PHILADELPHIA (KYW) – It\u2019s well known that you have to be at least 21 years old to legally consume alcohol in the U.S. But that age isn\u2019t old enough to enter one Philadelphia bar.<\/p>\n
Dirty Franks said it raised the minimum age to 25 to combat underage drinking and disruptive behavior.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone who comes here is so eclectic and that\u2019s what makes it a neighborhood bar,\u201d Jody Sweitzer, owner of Dirty Franks, said.<\/p>\n
Dirty Franks is one of Philadelphia\u2019s most beloved dive bars, and about two weeks ago it changed the age requirement. Sweitzer says she noticed a rise in unruly behavior from a younger crowd using undetectable fake IDs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese were not 21-year-olds. They don\u2019t want to be in a bar. They just want to be obnoxious \u2026 bringing in their own booze, vaping, just not abiding by being in public as a normal person. It just kind of made us understand that there\u2019s something wrong,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Elijah Calhoun, 25, is among the many patrons who have noticed a difference inside.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, 25, it\u2019s a number for sure, but I believe it was needed,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of people in here who shouldn\u2019t be in here, who don\u2019t know how to behave.\u201d<\/p>\n
Others, like 24-year-old Ryan Cooperman, don\u2019t quite make the cut now and aren\u2019t too happy about the new house rule.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m 24. I\u2019ve been there before. I\u2019ve never caused a fuss. I\u2019ve never caused a problem. My ID is real,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s like the Prohibition Era. Like, what is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
The bar\u2019s owner says she is also in the process of getting a more advanced scanner that can detect fake IDs. Until then, the bar plans to stick with its new rule of admitting only people 25 and older.<\/p>\n
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