How to get in a club if you are below 18?

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
1

Yep, not for me (I’m old enough), but for a friend’s son who will visit TW from Europe. He’s 16 (looking older, though, plus he’s almost 2m tall), and as far as I can tell all clubs here are 18+. And they check IDs.

Is there anything like “accompanied by parent is OK”?

Simply, I’d like him to see a club from the inside, especially since he already started to be interested in girls :wink:

Or are there any low-risk options how to get him into a club? With “Low Risk” = not risking more than a money fine.

2

[quote=“olm”]Yep, not for me (I’m old enough), but for a friend’s son who will visit TW from Europe. He’s 16 (looking older, though, plus he’s almost 2m tall), and as far as I can tell all clubs here are 18+. And they check IDs.

Is there anything like “accompanied by parent is OK”?

Simply, I’d like him to see a club from the inside, especially since he already started to be interested in girls :wink:

Or are there any low-risk options how to get him into a club? With “Low Risk” = not risking more than a money fine.[/quote]

On a different note, care to recommend any clubs in Taipei other than The Wall ?

3

Well, The Wall is already not a very typical club… typical as in “drink & dance”. They call it “live house” here I think. Similar would be Velvet Underground as far as I know. What kind of place do you look for?

4

Isn’t it the same here as anywhere else? Walk in casually, confidently, acting as though, “yea no biggie, I come here all the time,” chatting with your buddy, avoiding eye contact with the doorman, bouncer, proprietor, etc. if possible, letting him pay for both of you if needed, while you stand there calmly, nonchalantly scoping out the scene, and then walking smoothly inside to melt into the crowd, and if one is asked for ID . . . “lets see, is it in this pocket, no this pocket, no. . .aw, damn, I guess I left it in my other jacket, but for crisake I’m 20 years old. . .” How would it differ in Taiwan?

5

I admit I am not a clubbing professional… but the few times I went to various clubs in TW, every single guest’s ID was demanded (no ID = no entry), most meticulously checked, and in some cases (like Roxy99) even photographed one by one.

So if you know any place where the thing you recommend even has a slight chance of working, please let me know :slight_smile:

Of course, I would much prefer to know if there is something like I know from Europe, where in some cases a 16yo can do stuff for 18+ (like go in a club etc.) when the parents are with him.

6

[quote=“olm”]Yep, not for me (I’m old enough), but for a friend’s son who will visit TW from Europe. He’s 16 (looking older, though, plus he’s almost 2m tall), and as far as I can tell all clubs here are 18+. And they check IDs.

Is there anything like “accompanied by parent is OK”?

Simply, I’d like him to see a club from the inside, especially since he already started to be interested in girls :wink:

Or are there any low-risk options how to get him into a club? With “Low Risk” = not risking more than a money fine.[/quote]

wow I wish I had that problem lol

Most won’t ask but the police sometimes come in and do spot checks

7

[quote=“olm”] in some cases (like Roxy99) even photographed one by one.[/quote]A foreign driver’s license or student card, etc. will do just fine. :wink:

I was in a club once with someone residing illegally here. The cops did a check/bust. She showed them her credit card and that sufficed. Be prepared for the consequences if the cops do bust you, though.

[color=#FF0000]Edited by moderator.[/color]

8

Which is?

Imprisonment? Not being able to return home the next day? Or just a fine? Any idea? :wink:

9

are the underage people/person in question white?

if so don’t worry about it. unless of course you look like a 12 year old.

99 does ‘check’ IDs.

As for legal concerns, I’d sweat that about as much as being abducted by an alien. Not gonna happen.

[color=#FF0000]Edited by moderator.[/color]

10

Nope, it’s about getting a 16yo son of a friend a look inside a TWese club. He can (and did) get drunk outside clubs much easier anyway :stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks everyone, I guess we will just try…

[color=#FF0000]Edited by moderator.[/color]

11

I have a story that might help. The first time I visited Taiwan my friends took me to Babe 18 in Warner Village. I had forgotten my US driver’s license and never carried my passport with me. All i had was my college student ID card and a photocopy of my passport (which I always keep in my wallet when travelling). They let me in after a few minutes of inspection.

