Today I arrived in Canada for the first time. I am a U.S. citizen and am very used to the way things are typically done in America. For example, I had the following experience.
            So, my family and I (which includes me, my mother, my father, and my sister) flew into Vancouver. We took a large ferry, along with some friends of ours, over to Victoria, which is on Vancouver Island. Eventually, we decided to go for dinner. We had a couple guidebooks that recommended various places. The first place we tried was some pub/brewery, something that was highly recommended in the guidebook. However, when we got inside of the doors, the hostess takes one look at us and tells us that all the seating available for us has been taken up by reservations. One of the adults with us inquired as to why we had limited seating choices. The hostess told us that because we had minors with us (three, in fact, including me), we could only sit on the top floor, which was taken up by reservations. We left, a bit disappointed, and resolved to find another restaurant.
             Maybe fifteen minutes later, we found another restaurant. The seven of us walked inside the building. However, there was a sign partially blocking the entryway into the seating area. It read something like this.

No Minors Beyond This Point. If you are a minor, you must enter through the patio entrance.

      

     I don't exactly remember what the age that made one a minor in Canada was, but for some reason, I would like to say that it was under 19. Anyway, we walked around to the back of the restaurant, looking for the patio entrance. My dad found it and walked inside. He, along with the rest of us, quickly came to the conclusion that minors were not allowed in the restaurants because of the fact that there was an alcohol bar that was present inside. Apparently, it seems that there is some law that prohibits minors from being too close to a bar with alcohol or something. I don't know if it is a Canadian law or a law in Victoria, but being from the states, such a things is just absurd. Actually, to make matters even more ridiculous, there was a sign from the entrance of the patio to the main restaurant that said that all minors were not permitted to use the restrooms inside of the restaurant. Instead, the minors must go out the patio door and all the way around to the outside entrance of the bathrooms. 

          You know, the emotion that I probably felt the most at this event was insulted. I mean, I am used to the way things are done in the states, and in the states, minors can not only walk through restaurants with bars but in most cases, actually be seated at the bar.

           It is my opinion that the minors were treated with inferiority and disrespect. This law was basically a message saying to minors "you are not mature enough to walk and sit near alcoholic beverages in a family restaurant," and really, that hurts. It is cruel, pointless, and actually sort of discriminates based on age because the different ages are being told that they have to sit in certain places. This is not the 1960's, and such a law is out of date and should be carefully examined and then repealed. I most certainly would love to see a scientific study that considerably backs up whatever the unclear point of this law is, for I am willing to bet that such a credible study does not exist. 

What do you guys think? Do you agree with my opinions? Do you disagree? Did I leave something important out in the entry? Thank you and this is Jared.