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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To lie about DD's age to get her in free?

375 replies

Kasterborous · 25/03/2015 14:56

I'm prepared to be told I was being unreasonable. We took DD who turned three 24 days ago to our local Wildlife park today. Under three they get in free, over three it's £10.00 which seems a lot so we said she was two. I know it was dishonest and next time we will pay for her.

OP posts:
googoodolly · 25/03/2015 15:24

Nobody on MN ever does anything remotely immoral to get anything cheaply or for free Grin

Whereas in the real world, people do this all the time. I got away with paying kids prices on trains until I was about 16 'cause of this.

manicinsomniac · 25/03/2015 15:27

But your nearly 4 year old is 3 twolittleterrors Confused

Yeah, it's wrong. But I do it. So do most people I think. Though, you were lucky not to get the highly indignant 'no, I'm not, I'm 3' piping up from the buggy!

I had child tickets on trains and busses until I was 24 - by which time dd1 was nearly 5! Sometimes I didn't even ask for the child fare, was just charged it anyway. I wasn't going to correct them!

manicinsomniac · 25/03/2015 15:29

googoodolly - you're allowed to travel as a child on trains until you're 16!

Unless it's different in some areas

TwoLittleTerrors · 25/03/2015 15:33

manic but I thought most attractions are free for under 3. So you have to pay for 3 year olds? Am I misunderstanding the pricing then Hmm

TwoLittleTerrors · 25/03/2015 15:34

And yes my DD answer to how old are you is I don't know. Or something random like 18z

xiaozhu · 25/03/2015 15:35

It would depend who owns the park. If it's a local charity then I'd pay. If it's some private equity house (which it may well be - you'd be surprised) then I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

DrankSangriaInThePark · 25/03/2015 15:36

'Who doesn't do this?'

Me, for a start.

OneTwoManyLots · 25/03/2015 15:39

I used to get a half on the bus well into my twenties. I feel no shame.

I lied about my DS2's age for swimming recently but I added 7 months so he was allowed into the wee spa pool.

I'd lie about ages to get my DC in cheaper at expensive days out but they have better morals than me and would dob me in.

manicinsomniac · 25/03/2015 15:42

Oh, I don't know what the norm is twolittleterrors - it was you saying FWIW I say my nearly 4 year old is 3 that confused me as I assumed you were talking about somewhere that was free for under 4s. No, I don't think you're misunderstanding the rules for under 3s

hedgehogsdontbite · 25/03/2015 15:45

I wouldn't, but then I'm genetically predisposed to absolute honesty even if it gets me into trouble.

Spadequeen · 25/03/2015 15:46

My parents did this to me for a rugby match. I think I needed to be under 18 for a junior ticket, I was 28 ffs! I wouldn't mind but both they and I could afford to pay full price and I would have been willing to, I didn't know about it until we were there by which time it was too late and they were pre paid tickets.

LittleBairn · 25/03/2015 15:47

My dad used to go this with me all the time it really made me uncomfortable even as a small child. So now as an adult I always tell the truth about kids ages otherwise I just can't enjoy the activity and feel on edge.

TiedUpWithString · 25/03/2015 15:48

My parents used to do this to me all the time. It helped I was tiny anyway. I HATED it. Hth

LittleBairn · 25/03/2015 15:48

Grin spade I can't believe they still did that to you aged 28, my dad would have been impressed.

SoonToBeSix · 25/03/2015 15:49

Yes op most people do this. Also most people lie on forums Grin

SoonToBeSix · 25/03/2015 15:50

( as in say they don't do it)

Original poster
Kasterborous · 25/03/2015 15:52

My Dad did this when we all went to the Yorshire show, I think I was 17 or 18 and he was telling us all how old we should say we were to get the cheapest price for each of us. I could always get in for younger than I actually was being very short and I did look quite young too, though those days are long gone. I'm not saying it's right but I'm one of five children and it cost our parents a fortune if we went out anywhere so we rarely did unless it was somewhere free.

OP posts:
sosix · 25/03/2015 15:54

Fgs of course its ok

SomewhereIBelong · 25/03/2015 15:54

Nobody on MN ever does anything remotely immoral to get anything cheaply or for free

It is illegal to knowingly defraud them of the entrance fee - fraud...you know, a crime, not just "remotely immoral" - and anyone talking about planning to do it in the future is committing conspiracy to defraud.

I don't do it either - people who do just make the price higher for everybody else... and the distantly remote possibility of ending up with a criminal record over something so petty (considering I would also lose my job ) does stop me.

and I don't lie about it either. What the heck gives people the right to accuse others of lying, just because they actually WANT to be honest and upstanding citizens who set a good example to their children.

cheers...

nokidshere · 25/03/2015 15:58

I would have done if could have got away with it!!! As it was I used to have to take proof that my boys were under 3 because at 2yrs they were already taller than most 4 year olds and no one ever believed me when I told them how old they were!!

ragged · 25/03/2015 15:59

This is why I have done it & would again:

I'm only there because of my small child. They are the one visiting & benefiting, I am just the chaperone. Often to activities that I never in my wildest dreams would fancy. I am not there for my benefit. Yet I have to pay full price for me to be a chaperone. A set up where the child paid full price & adult paid a small surcharge would be okay, but almost no one offers that. The usual deal works out especially dear if you only have one child to chaperone.

Openup41 · 25/03/2015 15:59

Wrong is wrong even if everybody is doing it. Right is right even if nobody is doing it.

ImCatbug · 25/03/2015 16:01

YABU - makes everyone else have to pay more. It's theft.

How does that mean everyone else has to pay more? It's not like theft in a shop where the missing stock must be made up for by raising prices, if the OPs child had been born a few weeks earlier/ they had visited a few weeks earlier then they wouldn't have paid anyway.
And it's not really theft. It's dishonest, yes, but you're not actually stealing anything.

prawnballs · 25/03/2015 16:01

She was only 3 weeks over her birthday - I would have done the same.

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 25/03/2015 16:02

I have never lied about dd's age because lying about her age would have made her seemingly be conceived and born at a different time thus making her a completely different person. Different sperm different egg.
Not only that dd has always had s big mouth so if I'd have "she's 4 for example dd would have said. Mum, I'm not. I'm 5
My goodness that was deep and meaningful on a thread about trying to get kids on for free.