“Just get one Shan; it’s so worth it.”
I cannot recollect how many times I had been told this in high school. Yet at sixteen years old, I probably couldn’t name more than three types of beer, let alone where to go ahead and buy a case. At the same time, a whiff of vodka was enough to make me gag, and there were rumors about the dangers of Fourloko.
But then, it was the summer going into college.
“Come on, if we all pool in, it’ll just be a hundred each. Plus, we all get two. You know, one for back up.”
At that point, I was thinking about my next four years in Boston, and how three of those long years would be spent “underage.” I was faced with peer pressure, the idea of a new city, and the prospect of bars and clubs. What I should have been confronted with instead, were the cold hard facts about buying cold beer and hard liquor with a fake identification.
1) Ask yourself if you are ready to deal with economic the consequences.
Getting caught with a fake ID in Boston is a serious offense. According to Massachusetts Criminal Law, the punishment is a $300 fine. Some students may have the money to pay this, but even if they do, they are not getting away unscathed.
2) Ask yourself if you are ready to deal with the permanent record.
If a student is caught with a fake, his or her permanent criminal record has now been recorded, and the court will notify the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, suspending the student’s driver’s license for a hundred and eighty days. Yes, that is just about half a year without a license, taking away both one’s ability to drive and one’s dignity.
3) Ask yourself if you are ready to do community service.
Sure, I am in the community service sorority, and I love getting involved in walks for Autism Awareness, Cancer Research, and Alzheimer’s Research as much as the next giving person. But this type of community service is court mandated, and can be designated to a student when he or she is arrested with a fake ID and summonsed to court. Even if one has an attorney present, community service and an alcohol program can be mandated at the initial hearing.
4) Ask yourself if you are willing to give up your job prospects.
A permanent record is just that: permanent. If a potential employer were to do a background check on you, this record would appear. It is extremely likely that you would be dropped as a candidate for the position. The job market is already difficult enough for new grads; don’t make it harder for yourself.
5) So ask yourself again: what are you getting this fake ID for anyway?
Police are smart; they know that you are not “just holding this ID for your friend until she gets back.” And, if the ID has your own face on it, it is going to be even harder to wiggle yourself out of a sticky situation. So please, find another way to get your alcohol. Wait until you are of age to join the club scene. Give yourself time to figure out what your favorite mixed drink is before you step foot into a bar.
So perhaps I gave into my peer pressure, and perhaps I didn’t. All you need to know is that I have learned the facts, I have answered the above questions, and now you should consider them too.