling a friend and having a friend (or cab, or parent, or whatever) drive them home is EXACTLY what they should do. To punish the friend for responding and trying to take her home safely is exactly the opposite of what should happen here. Fire the administrators.

If your friend is breaking the law, alerting the parents is EXACTLY what you should do too, is it not?

 

[her209]

And?

Would your job fire you if you were around people who were breaking the law?

Would you get your security clearance revoked if you were around people breaking the law?

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Would you get your security clearance revoked if you were around people breaking the law?

Not unless it could be proven that you were a party to the law breaking.

 

[destey]

ugh, punishing a girl for making a responsible decision.

/facepalm @ the school.

Ugh, the person she was picking up was at an illegal underage drinking party. Girl should have told her parents what was happening, not dealt with it herself. Thankfully the police intervened before anyone was raped or killed someone via DUI, no thanks to the girl for aiding in the coverup (IE drunk girl not calling her parents but a young friend who shouldn't be going to an illegal underage drinking party).

'She didn’t do anything wrong. She did what she thought was right, and I’m very proud of her,' Erin’s mother said.

Excuse me? How about aiding in the delinquency of a minor. Underage drinking is a serious crime. Said right in the article 31% of DUI deaths are from teens. What if those teens had a wakeup call prior and weren't ushered to safety and crimes swept under the table?

 

[ch33zw1z]

Ugh, the person she was picking up was at an illegal underage drinking party. Girl should have told her parents what was happening, not dealt with it herself. Thankfully the police intervened before anyone was raped or killed someone via DUI, no thanks to the girl for aiding in the coverup (IE drunk girl not calling her parents but a young friend who shouldn't be going to an illegal underage drinking party).



Excuse me? How about aiding in the delinquency of a minor. Underage drinking is a serious crime. Said right in the article 31% of DUI deaths are from teens. What if those teens had a wakeup call prior and weren't ushered to safety and crimes swept under the table?

Newsflash, there's underage drinking all over the place. It was so easy to get when I was a teen, it was kinda sad.

Underage drinking is a serious crime? Not even in the same ball park as drunk driving at ANY age.

 

[Texashiker]

Underage drinking is a serious crime.

Said right in the article 31% of DUI deaths are from teens.

Underage drinking is not a serious crime. In Texas it is a Class C misdemeanor.

http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/laws/alcoholic_beverage_Code_referencing_minors.asp

Sec. 106.071. PUNISHMENT FOR ALCOHOL-RELATED OFFENSE BY MINOR

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an offense to which this section applies is a Class C misdemeanor.

31% of DUI deaths are from teens - is a sign of being irresponsible.

 

[destey]

Newsflash, there's underage drinking all over the place. It was so easy to get when I was a teen, it was kinda sad.

Underage drinking is a serious crime? Not even in the same ball park as drunk driving at ANY age.

Its people like you who try and downplay the crime that has led to this epidemic. In HS a girl I knew had to be brought to the ER because she drank so much she almost died, so don't tell me its not a serious crime. Drinking is difficult to gauge how drunk you are or when its time to stop. Alcohol lowers inhibitions leading to all sorts of horrible outcomes- rape, driving drunk, alcohol poisoning.

Alcohol is also one of the worst drugs out there, with the LD50 at only 4:1 the recreational dose. It is without a doubt, one of the worst things a teen can be partaking in.

To the people defending this girl, how many times did you drink underage? You're all part of the problem as well.

 

[destey]

Underage drinking is not a serious crime. In Texas it is a Class C misdemeanor.

http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/laws/alcoholic_beverage_Code_referencing_minors.asp

31% of DUI deaths are from teens - is a sign of being irresponsible.

31%, and none of them should even be drinking in the first place. If they weren't able to drink, they wouldn't be out killing innocent people.

Partially the fault of all the people who try and downplay the harm teen drinking causes.

 

[Texashiker]

Its people like you who try and downplay the crime that has led to this epidemic. In HS a girl I knew had to be brought to the ER because she drank so much she almost died, so don't tell me its not a serious crime. Drinking is difficult to gauge how drunk you are or when its time to stop. Alcohol lowers inhibitions leading to all sorts of horrible outcomes- rape, driving drunk, alcohol poisoning.

Alcohol is also one of the worst drugs out there, with the LD50 at only 4:1 the recreational dose. It is without a doubt, one of the worst things a teen can be partaking in.

To the people defending this girl, how many times did you drink underage? You're all part of the problem as well.

You are trying to compare social issues with legal issues.

Underage drinking is not a serious crime.

However, underage drinking does have serious implications upon society.

A guy I went to high school was killed in his senior year while drinking and driving. I am sorry it happened, but it was a choice he made. He paid for that choice with his life.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Its people like you who try and downplay the crime that has led to this epidemic. In HS a girl I knew had to be brought to the ER because she drank so much she almost died, so don't tell me its not a serious crime. Drinking is difficult to gauge how drunk you are or when its time to stop. Alcohol lowers inhibitions leading to all sorts of horrible outcomes- rape, driving drunk, alcohol poisoning.

lol, people like me? who see the world for what it is? yea, ok buddy. This "serious crime" you're describing is only a legal issue (hint, not even a crime everywhere you go) until the age of 21. Then you can get shitfaced all you want, but if you get behind a wheel of a car, THEN the real trouble begins at ANY age.

Alcohol is also one of the worst drugs out there, with the LD50 at only 4:1 the recreational dose. It is without a doubt, one of the worst things a teen can be partaking in.

Can't argue there. So what's your plan? ban alcohol? oh yea, prohibition worked like a charm. Still does today with all the other drugs on the list.

To the people defending this girl, how many times did you drink underage? You're all part of the problem as well.

