How to keep on the right side of the old bill when you go out!  When you are either gelling your hair or putting on that last coat of lipstick, you're not necessarily thinking about your rights as a person or the thin line between having fun and breaking the law.
Quite often when we go out to anything like a concert or a night club we often feel that where ever we go we must just except what ever people tell us. This can be anything from "sorry but we are not going to refund your ticket" or "This meal is satisfactory". When really you have rights and you are often in the position to disagree with them and the law is fully behind you. Pubs  If you go out to somewhere like a pub you will have more fun when you are over 18 because you won't have the worry about getting caught. Although if you are under the age you must realise what will happen if you do eventually get caught.
- You can only
buy alcohol when you are 18 or over. If you are caught committing a criminal offence by buying alcohol expect to be in b*llox with coppers or your folks. - Also if you are over the age and you are caught buying for an under 18 you are also committing an offence (you can be fined up to a grand).
 If you are over 14 you can be in a pub, which has a licence for this and they must be selling food. You are still not allowed to order alcohol. - If you are 16 you will be allowed to order very low-level alcoholic drinks (under 0.5%).
- Some towns and cities ban drinking alcohol on the streets. If you ignore this you can risk spending a night behind bars if you are asked to stop drinking. You may also be fined up to £500 (that is one expensive pint of beer).
Nightclubs A lot of your rights in nightclubs are similar to the ones just talked about in the pub section. Like pubs, nightclubs (otherwise known as cattle-markets) have to hold special licences.  It is also illegal to sell alcohol to under 18's (sorry under 18's but if you are 18 and you experience a full hang-over on Saturday or Sunday morning you would wish you are under 18!). - The owners also are able to choose the person who enters the doors but they are not allowed to turn people away because of their sex, race or disability.
- Bouncers have no special powers!
I repeat: bouncers have no special powers. They have the follow the same laws as everyone else although they are entitled to use small amounts of force to chuck someone out. If they do use excessive force on you...DO NOT HESITATE IN REPORTING THEM. - They have to be careful that if they use too much force they should expect the cops to put them in a cell next to the physical complainers and the under 18 drinkers (and their providers).
Gambling  The under 18's will be glad to here that normally there is no restriction on age on playing fruit and slot machines! However if there are big cash prizes involved or machines paying out over a tenner there are age restrictions.
- Although under 18's are banned from casinos (so you may have to wait before you fly over to Vegas!), bingo's (your Nan may have to wait) and private clubs if they're going to gamble but they can go in to watch.
- 16 and over year olds are able to sit in front of the TV on Saturdays waiting for the all important 6 numbers, whilst they are constantly scratching grey crap of these cards which are normally worth a quid. Although if you're under 16 you should not allowed to buy the tickets.
Raves  If you want to organise a rave you need a licence! If you don't have one you risk your own neck as well as the safety of everyone else, especially if it gets overcrowded. - The police are allowed to break up an open-air rave of more than 100 people, if the noise and people from it is gonna disturb and distress people nearby.
- Your gear could be confiscated, you can be ordered off the land and the police can arrest anyone who goes back to the land within seven days of the rave.
- You can get a prison sentence for up to 3 months or be fined for breaking the law surrounding raves.
When you are coming back from a night out you sill have rights!  Cabs
- Black cabs can be flagged down or you can jump in them when they are sitting in the taxi ranks.
- Taxi's which are light up also can be used in the same way.
- Other taxis have to be booked or called for.
- All taxis are required to help customers in the car and have to assist with disabled clients.
 Taxis must not refuse to take disabled passengers. - If you feel you are a victim of this note the taxi number as well as the reg. of the car. Then report it to the local licensing authority (call your council for the number!).
The laws stated in this article apply only to England and Wales
Rosanna
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