[color=#FF0000]Edited by moderator.[/color]

12

[color=#FF0000]Edited by moderator.[/color]

anyone else know this film - “McLovin’”

13

Yeah, that was pretty cool with him trying to buy booze at the convenience store. Total cock up! :roflmao:

What we used to do in high school was go up to a bum outside a liquor store and give him the money to buy our booze with enough for a beer or two for him. Commission of sorts.

14

Excuse my ignorance or foolishness of my questions, but I’m shocked and I really want to know the answers to them. No joke. I’ve never been asked for an ID on any of the rare occasions that I have gone to a night club, or bar, etc. Yeah, yeah…I’m older than dirt, but I’ve never seen doormen ask to see other patron’s IDs before entering, either. This is very interesting. In the land of “No law is too important to be disregarded”, I find it increduous that this one would be the one worthwhile in upholding.

  1. Do all night clubs in Taiwan actually check IDs? I mean really? Are they required to by law?

  2. Do some night clubs actually scan or copy the ID you present when you enter? Club names, please.

  3. Do some night clubs take digital photos of the people entering the night clubs? Club names, please.

  4. Do police really go into night clubs looking for underage partiers?

  5. What is the penalty for being caught underage in a club?

  6. Does a club get fined, too if an underaged partier is found on the premises?

Please don’t hammer me too hard with your responses. :blush:

15

MODS:
With all due respect to the op, isn’t allowing a discussion of how to do an illegal act against the rules on this forum. I seem to recall describing a good fishing hole that happened to be illegal being removed, yet I see a discussion about “how to do an illegal act” with much more serious ramifications. With all due respect, have the rules changed and now we can describe how to do illegal activities?
Sorry to be a wet blanket. My suggestion is stay at your friends home and get blasted. Why make an innocent pub lose their license.

16

That is pretty amazing because for me it is the total opposite. I got checked wherever I go, I have even been refused once because I had forgotten to bring a copy or whatever that looks sort of official! :fume: I am almost old enough to be their granddad! So I guess it is ok to conclude that they hardly care about what it says but more about the fact you have something on you and they have checked that fact. Maybe in case I too drop dead in there? At my age you just bloody never know, right? :roflmao:

[quote]Yeah, yeah…I’m older than dirt, but I’ve never seen doormen ask to see other patron’s IDs before entering, either. [/quote] No clue how old that should be. I am 48 and I start to feel pretty much out of place with my wrinkled face. I don’t even feel flattered anymore when they want to see my papers again.

All very understandable if you ask me. There is a lot of money going on in clubs and the last thing they like to see is all the lights popping up, having the music killed for 1 hour and seeing all their customers suddenly getting very nervous. For Police men with bad intentions they would make an easy pray to visit regularly and thus killing a business in a sort of legal way. One option for a club is to pay of Police, which of course is illegal :sunglasses: or else they could make damn sure all is legal and within the rules and laws. In that way nothing to fear but they still suffer from their visits now and than.
But… no worries lah; of course the Police doesn’t do such bad things! They just do their job and they follow up on tips or in case they have serious suspicion (or maybe a cash problem).

[quote]1. Do all night clubs in Taiwan actually check IDs? I mean really? Are they required to by law?[/quote] Yes, they have to or risk getting fined for allowing minors. I cannot name you one club in TP where I didn’t have to show some sort of paper with a face with a name and year on it. Copy will do too though.

[quote]2. Do some night clubs actually scan or copy the ID you present when you enter? Club names, please.[/quote] I know this from Antwerp (Red and Blue) but have not seen that here yet. They even managed to make you buy your “personal entry ID card with photo” that off course you had to buy for a lot of money. Just another way of ripping you off.
Sigh,… what happened to the good old days where a big golden ring, set all around with diamonds shown in the face of a doorman would suddenly open the door of Paris’ most expensive nightclub on the Champs Ellysee. No questions asked. Not shitting you, this actually happened to me 20 years back when I wasn’t let in, next my Thai bf flips his hand over my shoulder and starts screaming: “Hello monsieur, can we go inside now?” in crappy English. Oh well, no Paris taxi would ever stop for him, but they did for me (if not in a leather jacket though).

