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

[Liketochat1]

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?

It's not morally wrong by my moral code. Might be to others but its not an absolute.

I think what a lot of people aren't considering is that the theme parks etc are quite happy to collude in this deceit. This would suggest to me that they feel turning a blind eye makes them money in the long run. If they felt strongly that this was a bg problem they wold simply stipulate that proof of age be provided, ie birth cert or passport. They do not do this. The reason as far as I can see is basic economics.
If they stamp it out a lot of people would not go at all and instead of losing one child price ticket, they lose out on the whole rest of the family's tickets plus whatever additional amounts would have been spent inside on food etc.
IMO there is actually a valid economic argument to this not just for the individuals concerned but also for the places. They must feel that by permitting this practice they make more money and I think they do.

Of course they are colluding, it makes them money. There are plenty of people who wouldn't go if they had to pay for another child, the park would rather get three paying people and one child "sneak" in than have none of them, especially when that child won't use much anyway, but will probably buy food, drinks etc.

I don't need to justify as I said, its not wrong by my code.

I don't need to justify it. I don't do it. My point is that it is obviously not an issue to the places themselves or else they would implement the very easy fix I suggested. It is a quick and cheap (not like Tesco searching customers would be) and I can only assume they dont do it because it would lose them money to do so. It was simply a rebuttal of the theory that it would drive up prices for everyone.

My parents did it & tbh I don't give a toss, although I'm not surer I could do it as I'm not very good at that type of brassing my case

What bloody well does get my goat though is the folks who wander forward when SleazyJet calls families with young children under five, where the children are clearly significantly older. (I have never seen a 5yr old who's nearly 5' tall, especially when both parents area verge height or below).

Thorpe Park Annual Report and Accounts 2011 Not that profitable in 2011 although the Directors are paid handsomely

someone think of the shareholders

Tesco Annual Report 2011 Mega profits

I do it with my charge who's 4. Not so much on purpose, just because I get put on the spot and immediately think/say "He's 3." He turned four at the beginning of March

I once tried to correct myself in May, got asked if he was under 4 so I said "Yes. No. Yes." And the man at the counter was very annoyed at me. I told him he was just 4 two months ago and he let him through

We did it at the zoo with DD who had just turned 3 a week earlier . Peppa Pig World was based on hight DD T 3.5 just scraped in for free. I couldn't believe all the parents with obviously taller kids who were pushing them through in pushchairs without being stopped and height checked, so they got in free.

I've snuck one of mine into a hotel once, to avoid getting a second room. Does that count?

DD is only 23mo so haven't had to worry about this yet for days out.

However, I did intend lying to center parcs, we were going with another couple in September (going elsewhere instead now), DD will turn 2 in August and they insist on an extra room for anyone 2 or over which would have ment going from a 2 bed to a 4 bed. DD largely co-sleeps especially in a strange place so would be a complete waste of money we couldn't afford!

Always worried that DS will announce proudly "I'm 4,not 3". Also the only time it's arisen recently was a boat trip in the Hebrides, and I figured the people running it were probably only just scraping a living anyway (I have rellies up there, one of whom works in a hotel, so I know just how seasonal and shit the tourist trade is - one is paid cash-in-hand below the minimum wage for a 6 day week - it's either that or no job at all).

BTW, those of you doing this on a train on a regular basis - buy a railcard (for financial, if not for moral reasons). One adult plus child on a railcard is cheaper than an adult ticket. I've been buying tickets for DS since he was born for this reason (you can do this, even though you don't have to, for children under 5, and get the discount, though some rail staff don't seem to realise this!)

It isn't like shoplifting. You aren't causing the company to lose stock they could make a profit from.
In fact it can increase their profits- if I hadn't been able to get a child ticket I wouldn't have travelled at all.

You forgot about the scenario where people don't go at all, Tiiggy, or where people go much less frequently, if they are compelled to pay a big price jump 2 days after rather than 2 days before the child's birthday. I am sure that businesses factor this in, and is a reason why staff often encourage a bit of fibbing for children who are close to the threshold age; even the staff intuitively know that it's better to get people thru the door then have them decide not to go all.

Feet thru the door means more sales of other items (souvenirs, food, etc.)

I heard a story about someone who snuck an extra child AND a dog into their hotel room without paying. Probably broke fire regs but didn't truly mean a cut in profits.

Ds is only 1.2m at nearly 10. When he was 6 we went to the station to get to the main station to go to York. I had to buy our tickets as it was 8am and the bloke refused to sell me a ticket for Ds. I did have a ticket to york and back.

2 weeks ago the bloke at the pool kept asking me how old Ds was as he is small and the guy was mortified when I said he was 9 almost 10.

DD won 3 Blue Peter badges many years ago. They got her free entry into lots of places. DS1 never managed to win one but he still got in free wearing one of his sister's badges. Yes I know it was wrong but in those days families paid to go into the Natural History Museum, National Railway Museum etc. and and at the time it was the only way our DC were going to get to visit these places. I never lied about a child's age though as others have said mine would all have told the man on the gate their real age.

We don't go on high capacity busy days, admittedly.
Going on a busy day is an over my dead body prospect.
And don't understand how child aged 2y+364 days doesn't contribute to max capacity but child age 2y+366 days does.

It is wrong. When I was a kid my dad did it all the time and I remember getting really stressed out, thinking they was going to question me. It's unfair on the child.

Fibbers run the risk of small children correcting them. I remember innocently dobbing my parents in on a London bus when I was little. They said I was five, I was most indignant and told the conductor 'no I'm not, I'm a big girl, it was my birthday last week and I AM SIX'.

Ive done it....no shame felt whatsoever. Theme park nearest to me charges one price only once child is aged 3 or over!! No way can my 4 y/o get same VFM there than my 14 y/o or even 10 y/o. Completely ridiculous! About 3/4 of rides not suitable for him for a start off. Prices into attractions can be ludicrous sometimes. But for things like local swimming pool i'd not do it...maybe cos id get rumbled!!