Parents share their views on Homecoming

The image of Homecoming usually consists of pretty dresses, lined up photos and rented limos. However, the full picture often includes raging parties, crowded hotel rooms and alcohol-filled red cups. Homecoming’s dark side becomes apparent, and the people held responsible are not the teenagers, but their parents.

Parents should be aware that a Florida House Party law does exist. It’s real, enforced and says that if a party thrown for a minor involves alcohol or drugs, the parent of the said residence will be held accountable for the actions.

However, house parties occur regardless of the law. Parents Steve and Jeannie Rasabi of Broward County were recently arrested for allowing their son to throw an after-Homecoming house party attended by 500 teenagers.

Teens were found passed out on the grass when the police arrived, and paramedics had to be called to treat some of the underage drinkers. The occurrence of house parties like this one is worrisome to many, but homecoming is more often associated with the renting of hotel rooms.

“It’s not homecoming unless at least one hotel room is completely trashed,” a Palmetto parent said. “I don’t want to embarrass my kid, but I’m glad that most hotels don’t rent to minors, and I don’t think it’s right that parents are renting rooms for them.”

Hotels are technically not allowed to refuse rent to minors due to the law of ageism in Florida, but a minor signing into a contract is illegal; that is usually how they enforce the age limit.  However, hotels are allowed to deny rent if they believe the room may be damaged or the reason for use may affect their image.

“If there is damage, we charge the price of the item and report it to other Marriott’s so they are aware of the problem. We allow check-in if you are 18 or older, but if you’re under 21 we have to block the mini bar and if underage drinking occurs, then we do call Loss Prevention, who will report it to the police,” Steven Forero, the Front Desk Manager for the Dadeland Marriott Hotel, said.

Though worried, an anonymous Palmetto parent had no problem helping his son rent a hotel room. The hotel may be unaware of its use, but each senior who will be a part of the room has given their parent’s name and phone number.

“Just call me Deep Throat,” the unnamed source said. “I don’t want to get my son in trouble with Mr. Weiner because I know he does not favor the renting of hotel rooms for after Homecoming.”

This parent trusts that their son will make the right decisions and is allowing no more than eight people in the room. They believes that renting a hotel room after Homecoming is a tradition, one that goes back to his days in Miami.

“We hung out at the old Fountainbleu, Eden Rock, and Doral Beach,” the anonymous parent said. “The only difference was back then, we seemed to have less publicity about what we were doing. With Facebook, tweeting, and instant everything about all the nonsense and goings on, well you have a greater chance of getting in trouble. Remember, Big Brother is watching everything.”