Discrimination against the youth.

Whats the go with people under 25 being treated as second class citizens? I work hard, i pay taxes i act responsibly (where needed) and yet people still want to look at me like i'm still some kid. Fair enough i'm only 19 (20 on saturday, happy birthday to me! Send presents!) but what the # do you have to do to prove yourself. If i live in some third world country i would've been viewed an adult years and years ago!

Why so angry you ask? Well currently i am looking for a new house with two friends of mine. One is 23 one is 21. I have been out of home for 6 months and the other two for a couple of years now. We all have good rental history and have jobs. Yet we have been declined for so many houses (i've lost count) because the landlords dont want males under 25 living in their houses.

That to me is discrimination, if the landlord blocked me coz i'm asian and one of my friends is mexican we could sue on the gorunds of discrimination but because he;s discriminating against males under 25 its ok. Its not just that, my inusrance for my car is $1500 a year coz i'm a male under 25, if i was female or over 25 it would be $1000 max! Its bull#, but of course us young males dont have any rights at all and to discriminate against us is ok?

I'm getting sick of the middle aged generation expecting me to act responsible and mature, then despite how much i work and act responsible they turn around and treat me like # coz i'm under 25 and male. Now this isnt an attack on middle agers, its an attack on the way society percieves the youth.

I used to be an anti-society punk, i've calmed down a bit and accepted society for what its is... lately though the feelings have been welling up inside me that society does stink. What do i need to do to prove to a landlord that i am responsible enough to pay his rent and look after his house. I have references from work, from family friends, from my current agen, from my housemate, i have given proof that i earn more than many people twice my age, i have proven i have a good credit rating... what else do you want? my soul! Being young is fun and i'm not going to bother trying to be mature or responsible untill people treat me with the respect a responsible mature young adult deserves!

You answered your own question with your last sentence. Check it out and you will have an answer.

Originally posted by intrepid
You answered your own question with your last sentence. Check it out and you will have an answer.

My point is, i have been mature and responsible, and in reality i'm not going to be less mature or responsible, but what do i have to do to get a chance to prove it? I'm expected to behave like adult, vote like an adult, and do everything an adult would do, but yet i'm not entitled the benefit of the doubt other adults are. From what i've heard past generations didnt have this as much as we did. I was talking to a real estate property manager who told us that if we were our age when he was we wouldnt have any problems at all. Its just so damn frustrating trying to be indepenedent and having all these adults telling you to be responsible but not giving you a chance to prove you can be

another example is a few weeks back a female friend of mine, my age, ad her friends applied for a lease, she got approved in the first week of trying, me and my two male friends have been at it for a month and keep getting told

'sorry, the landlord doesnt want males under 25 leasing his property'.

Its discrimination i tell you



[Edited on 3-6-2004 by specialasianX]

The housing thing I can understand, but I can't help because I don't know Australian law. In America it is unlawful to discriminate for housing for any reason except being a transvestite (don't ask me, but they are not a protected class).

As for the car insurance, it is a simple numbers game, not discrimination. Discrimination would be because of unjustified reasons.

Male drivers 16-25 are the highest risk group for car insurance. Your payments are assesed by your age group And your personal risk record.

I see this youth discrimination in many places. I too am 19 (20 in August, yay).

I go into a lot of chatrooms to discuss politics and other things. Whenever I reveal how old I am, the tone of all the other people in the room changes. They start calling me a child, saying I don't know anything, etc, etc. Now I don't consider myself as wise as someone a lot older than me, but I still would like my opinions to be taken seriously. I'm a student of politics, and I do consider myself to be quite intelligent. My opinions are as valid as anyone else's, and who knows maybe I do in fact know more than those people who put me down. I know this isn't as important as buying a house, but it still shows how youth are discriminated against...

I really don't like all the double standards in todays world. 18 year olds can go to war, but they can't drink or buy a house? Yeah I don't understand it.

Faisca, you are right, people shouldn't discriminate because of your age. Just look at your post here. It's a lucid point. I've read points from members that are much younger than you that were extremely well put. I think that renting is just a different thing. Young people tend to party, I know I did, that scares landlords. They can make stipulations on who they rent to. No pets, no smokers, so it isn't that they are discriminating, they are protecting their investment.

Originally posted by intrepid
Faisca, you are right, people shouldn't discriminate because of your age. Just look at your post here. It's a lucid point. I've read points from members that are much younger than you that were extremely well put. I think that renting is just a different thing. Young people tend to party, I know I did, that scares landlords. They can make stipulations on who they rent to. No pets, no smokers, so it isn't that they are discriminating, they are protecting their investment.

I suppose you are right in that respect. But wouldn't it be good for the landlord to give the guys the chance to live there? Tell them that if they mes sup they're gone, but atleast give them a chance to prove themselves?

If was just that, sure, but do you know how hard it is to evict someone you have already rented to? Maybe he has learned from experience? Not saying anything about the character of X and his friends, but maybe he been biten by young people and wants to steer clear.

Age doesn't really matter so much as money.

Money and success are the great equalizer. They nullify any other aspect that could be used against someone (within reason).

George Soros isn't respected by many although he's worth 7 billion or so.

If the problem was just one or two landlords I'd understand, but so many have declined us on that basis. The landlords hadn't even met us to determine our character, maybe they should have an interview process or something to better analyse the proposed applicants. Just because some young guys may have wrecked houses in the past doesnt mean we will. If they declined a black guy because they were afraid that he might have gang wars in the house, because black people have had gang wars before, that would be discrimination (no offense meant to anyone on that, just an example to prove a point). I've settled a bit from yesterday but still frustrated by the lack of respect shown for young people by many middle aged people, who then demand full respect back from us...

And FAISCA, something i pity all you americans for is the fact you have to wait untill your 21 to drink... at least here in Aus they understand that 18/yo's make the best drunks...

Originally posted by specialasianXIf they declined a black guy because they were afraid that he might have gang wars in the house, because black people have had gang wars before, that would be discrimination (no offense meant to anyone on that, just an example to prove a point).

That is a very good point. And very true.

And FAISCA, something i pity all you americans for is the fact you have to wait untill your 21 to drink... at least here in Aus they understand that 18/yo's make the best drunks...

Seriously... I went to Spain and I was drinking when I was 16, they don't see any problem with it. I think the drinking age is totally ridiculous. The reason you hear about young people getting drunk and in trouble is 1. because it's an illegal thing to do so it's newsworthy when something happens, and 2. it makes teenagers want to drink more. If you lowered the drinking age, I'm sure half the problems would disappear.

But what do I know? I'm only 19.

Maybe since i turn 20 tomorrow people might take me a little more seriously, and stop seeing me as a stupid teenager, more a stupid young adult... at least i can drink legally though (not that it ever stopped me beforehand).

I guess i'll just have to wait untill i'm middle aged then i can get revenge on the current middle aged generation... muahahahahahahahahaha

UPDATE!!!

I got a house!!! yay for some nice landlord not caring how young i am!!! ok my vendetta against middle aged people is now called off...