“The perils of drinking in America” is by reporter Simon Calder of the Belfast Telegraph. In it he alerts readers traveling to the U.S. what to expect. He explains that the U.S. has created a tangle of confusing laws. These are to deter drinking, especially among young people.

For instance, 48-year-old Rachel Ally had to prove she was 21 before being served beer in Florida. But her experience is far from unique.

A Grandmother

Grandmother Sonia Smith went shopping in New Mexico with her 35-year-old daughter and two grandchildren. But she didn’t have an ID to prove she was 21. “I couldn’t buy a bottle of tequila, even though I was 57 at the time. The clerk even refused to let my daughter pay for the bottle. He said she would give it to me.”

A Senior Citizen

Senior citizen Richard Gilbert was challenged at a store in Georgia. “Among my purchases were two small bottles of Budweiser. The clerk told that I would have to put the Buds back on the shelf unless I showed a photo ID. Fortunately, I happened to have an ID with me.”

In Illinois, a bald 57-year-old man had to produce evidence that he was 21 years old before being able to order a beer.

In Maryland, Simon Calder was surprised when the server in a pizzeria was unwilling to bring a beer he had ordered. She was under age 21 and therefore not permitted to touch the beer. So he went for the beer himself and then his food arrived. But the server couldn’t even to move the glass a few inches to make room for the large pizza!

So alcoholic beverages are as a much greater danger than are firearms. Adults age 18, 19 and 20 can’t purchase a drink but than can legally buy guns.