New York City- One of the most exciting places on the planet. This metropolis boasts some of the best nightlife in the world. There’s just one problem… you have to be twenty-one to reap the benefits.
So this leaves some underage students in a predicament- stay inside on Saturday night or put on your fancy pants and mingle with the New York twenty something’s at a downtown hotspot.
“Everyone who is not 21 has a fake, seriously, everyone,” said Andrew Simmons, a sophomore at NYU.
“People are honestly shocked when you don’t have one,” said Brittany Mason, freshman at The New School. “I am the only one in my group of friends who is yet to get one.”
Why are undergraduate New Yorkers so notorious for their fraudulent identification? One would think that with the excitement of New York, there would always be activities available for college students. However, according to some, the city does not offer enough 18+ venues for young people living in the city. There are hundreds of thousands of students in New York, yet only a handful of venues that caters to an undergraduate audience. Webster Hall (which you have to be 19 to get into), Pacha (only on certain nights) and a dance club called Europa in Brooklyn.
“You get tired of going to the same places,” said Andrea Moreno, freshman at NYU.
There are many ways to obtain these ID’s. Many students used the expired licenses of older brothers and sisters who resemble them, others buy them off of upperclassmen with similar facial features, as well as the plethora of miniature ID factories scattered around New York.
“I got mine in Chinatown,” said Melanie Sanders, sophomore at The New School. “On the inside, it was a typical bodega, but you went in the back and said a password to some guy and he brought you into a back room where they took your picture and made the ID for you on the spot… super sketchy.”
However, this valuable item might cost you; some “scannable” IDs can run for as much as $200. However, the legal ramifications may be even larger. Worst-case scenario, if you get caught using a fake ID, under New York state legislature, you could be fined up to $1000 dollars. Also, if the identification is legitimate (rather than completely fake) and belongs to someone else, charges of identity theft can be included.
“I’ve never heard of anything bad happening,” said Cater Brandon, sophomore at Hunter. “You will either get rejected or some 300-pound bouncer will take it away.”
“I’ve heard of bouncers taking fakes, and then selling them back to the people they took them from,” said Marcus Corenza, sophomore at NYU. “Everybody’s so corrupt.”
For many students, being in college is synonymous with legal drinking. Going away to school opens endless doors for complete independence, devoid from the hassles and responsibilities of home life. As the legal drinking age remains, many students new to the city are finding ways to adapt to their surroundings. However, it looks like the students of the Big Apple aren’t waiting for 21 candles on their birthday cake to join the fun.
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