Thanks Waves you're a treasure (and not the kind that shld b buried treasure either)

This morning at about 10 o clock (luckily I was awake at 5am so had a sleep in) there was this scuffling on the front deck of the house and this almight banging against the glass in the door. I thought it was going to smash.

I got up and went to the door to find one of the dogs who comes here every day after her swim at the beach, so we can give her (and usually Sacha a friend of hers), nutritious doggy biscuits.

But then this kid nearly falls through the door absoluteluy REEKING of alcohol. I asked him who he was, where he was from and how old he was. He said "I'm Alec, I'm from Arkoa, and Im 17".

I was gobsmacked. 17 and can hardly stand up. I was so angry at him! I asked him why he was banging on the glass the way he did and he couldn't remember.

Anyway My partner Deej came and stood behind me (He's a huge hairy biker type), and I never saw anyone stumble away so fast in my life! After he apologised that is.

I told him he should be totally ashamed of himself. Anyway the dog wasn't going anywhere till she'd had her biccies, she's not stupid, so I went and got her one...but she's used to at least two. So she wouldn't leave then until Deej gave her another couple...and this kid was stood at the bottom of the garden weaving backwards and forwards calling the dog who was totally ignoring him. Eventually he stumbled off and was last seen heading toward the surf clubhouse...

Why do kids do this? Don't they realise what sort of life they're going to have? If he's like that at 17, what on earth is he going to be like when he is of legal drinking age?

We have a huge alcohol problem in Australia because the legal drinking age is 18. It should be 21 but the govt know they would lose millions of dollars in drinkers taxes if they raised the age limit, even though there has been umpteen polls saying that it would be the right thing to do.

Anyhoo this is the first time they've ever brought it onto our place.....should be the last after the way I told him off. We could hear him speaking to his mates after he managed to get to the surf club, and they were telling him he should have a sleep...I agreed...

Thanks for reading my rant,
Rhiannon