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AIBU?

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Original poster

Do you lie about kids ages for free entry?

368 replies

coffeeforone · 15/05/2018 15:18

My DS turned two last weekend. We bought advance tickets for an adventure farm on Saturday. Going along with a friend who has a 4 year old and a DD who is 3 months older than DS.

It's free for under 2's and £11 for everyone else. I paid online and bought us all tickets including my DS and her DD, and let my friend know. She is now furious with me as I have apparently wasted £22 by paying for my DS and her DD. She says its normal not to pay for about a year after the cut off, and was shocked that I paid. TBH it didn't cross my mind when booking, but thinking about it they would never know. WIBU?

OP posts:
BelieveAnything · 18/05/2018 13:49

Singing

Come on people is not the same as shop lifting.

I see it as the same as shop lifting. In fact in some cases I'd see it as worse .... I'd have more sympathy with someone who was skint and was shoplifting to feed their kids than someone who was intentionally lying to get into an amusement park cheaply.
I see it as back or white because it IS black or white.

In general day to day life I try and be honest and do the right thing. I can't say I give it much thought but I think It makes life easier. I don't expect anyone to notice or care what I do and I'm an atheist so I'm not even expecting some reward when I die.

I'm not sure your examples about litter and parking are that useful. I wouldn't intend to park illegally or drop litter but no doubt I have. I can't say I've ever agonized over it.
I'm sure there are other things where my morals would actually be tested. Everyone has their price..... it's just my 'price' doesn't involve casual lying so that I can save some money to go in a theme park. I'd rather not go.

BTW, I've said it before but when my kids were just over entry ages for discounted tickets I'd always ask if it would still be possible for them to have the cheaper rate and we would usually get it.

Wellfuckmeinbothears · 18/05/2018 14:00

It is not shop lifting, honestly all the pearl clutches on here make me laugh! The bus is going to go too it’s destinatiin. That is what the driver is there for. The bus, maintenance, fuel etc is calculated and then a fee added on top per ticket. That doesn’t change if you’re 15 or 16.theur over heads are accounted for. Same goes for theme parks. There are mind numbingly daft people on here.

metalmum15 · 18/05/2018 14:20

Most people don't illegally park unless it's an emergency

A lot of people illegally park without realising they're doing it - too close to a junction or opposite it, too close to a corner, near the brow of a hill, on the wrong side of the road, against a dropped kerb ...you can probably drive down any residential road and see at least one car parked illegally. The only reason people don't realise they're breaking the law is because most of the time there are no traffic wardens or police around to inform them.

MiggeldyHiggins · 18/05/2018 14:29

Surely if something is too expensive, you save up and do it as a special treat?

Yes. And you still say the 3 year old is 2, as it makes no difference to anyone and no-one actually gives a fuck.

MiggeldyHiggins · 18/05/2018 14:29

I see it as back or white because it IS black or white

Nothing is black or white.

BevBrook · 18/05/2018 14:34

Many years ago when I was about 16/17, I'd be dolled up to the nines to get into the pubs but would get on the bus to take me there and ask for a half fare...

When I was an usherette, many many moons ago, kids used to come in and ask for a child ticket (for under-15s) for a 15-rated film. Make your minds up, are you over 15 or under? Also they would ask for a child ticket and smoking seats (yes back when you could smoke in a cinema, and in fact it was perfectly fine for kids to sit in smoking seats, although not literally seats that were smoking).

Rufustheyawningreindeer · 18/05/2018 14:47

Dh did it once in a waterpark

At the time 14 year old ds was much shorter than 11 year old dd

The cut off was 12

He got in fine

But they did not believe us about dd...and she was the one we weren't lying about

BelieveAnything · 18/05/2018 15:22

Miggley

Nothing is black and white

Deciding whether you think it's ok to
lie about your kids ages to get into a theme park more cheaply is a very straight forward decision. Either you are honest about it or not 🤷🏻‍♀️. That seems pretty black or white to me. It's the people that try to make excuses and justify why they are doing it that I find lame. If you are happy to do then at least own it.

There are lots of other moral decisions that are far less clear cut. Such as stealing to feed your kids if you had no way of getting money.

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 18/05/2018 15:41

as it makes no difference to anyone and no-one actually gives a fuck

My FIL says that integrity is how you behave when no one is looking. I've always liked that very much.

