What, 15? No, things do not suddenly become legal if your parents are around. In fact, in my state the parent would be arrested too for helping commit the crime.

it depends. you can drink when you are 16 in some countries

In Georgia if the parents are present the child is allowed to drink under supervision. I know this for a fact because my best friend's dad used to get permission from parents and police to serve beer at parties on the stipulation that he got permission from the parents for the teens to drink and stay the night. I never drank because I always went home.

In Georgia, you can drink if your parents are present and give permission. Your parents can not give your friends permission to drink. They'll go to jail for that shit.

No, I mean her parents had to get permission from the other people's parents. And if they drank they stayed the night. They kicked one of her bfs out one night cuz his parents said no and he kept trying to take them out of the cooler.

A site said this on the matter: " Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Missouri, New Hampshire, and West Virginia" have no drinking law exceptions. Parental consent doesn't help. As mentioned, Georgia is a state that allows at home with parental consent, along with several other states.

I'll admit, I'm surprised by Alabama on that list of no exceptions. Every time I visit that state the teenagers are out drinking the parents at parties O.o

well, this is not some other country.

considering op is not in the USA I am not sure what this lesson on state laws will do. Each country has different laws. They really shouldn't have been drinking underage, op's father was just doing his job.

You're underage

34 - It's not just a US law. Here in BC, Canada, we've got a very similar law. Anyone with parental permission may drink in their own home if the parent is present, at any age. I've been allowed to drink at home on special occasions since I was 12 (though could have sooner) simply because my mom is German and was raised the same way. I very rarely drink enough to get smashed these days because of it (my mom hardly drinks at all, period).

Obviously he's underage so you can say YDI all you want, however he did say "estranged father". So for all the people who are crying 'you moron your dad's a cop' - it's not likely he was expecting a visit.

OP I feel for you. And I don't know why people in the comments are giving you so much shit. I didn't drink 'til I was legal age, but almost everyone I know drank underage. And the OP was possibly doing it safely at a house party. That and the OP stated estranged father, so why would expect someone who is not in his life to show up, let alone arrest his friends. OP I don't know the laws down under, but did you invite him in and was he on duty? He may not have had the authority to arrest your friends. I hope you can mend that relationship.

So speeding is OK as long as you don't expect to get caught? It's OK to kill your family and shit on your dog, as long as you don't expect the cops to show up?

How is drinking at 17 one year under the legal drinking age of 18 in Australia where the OP is from equivalent to murdering your family? Who was the OP harming by celebrating a birthday at home with a few friends having a few beers?

Bro like for reall -.- this is 2013 His Dad is a Hater with a mest upp #Childhood

Everyone please stop being so ******* self-righteous. As if none of you ever had a drink underage. Yes, it's stupid and I don't condone it but OP's friends didn't deserve to be arrested over it any more than half of you did on New Years' Eve. Someone mentioned this before me but it pissed me off; the majority of you seem to have missed the fact that OP is from Australia, where the drinking age is 18, making this entire scenario even more ridiculous. You'd all pity OP if they were 20 years old living in America under the exact same circumstances. Just a little perspective.

It's legal for a person in Queensland, Australia (where OP lives) to drink in the presence of a guardian (so long as they're not in public or anything).

15 idk where in GA you live but I live here too and no it doesn't matter if your parent is present , underage drinking is still underage drinking and it's still illegal, parents or not

#15, that's the way it works in GA if the underage person is 18 or older. OP is 17. OP, friends and Mom are all screwed.

**** your hashtag, 93. This isn't twitter.

-_-

Ahh 102, that part I was not aware of. I just know that we did it in high school.

I don't know.. and his father was estranged - it doesn't sound like OP expected him to turn up

Unless OP was driving - but it doesn't sound like it!

In Canada I was able to drink even in restaurants before I was 18 if I was with a parent. Most of my family occasion had wine which I usually had a glass or two. Under age drinking happens everywhere and hopefully they drink to excess puke their guts out and learn a lesson.

In Australia if the cops see you out dribbling they tip out your drink and send u on your way. It's not a big no no, sounds like her dad went overboard

Well he is still a police officer. He needs to do his job without bias.

Oooops I meant drinking****

#94, I have never had a drink underage. Every drink I have had was of the perfect age. Especially that 20 year old scotch I once tried.

86 since when is killing your family comparable to underage drinking? that's like comparing dropping a plate of mashed potatoes to the sierra leone civil war

except, 102 and 15, if you had paid attention, you would notice that OP is from Queensland, Australia; not the United States. So Georgia's drinking laws mean absolutely nothing

Oh shut up #1. Everyone drinks underage all over the world. Childhood isn't all about sticking to the rules and doing what you're told. I never did, had the time of my life, got a college degree and have a comfortable job and hot girlfriend. So get off your high horse. You missed out my friend. PS you spelled "you're" wrong.