The girl we're defending didn't drink. duh, that's why were defending her.

 

[Smoblikat]

They should call their parents. I think that is what everyone is trying to teach them. Because coming to pick a friend up shows it is ok to drink underage if a friend can drive.

Granted its a poor way to go about this method, but I can understand what they want to achieve, again in a poor way however.

It IS ok to drink underage, the 21 year old age requirment is completely unfounded and arbitrary. Tobacco causes MUCH worse physical damage than recreational drinking, and there is no age requirment to use that drug, but you do have to be 18 to buy it.

 

[destey]

You are trying to compare social issues with legal issues.

Underage drinking is not a serious crime.

However, underage drinking does have serious implications upon society.

A guy I went to high school was killed in his senior year while drinking and driving. I am sorry it happened, but it was a choice he made. He paid for that choice with his life.

It was pretty much the "wild west" in regards to alcohol in my high school. A jock would come in drunk at 8am and it was shrugged off because he threw no hitters that won our HS the state championship. The coach walked around with a month old dunkin donuts coffee cup everyone suspected had rum in it. He even drank and partied with some of the kids on the team.

When adults don't stand up and say that underage drinking MUST be stopped, its sending the wrong message. Drinking leads to impaired decision making, which leads to serious crimes. Nothing good can come from underage drinking. And IMO the morals of this country are in decline and apathy towards issues like underage drinking are the culprits.

 

[destey]

It IS ok to drink underage, the 21 year old age requirment is completely unfounded and arbitrary. Tobacco causes MUCH worse physical damage than recreational drinking, and there is no age requirment to use that drug, but you do have to be 18 to buy it.

So that's the justification, there's some other drug out there that isn't regulated as tight and that makes it ok? Strong justification, lol.

They tried lowering the drinking age to 18, guess what happened. People died left and right (I am not exaggerating)

 

[Texashiker]

When adults don't stand up and say that underage drinking MUST be stopped, its sending the wrong message. Drinking leads to impaired decision making, which leads to serious crimes. Nothing good can come from underage drinking. And IMO the morals of this country are in decline and apathy towards issues like underage drinking are the culprits.

I agree with you.

However, students should be treated with the same level of respect we demand as adults.

Schools should not be allowed to treat students as second class citizens.

 

[destey]

I agree with you.

However, students should be treated with the same level of respect we demand as adults.

Schools should not be allowed to treat students as second class citizens.

Definitely agree.

But are you saying that not letting them drink underage is treating them as second class citizens?

 

[justoh]

She knew of the zero tolerance policy, especially as an athlete. The friend was underage.. Sorry, I'm not taking that risk if I know you're drinking underage at a party. This girl sounds pretty naive. Just take it as a lesson learned. No big deal - not like any actual charges were filed. Get over it, it's high school.

I suppose you're right. Discretion will always be abused by those in power. Best to learn that asap.

 

[mikeymikec]

They should call their parents. I think that is what everyone is trying to teach them. Because coming to pick a friend up shows it is ok to drink underage if a friend can drive.

Surely that rationale could be pointed at the parents... they're obviously "thinking it's OK to under-age drink if they give their kid a lift". Logic failure. The parents would think the same thing as the kid giving the lift would think, "it's better that I help this drunkard rather than they try to drive or get home themselves".

I think decisions like the school's encourages kids to think like jobsworths - don't try to help people, if you can avoid showing a bit of responsibility then do it. If something can be someone else's problem, then you don't have to think for yourselves.

IMO a school's policies should only apply to what goes on in school grounds (or say during a school trip where the students might be considered to the the school's responsibility).

 

[Texashiker]

But are you saying that not letting them drink underage is treating them as second class citizens?

School has no business punishing a student for off campus activities.

That is the job for the parents and law enforcement.

 

[sm625]

North Andover High School, a Public school. Run by overpaid overfed overstuffed administrators sucking the country dry to feed their fat frickin 6 figure pensions. You know what to do with these schools. STOP funding it. Stop supporting it. Cut these leeches loose. They are spending taxpayer money to erect this internal infrastructure to monitor and control student activities. More than 15% of a schools budget is devoted towards this incredibly STUPID crap. Like everythign else, it only goes on because YOU tolerate it. Put an end to it. School should be about reading, writing, and arithmatic. There is absolutely no place for schools as institutes of social control.

 

[Spungo]

They tried lowering the drinking age to 18, guess what happened. People died left and right (I am not exaggerating)

Drinking age in Canada: 18 to purchase, but people can drink with their parents at age 16.
Number of people dying left and right: I don't know. They seem to be doing ok up there. Maybe being drunk all the time is why their housing market never crashed and only 2 banks have failed since 1923. USA has the highest drinking age in either North or South America. Norway doesn't even have a drinking age. The drinking age in Switzerland, Belgium, and Denmark is 16.

What are you trying to say here? Americans are retarded compared to the rest of the world?

 

[ch33zw1z]

drinking age in canada: 18 to purchase, but people can drink with their parents at age 16.
Number of people dying left and right: I don't know. They seem to be doing ok up there. Maybe being drunk all the time is why their housing market never crashed and only 2 banks have failed since 1923. Usa has the highest drinking age in either north or south america. Norway doesn't even have a drinking age. The drinking age in switzerland, belgium, and denmark is 16.

What are you trying to say here? Americans are retarded compared to the rest of the world?

blasphemy, 'murica is infallible. 🙄

responsible consumption is part of those societies. Americans can't seem to handle their booze. Thanks goodness we have laws that prevent these types of....nevermind.

 

[mikeymikec]

Out of curiosity, does America have the same (or similar) rule as the UK whereby someone younger than "the legal to drink age" can drink when with an adult?

https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-young-people-law