Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think parents lying about their child's age to get cheaper tickets is wrong?

252 replies

Liketochat1 · 25/07/2012 15:29

The swimming thread got me thinking about a chat I was having the other day. Parents were saying they lie about their child's age to get cheaper or free tickets to parks, zoos, shows etc... They claim their children are under 5, 3 or whatever when they aren't.
AIBU to think this lying is wrong and unfair or is it just to be expected?

OP posts:
Kneedeepinshittynappies · 25/07/2012 23:38

Meh! Swings and roundabouts! I paid full adult price when pregnant with ds, couldn't go on a thing :( not like you can get away with it for years, few months at best really.

Inneedofbrandy · 25/07/2012 23:41

Only time I would pay for my dd (6) on the bus would be if the driver said something and thats only happened once. Oh well I must be stealing, I wonder can I get a criminal record for it like say I stole from a shop Hmm nope must not be stealing then.

BupcakesandCunting · 25/07/2012 23:52

Depends.

I wouldn't do it if an individual ended up worse off for me doing it but I'll happily do it on trains/theme parks/cinemas/National Trust places because they're already fucking me up the arse with their OTT greedy prices as it is.

Rachel130690 · 25/07/2012 23:53

I do this for myself, went to a show in may and for an adult was £15, therefore I was an under 18 and got in for £7. I'm 22. (21 at the time) I'd do it again. And I'll continue for as long as I can. Everyone I no does it. No big deal, everything's so expensive and places rip people off.

Blondeshavemorefun · 25/07/2012 23:56

i have done it before when nannying - said my just 3yr was still 2 - under 3;s were free and over 3's were think £15 - was some kind of theme park etc and was taking 3 dc so saving my mb from spending £45 to £30

HairyPotter · 26/07/2012 00:03

Yes I have done it as well at times. A lot of the time I pay an adult price for dd1 anyway but she is too small to get on the rides at universal studios, Alton Towers or whatever.

Not going to lose any sleep over it either. Stealing and immoral? Slight overreaction I think.

Googol · 26/07/2012 00:09

I got charged full price for my DS at Lightwater Valley because he measured one metre and half a cm. He was 4 years old at the time so he couldn't exactly enjoy the 'older' rides. The staff didn't give two hoots.

It still rankles... Wink

So I most definitely prefer by age. I haven't lied about it, couldn't really, DS is so tall most think I'm exaggerating anyway.

glamourcats · 26/07/2012 00:17

My ds turns 3 in a couple of months but I can safetly say that he will continue to be '2' at theme parks/days out etc for as long as I can get away with it Smile

Birdsgottafly · 26/07/2012 00:19

YABU.

It should be illegal to charge adult price for anyone under the age of 16, especially when it comes to an all inclusive holiday.

My middle DD (now 16), has always looked older than she is and i have had to pay adult busfare many a time.

It has only been recently that carers get reduced rates, previously full price would have had to be payed, so companies well make their money.

Longdistance · 26/07/2012 00:28

My mil does this with my DD's.

Although, she is a massive tight arse!

ProPerformer · 26/07/2012 01:04

My grandparents (both teachers) used to do it all the time with myself and my cousins, they also used to get us to get a bowl of 'just sweets' on our last trip to 'all you can eat icecream factory' and wrap them in napkins to take home and when 'refill drinks' are avaliable in restaurants anyone with a 'non-refillable' drink is told to share a refillable when they are finished!
Also what are the views of people who say 'it is stealing' to something like when my DS was two and we went to a pizza hut buffet - I was not going to pay for him so gave him two small slices of pizza from my plate. At £5 (or thereabouts) I was not going to pay for him to have a kids buffet!

chipmonkey · 26/07/2012 01:07

My aunt was at the ticket office of a train station once with her nephew whom she was claiming was 3. He argued loudly that he was four. The man behind the counter told aunt and nephew to "go away and discuss it" When they returned, nephew had reconsidered the matter and decided that he was after all, three.
On the ferry coming back from Wales to Ireland, we hid my small cousin's big feet as they were the only giveaway.

feckingnora · 26/07/2012 06:00

i work at a train station and will if they are nice suggest that a 5yr old might be 4 for the day! they sometimes need to be bribed with chocolate!

the trains are so expensive now a days i dont feel any guilt! the adult has probably paid a small fortune anyways!

RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief · 26/07/2012 06:14

Pro They seriously charge a 2 yr old for a kid's buffet? Where I live (not UK) restaurants and hotels (incl. the 5 star chains) never charge for a kid's buffet before 5yrs (some go up to 12), providing they're with a parent. It makes sense as small kids really eat very little (and tend to steer clear of the expensive stuff like the seafood in favour of pizza, chips and jelly beans), but the parents feel as though they're getting something for nothing

Sunnydelight · 26/07/2012 06:19

Inneedofbrandy, fare evasion is fraud, not theft and yes you can get a criminal record for it.

I love the public transport system here in Sydney - you only pay for the first child in a family (and trains are quite cheap anyway), the rest go free. My kids are all quite tall so I never had to face the ethical dilemma of whether to lie about their ages or not as nobody would have believed me anyway.

ElephantsCanRemember · 26/07/2012 06:31

I've done it. My parents did it with me.
My friend went to a soft play recently, because her DC was 3 she had to pay full price, but he wasn't tall enough to actually play on anything, so could only go in the baby ball pit, which he was too old for. Bonkers. She said Fuck it and let him play wherever he wanted anyway obviously whilst watching him closely at all times and being a very responsible parent.

Youaresoright · 26/07/2012 06:40

OK, so we went to a zoo. A 2 year old pays the same price as an adult, £17 (!!!!! its not even a big zoo!!! We hadn't checked the prices before we went as it was a spur of the moment thing while we were on the road). DS1 was about 3 weeks past 2.

What do you think we did and SERIOUSLY I don't believe any of you would have done differently.

MrsHelsBels74 · 26/07/2012 07:03

We kind of lied by omission the other week. Went to a park & the guy at the entrance didn't ask how old our son was, but just asked for the money for 2 adults (still over £30) obviously assuming son was under 2. We didn't correct him.

InMySpareTime · 26/07/2012 07:04

We have committed many lies of omission. DS is tiny (nearly 11, looks about 8) and DD is fairly small.
We have never actively said they are younger than they are, but if people wanted to assume they were younger, we generally let them. As they get older things are more height based anyway. I'm 5ft so there are some things even I'm not allowed on with height rules, but 9 or 10 year olds taller than me are fineSad.
Take the rough with the smooth. I'm not going to lie, but neither will I fight to pay for my tiny DCs.

SkinnyVanillaLatte · 26/07/2012 07:20

I wouldn't do it for a charity event or small event obviously,but at big overpriced venues etc. I sometimes wish I could stop the kids from piping up with

'But Mummy,I'm 6 not 5.Mummy.Mummy.I'm SIX.....'

More a case of can't.

MrsHoarder · 26/07/2012 07:44

I don't think I will ever be able to do this: as a child my parents (then me as I started getting the train alone etc) had to carry a copy of my birth certificate to prove that I really was under 5/10/16. I remember skiing holidays where I memorised the French for my DoB and "here is a photocopy of my passport" (obviously at 13 wasn't entrusted with the real thing). DS looks to be heading for the same height...

ProPerformer · 26/07/2012 07:52

Rich tbh they may not have charged for him but my point is it was 2 slices of pizza that technically were not being paid for as I (the person whose meal was being paid for) would not have taken them to eat myself.

RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief · 26/07/2012 08:19

Ok, but isnt that the same as an (eg) theme park saying "under 3's are free" on the basis that what they use is minimal so may as well just let them in free, whereas a (say) 6 yr old would be a full participant so has to pay. You would only have been in the wrong if the kid's menu said (eg) "£5 ages 4 and up. Kids under 4 eat free" and you'd lied and said your 5 year old was 4.

The problem is is that the cut off has to come somewhere and people taking the piss just encourages the businesses to move the bar lower.

LeandarBear · 26/07/2012 09:18

Youaresoright. Ok, I think you got me on that one, as someone who really does not like to lie about things like this I would have definitly done what you did. Seriously £17 for a two year old, that is terrible.

I just had a look around at some UK zoo prices, they are all extortionate, even the not for profit ones.

I guess everyone has their price. Confused

Trills · 26/07/2012 09:26

I imagine all of the places that charge by age for people who are too young to have ID know that this happens.

When shall we start charging adult prices?
15?
Nah, then all the 15 year olds would pretend to be 14
OK, let's call it 14 then.

What about child prices?
5?
Put it down a bit so they can't cheat.
Right, let's say you have to be younger than 4 then.

It's an arbitrary cutoff anyway.

It's still wrong to lie, but it's not unexpected.