Except being as this FML was posted from Australia, I don't see how our laws in the US matter.

In Australia you can drink underage as long as you are on private property and your parents are supervising and gave their consent. Even if the friends' parents gave consent for their kids to drink at this party, its still illegal for them to drink unless the parents are actually present, and the parents supervising the party are also completely liable for allowing it to happen.

@1, I don't give a **** how many thumbs up you have or how many thumbs down this will earn me: You are a total ******* tool.

126, where do you live in Canada? I live in Alberta and have never been served alcohol underage at a restaurant. Even my cousins, now 23, 22, and 20, we're never served while they were underage. My cousins are still sometimes asked for I.D.

86- you're an idiot. That's not what they're saying at all.

That's similar to Australia where the OP is from. You can drink underage in a private residence under the supervision from parents

Where I live in NSW Australia, if there is a registered underage party (meaning they've told the police about it) with adults, we can drink. I've been to plenty of parties that to cops have come to when I was 16 17 and they didn't take any drinks or arrest anyone. It's must different in America, and don't forget our drinking age is 18. My area particularly, most kids start drinking at 15

1. Wrong thread (look above) 2. I'm not from America so I wouldn't know 3. I don't drink cos alcohol is tied with the worlds dumbest thing to do with drugs.

"I'm from America so I wouldn't know" wow, I'm impressed at your ability to make us all sound like ignorant jerks. I'm American as well and I knew the drinking age for Australia. Also, google exists. It would have taken about 4 seconds. You sounded immature and rude in your response to a person that wasn't even being hostile toward you.

It wasn't my intention to sound rude and what I meant by 'I wouldn't know' is that I don't know the drinking laws in America. To be honest since I don't drink I don't look up the laws on Google and I just gave my reason for not drinking, I'm not insulting anyone don't worry.

He said he's not from America, 117. Learn to read before you criticize someone else's comment. Get off your ******* high horse, apparently it's messing with your vision.

My apologies. This entire FML has me wound up at all the hypocrites demonizing OP for their underage drinking when almost all of them have certainly done the same. I don't drink either. I exploded at the wrong person. As for the reading comprehension, I guess the phrase "blind fury" is more literal than I previously realized. I'm not even argumentative 99% of the time; I would do something embarrassing like this the one time I lash out, hah.

I don't think it's so much the fact that he was drinking underaged that is causing most of the replies more so that he was doing something illegal and then complained about getting in trouble for said illegal act. I have had a few drinks underage of course but I would not be saying the cop is a jerk for attesting us. I get that it's his estranged father but if his father is estranged then why would he expect to be let of the hook?

You should change your username to MyLastUsernameWasVeryAccurate.

#59 Well if his last username is accurate, why bother changing it?

... I have no idea. I didn't think that far ahead. Je m'excuse.

#4, a nice bottle of Scotch would be a thoughtful gift :)

How about a blind fold...,,

Father's Day in Aussie is in September..

Since OP didn't mention this, we could assume that his mother/guardian was present and had given him permission to drink, so the dad decided to be a utter prick and arrest his friends instead. There is upholding the law, and then there is being a spiteful tosser under the guise of authority.

yeah bc he showed up and arrested all of OPs friends. that's definitely better than him not showing up and all of OP's friends don't get arrested -_-

An estranged father isn't likely to stop by, so OP wasn't exactly making an oversight there

well my dads a cop and offere alcohol all the time, i decline, so he trusts me at parties, and doesn't show up. works great.

OP's estranged father. If he was really estranged how did he know where OP lives? How did he know OP was having a party, at his own home, because it's his birthday? FYL OP, if you haven't heard from him in 17 years and he just pops in now. YDI if he's had contact with you lately and you're being a stubborn brat.

So wait. If a child's parent attempts contact and the child refuses, they're a stubborn brat? wait wait wait when I was 15, I told my biological father to go **** himself and ceased all visitation. to this day, many years later, he sends me the creepiest, most "affectionate" cards he can find on holidays. that counts as attempting contact, right? by your logic, I was (and am) a stubborn brat. until you realize that the reason I did this was because he was abusive to me, my sister, and my mother for all my life. he never grew up and had an addiction to partying that left him almost never sober. he was a scumbag and was unhealthy to me; my decision was supported by my mother and step-father wholeheartedly. and yet, by your logic (as I'm understanding it) I was a brat. my point: you can't make a judgement like that without details.

I hate to break this to you but estranged means that the father was not expected, or even invited. He showed up unannounced at a private home and made arrests. This is insanely far from "his job."