Teen Driver Rant I

jjone20 · jjone20's Garage

So my 16-year old daughter does for her driver's test yesterday. She's nervous of course, but I did the parent-taught AAA course, and I think she's off to a good start attention-wise and defensive driving wise. We also did parking lot slalom, wet braking, snowy-lot spins, etc. She leaves the DMV with the "examiner", and comes back in about 10 minutes. WTH? Turns out the examiner failed her on her second right turn. A two lane road with broad shoulders marked by solid white lines. Examiner says, "turn right". My daughter signals and moves over the white line 30' before the intersection (to get out of the travel lane, see?). Nix. Why do we focus on nit-picky little ***** with kids killing themselves every day because thay can't handle the vehicle? So what if the kid's 4 mph over (auto fail)? Yeah, let's stare at the speedo rather than looking out the windows - that's real intelligent. OK, I'm done.

kwm · 05-17-2007, 09:42 AM

First off the driving age is WAY too low as it is. What reason do you have to be driving at the age of 16?

oldE · 05-17-2007, 09:53 AM

kwm
Growing up on the farm, my Dad had me sitting on the tractor around age ten in the hay field and operating the 1/2 ton truck at age 14. When I was 16 - 17, I was delivering produce to stores in towns 20 miles away. In my case, I suppose it could be called socio-economic requirement. For a lot of kids, it's convenience and status and sort of a rite of passage.
Les

masraum · 05-17-2007, 09:56 AM

I thought you were going to ***** about how teenage drivers are some of the worst tailgaters and are generally idiots on the road. Maybe not in the first month or two because they are still scared, but after 6 months when they think they've BTDT and have mastered driving...

Not really a big deal. We all know that the driving test is not about ability as much as it's about giving the tester what they want.

911teo · 05-17-2007, 10:01 AM

I got failed because I didn't wait 5 seconds at a 4-way stop with nobody coming...

Luckily I had my Italian AND German driving license...

Sometimes I find this country really silly...

The Gaijin · 05-17-2007, 10:05 AM

I failed. The guy could barely speak English. That's OK, a few more weeks of practice was a good thing.

kwm · 05-17-2007, 10:13 AM

oldE...I hate to break this to you but those days are long since gone. The reality is that most kids are way too young, skills way too low, driving cars that are way too large, with way too much horsepower...throw in friends, cell phones, CDs to change, eating, etc....... and it all equals....Blood Flows Red on the Highway Part 35....

legion · 05-17-2007, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kwm
oldE...I hate to break this to you but those days are long since gone.

Really? Someone should tell the farmers around here.

kwm · 05-17-2007, 10:19 AM

I don't think you know very much about farming. Farming is not done in Mom and Pop ways anymore where families run a farm. Farms are now mostly owed by large corporations. There isn't even a 1/16 of the farmers left as there used to be. Unless somehow IL is vastly different from IN where I grew up.

legion · 05-17-2007, 10:23 AM

Some people around here farm land that someone else owns, most farm land that they own. Either way, they live in the farmhouse with their families and everyone is involved in the operation.

Burnin' oil · 05-17-2007, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by oldE
kwm
Growing up on the farm, my Dad had me sitting on the tractor around age ten in the hay field and operating the 1/2 ton truck at age 14. When I was 16 - 17, I was delivering produce to stores in towns 20 miles away. In my case, I suppose it could be called socio-economic requirement. For a lot of kids, it's convenience and status and sort of a rite of passage.
Les

I have similar memories.

kwm · 05-17-2007, 10:27 AM

At least where I am from most all 2nd gen. sons and daughters (who may very well still LIVE in the farm house) sold out to large corps. who farm the land. It is called "country rich" in IN b/c in the 80s when everyone sold their farms to the Perdues and Tysons of the world they got paid bigtime.

jjone20 · jjone20's Garage

Farming? Teen drivers? Guess I should have kept quiet. While many 16 year-olds may be too young, I think it is a question of talent and discipline. Would you tell Colin Braun he's too young? It's not my daughter's ability I worry about, it's the rest of the clueless folks out there.

kwm · 05-17-2007, 10:34 AM

If I had a kid I would be worried about their ability at 16 to drive safe. Lord knows I didn't at 16.

kwm · 05-17-2007, 10:36 AM

When I think of some of the things I did at 16....WOW! It is flippin amazing that I am typing this right now. Of course at 16 I would have been screaming my head off saying I WAS able at 16 to drive.

legion · 05-17-2007, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kwm
At least where I am from most all 2nd gen. sons and daughters (who may very well still LIVE in the farm house) sold out to large corps. who farm the land. It is called "country rich" in IN b/c in the 80s when everyone sold their farms to the Perdues and Tysons of the world they got paid bigtime.

That hasn't happened here yet. I have noticed that most of the farmers' children are not going into farming. We've got people in their 80's still farming with two generations of decendents that are dentists and whatnot. I often wonder what will happen to all of those farms. What I've seen so far is that they tend to get sold to other farmers.

Moses · 05-17-2007, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jjone20
My daughter signals and moves over the white line 30' before the intersection (to get out of the travel lane, see?).

In California that's the proper way to approach an intersection when you are turning right.

My sons friend failed his test because he DIDN'T merge into the bike lane 200' before making a right turn.

MattKellett · MattKellett's Garage

I think we can all agree - or at least I hope we can - the driving test in this country is a joke. If it's ok to let standards slide even more, then what sort of new drivers are we producing. The test needs to be way more rigid and I would say that does include going 4 mph over the speed limit and taking a turn in the appropriate turning lane/area. If you cant control these simple mistakes, when you know someone in watching you and testing you, then really what is the new driver going to do when no one is watching.

Matt

legion · 05-17-2007, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by masraum
Not really a big deal. We all know that the driving test is not about ability as much as it's about giving the tester what they want.

Yep, and that could be anything.

kwm · 05-17-2007, 10:45 AM

Yhea.....I was in Jamacia and we really NEED to stay away from letting things slide so much that our drivers get to that level. WOW! Scary stupid stuff....