RedSkyAtNight · 18/05/2018 15:42

So why not just send one member of your group to the ticket booth and just buy one ticket? If no one cares whether people pay or not.

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 18/05/2018 15:47

My FIL says that integrity is how you behave when no one is looking

Misquoted him actually as typing at speed, but hopefully the gist is still obvious...Grin

WheelyCote · 18/05/2018 15:47

Yep

MumofBoysx2 · 18/05/2018 15:48

I don't think you should lie, no.

MiggeldyHiggins · 18/05/2018 15:50

My FIL says that integrity is how you behave when no one is looking. I've always liked that very much

I agree with that, but my integrity may well be very different to yours. It's all objective, yours is not superior to mine.

Ringonrighthand · 18/05/2018 15:52

My daughter turned 3 in October, we went to Disneyland in the January, it was $94 for her to get in and she couldn't go on half the rides so I just said "2 adults and one infant" and no one batted an eyelid! Saved nearly $100 which we spend on Disney tat in there anyway!

MiggeldyHiggins · 18/05/2018 15:52

There are lots of other moral decisions that are far less clear cut. Such as stealing to feed your kids if you had no way of getting money.

To anyone with half a brain that is not less clear cut, its more. There is no moral dilemma there at all: in a choice between stealing and letting your children starve, you'd steal and you wouldn't even think about it. The only immoral part in that would be with a society where children ran the risk of starving at all.

SingingOutOfTune · 18/05/2018 15:56

Someone said the most people don't park illegally so where does the huge amount of money the council's are making with parking fines comes can from? I see
it every day. I am actually very rule obeying in general and only got one fine because parked car blocking an unmarked lowered kerb for pedestrians crossing. Didn't see it. But I see daily people parking round corners, near roundabouts blocking view to other drivers, causing real danger. People parked on pavements and speeding. It's rare to see cars doing 30 on 30 mile's zone. Unless there is a camera. So I don't think people saving a few pounds on a child tickets are not that bad all considered. The majority of people are not that honest and law obiding. They won't go about killing people but they will commit minor "crimes" daily. Thec trick is knowing when is ok and when is bad to do these things. For example I will go a little over the speed limit sometimes but will slow down if there are pedestrians about. I think the majority will do that.

BelieveAnything · 18/05/2018 16:15

MiggeldyHiggins
No need to be so rude. Lots of posters have said that stealing from a shop is a lot worse than paying the correct price or an entrance ticket.

Mother40 · 18/05/2018 16:32

Also, things such as speaking on the phone whilst driving - i would never do that and think it is much much worse.than lying about children s ages to gain entry. I wonder if those who say they would never lie about ages would never do anything wrong.

MiggeldyHiggins · 18/05/2018 18:21

I don't see where I have been remotely rude. But like everything that is a matter of opinion....

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 18/05/2018 19:13

I agree with that, but my integrity may well be very different to yours. It's all objective, yours is not superior to mine

Erm. Objective? Anyway. You're protesting a bit. I never suggested it was, but yes. I think your interpretation of integrity is clearly very different to mine.

I think it's wrong to lie. Most people think that lying - except in exceptional or extreme circumstances - is wrong. To lie about your children, in front of them, to save a few quid to get into a theme park is fairly unimpressive in my book, but there we go.

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 18/05/2018 19:15

I wonder if those who say they would never lie about ages would never do anything wrong

That's silly, isn't it, though? I'm sure I do things that are wrong all the time, but no, I wouldn't lie about my children to get into a theme park for less money Confused.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that they are paragons of virtue; just that they try not to lie about their kids to save a few quid.

WalkingOnAFlashlightBeam · 18/05/2018 19:25

Also, things such as speaking on the phone whilst driving - i would never do that and think it is much much worse.than lying about children s ages to gain entry. I wonder if those who say they would never lie about ages would never do anything wrong.

Confused

You do know that it's possible not to do all of the above, right? That we don't all have to choose one crime on a bit of paper from a hat each week? That not committing fraud doesn't mean you use your phone while driving?

The most bizarre logical fallacy yet Grin

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 18/05/2018 20:19

”You do know that it's possible not to do all of the above, right? That we don't all have to choose one crime on a bit of paper from a hat each week?”

Bugger - I wish someone had told me this sooner, @WalkingOnAFlashlightBeam! Grin

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 18/05/2018 20:20

On a related note - anyone any good at baking cakes with files in? WinkGrin