[quote]3. Do some night clubs take digital photos of the people entering the night clubs? Club names, please.[/quote] Sound logical if they have several camera’s rolling, I know I would…(that being legal or not, who cares). You want to see as much as possible, also to check on stealing or dealing staff.

Ha, you bet! I have had at least ten such occasions! I even once had them knocking on my hotel door at 3 am, first night I arrived here in 2005! As if they could bloody smell where I was!! :noway: No worries guys, I (finally) stopped my clubbing life… :ohreally:
Except for under-age, they also are also searching for drugs off course. I know of one TP dance club where a guy drops dead on the dance floor from a drug overdose and yet, that club is the only exception; they NEVER get raided by Police. That club really must have “good” connections and communication with their local Police Force :sunglasses: :sunglasses: :sunglasses:

Don’t know, not interesting…
You and I should start inquiring if there is a penalty for “over age” :howyoudoin:

[quote]6. Does a club get fined, too if an underaged partier is found on the premises?[/quote] Pretty sure they do, but they might be offered a discount of they make a contribution to their local Police Pension fund and thus show their good will for keeping up good relations. :bravo: Showing your good will always helps immensely, as does traveling with enough cash on you, for unforeseen circumstances. That is the beauty of the system.

No worries, all nice and decent law abiding people here :wink:

17

[quote=“Enigma”]MODS:
With all due respect to the op, [color=#FF0000]isn’t allowing a discussion of how to do an illegal act against the rules on this forum[/color]. I seem to recall describing a good fishing hole that happened to be illegal being removed, yet I see a discussion about “how to do an illegal act” with much more serious ramifications. With all due respect, have the rules changed and now we can describe how to do illegal activities?
Sorry to be a wet blanket. My suggestion is stay at your friends home and get blasted. Why make an innocent pub lose their license.[/quote]
He’s not asking for advice on how to do anything illegal.

[quote=“olm”]Yep, not for me (I’m old enough), but for a friend’s son who will visit TW from Europe. [color=#FF0000]He’s 16 (looking older, though, plus he’s almost 2m tall), and as far as I can tell all clubs here are 18+. And they check IDs.[/color]

[color=#FF0000]Is there anything like “accompanied by parent is OK”?[/color]

Simply, I’d like him to see a club from the inside, especially since he already started to be interested in girls :wink:

Or are there any low-risk options how to get him into a club? With “Low Risk” = not risking more than a money fine.[/quote]
The OP isn’t asking for advice on how to get someone underage into a nightclub illegally, nor how to obtain illegal identification for an underage person.
He’s asking if Taiwanese law allows for “accompanied by parent”, and if there is any risk in taking a 16 year old into a night club.

Nothing illegal there, IMVHO. However, you’re free to send a message to one of the senior mods, like DB, or to admin. If they feel the thread is inappropriate I’ll be happy to temp or flame it.

[color=#FF0000]Edit: Reminder to all posters. Please don’t post any illegal advice. Stick to the OP about “accompanying a parent”, legal concerns and repercussions.[/color]

18

I’ve never been checked anywhere on the island. After reading this thread, I feel slightly insulted. :fume:

I’ve seen that happen on many occasions, but they never seem to bother the foreigners. Same at internet cafes after midnight. Although they did check my ID there once, but it was probably to see if I was legally in Taiwan or something.

As to some posters that have offered the advice of “leaving” your ID at home or conveniently forgetting to bring it along. Taiwanese law states that everyone, citizens and foreigners, need to carry some sort of identification with them at all times. Failure to do so can result in a fine, I think.

19

Add me to the list of people who’ve never been asked or even seen others asked. I don’t go to clubs much though, and when I do, it’s work related, so perhaps it’s because I always arrive early. Even having my name on a guest list, they only ever ask me to point to my name on the list - they never check that it’s really my name.

20

I would imagine that if you have enough cleavage and are hot enough you can get into any club without id’s.

But yes, some places do have those scanner type things that you have to put your id card in front of it first. I always thought it was just to read the barcodes behind your ID card (NID and ARC’s all have some sort of barcode or letter codes around the same area on the back of your card), but I guess they’re actually cameras.