(ponderings)
June 16 2001
The legal drinking age in the province of BC is 19,
which I find confusing for a number of reasons.
1) Most kids move out of home on their 18th birthday (as I did), most to attend college (I didn't). They live in dorms or they hook up with roommates. And they meet SO MANY people, most of whom are older than them. All these people are drinking, going to the bar, even holding study groups in pubs. The 18-yr-olds are excluded for an entire lonely year.
2) You can vote when you're 18. You can rent porn when you're 18. You can have sex when you're 16. Is drinking much more damaging and/or "adult" than any of those things?
3) In BC, you're eligible to test for your
driver's license at age 16. So for 3 years kids are
driving, and then suddenly they're allowed to drink booze. No wonder there's so many accidents attributed
to DUI! If the rules were reversed -- drinking at 16,
driving at 19 -- kids would know the affect alcohol
has on their system, and would doubtless be more responsible drivers.
June 7 2001
On my way home from work I saw a homeless man around my
age sleeping against the side of the bank. His skate-
board was in front of him. As I walked by, a boy of
about 16, very well-dressed, ran by and swiped the
skateboard. I followed him, got his description and
reported him to the police. The police officer I spoke
with was very bored, slow, and made me wait twice while
he did something else.
Had a wealthy woman been pickpocketed, or a political representative been a victim of vandalism, the story would be 100% different. Much would have been done to correct the problem. But homeless people are not worthy of the full attention of the police, particularly in Victoria, one of the tourist capitals of Canada. The homeless are left in relative peace for most of the year, but around spring, all sorts of new rules spring up designed to make it difficult for them to live. Consequently many of them leave, clearing our beautiful streets and presenting a beautiful postcard for the tourists. In autumn, the homeless come back, and are safe for another few months.
Send me a brutality
myriad