I think it's also regional. Urban areas typically are heavily reliant on public transit so a car is less important. Even in just a generation there has been a major population shift towards big cities. If you don't have a car around here, you're not going anywhere! My kids are already talking about their first cars, 11 year old son and 8 year old daughter both want Jeeps. 5 year old son is my car guy so I'm sure he wants a Porsche.:)

Ok guys, maybe I hinted at it too carefully:

HOW ABOUT GETTING LAID!?

How do you do that without a car on social media? Do you find and seduce her online and then take the bus to the GF house?

Seriously! Where do kids go?

G

Online Porn?

We live in a rural area in NJ. The next door neighbors' kid is 17, and has no desire to get his license. Mom and dad have to drive him everywhere. Go figure.

I had restored my first car (1961 Volvo PV544) by my 17th birthday, took it for my driver's test with my dad, dropped him off at home, and drove to school.

No, no they don't. And if they didn't, he might be more interested in doing it himself.

Hunger is a good impetus.
1). I collected $.10 can deposit returns for lunch in HS or went hungry. Also halftime during the UM football games back when they used to let people in for free. A couple of garbage bags of someone else's trash was definitely my treasure. Fifty very big bucks was significant for a kid in the 1980's for a few hours work.
2). Bicycle broken and can't get to swim practice? Walk a couple miles or figure it out yourself kiddo. Go dumpster-diving in studentville for all the good frames with bent wheels and find a cable or brake pad or crank set which works.
3). Make it work somehow.

Necessity is the mother of innovation.

This generation doesn't realize they sometimes need to be able to zig while everyone else zags.
It's critical thinking 101.

Even if you don't have a car, or plumbing, or rocket space ship, eventually someone with lots of money will have something which needs fixing.
But only for the right person with skills.

You're 100% correct. Don't get me started on that. :D

Hey. It seems like a different more risky / dangerous world out there now.
Few kids are allowed or want roam free like was common years ago.

Helicopter parents, kids bombarded by news stories of bad stuff happening.

May as well just hang at home or have the folks drive them around, hey whatever, seem the attitude.

Sure wasn't that way in my days as a kid.

Cheers Richard

Statistically, kids are probably safer these days. However, humans don't have an intuitive grasp of probability or risk, which gives the one-in-a-million horror story legs for days or weeks on the news.

Child Abductions By Strangers Very Rare : Discovery News

Just this week one of my kids started conditioning practice for high school sports. Turns out a new friend down the block goes too, is a couple years older even. Their mom asked my wife if they could share the busing of the kids. My wife told her that our kid is riding the bicycle. I think she is still shuttling her kid. Every day. Often sitting there, watching for hours. That kid is old enough to join the armed forces. We are talking 4 miles, flat, decent weather, bike paths along a river, 80% away from cars. I could not believe it. My kids are proud to show up on their own. They are embarrassed when we drop them off. (Unless it is in the 993).

Lastly, some acquaintances think we are nuts, buying our kids decent new $500 bicycles. I think that bike is paid for in 6 months of saved short distance busing trips ...

G

Probably sooner, unless your time has zero value. :D

Good point. I look for $50/hour now if it is something I don't enjoy. SmileWavy

G

The part about not leaving the house scares me a little bit and I hear this from many people about their teens and young adults.

My neighbors, four if them who rent the house are in their early 30s have no interest in cars. One of them does not drive and don't like to venture too far, takes the bus and ride a bike to the market and such. Walks more a mile down the hill to shop and eat at the burger stand. Weird. That phone is attached to them like a leech.

One thing I do see, at least around here, are the immigrant (legal or not?) bust their ass, take the bus, ride their half broken bikes to work doing these dish washing jobs. Hats off to them, they do it because they had to, no rich parents to pay their way or drive them to work.

Why is it that kids don't have part time jobs anymore? I come across a good few teens or college students and none of them, nor their friend have one or interested in one. I know I am generalizing, but is this the trend? Back when all of us talked of getting a part time job in the 10th grade, for a few bucks or a summer job. Now, they rather play game or communicate to their friends on the phone behind their close doors in their bedrooms?

Totally agree look

Hell, I was so eager to get out and about that I had my motorcycle license at 14! Got my drivers license the day I turned 16! And I'm not too far into my twenty a now. It's definitely a regional thing, pretty much everyone in my town drove, because that was the only way to get anywhere!

We had one guy in our circle that didn't get his license until he was almost 18. Mostly because we all got tired of giving him rides places!

Getting my license at 16 meant freedom for me back when the only phone was a dial unit, attached by a cord in the kitchen. There was no internet, or video games....maybe a simpler time ?

I think you already have the answer.

Question: why do you continue to drive him places? Was it on your way? Sure, do it, but make him drive you.

Otherwise, he should drive himself. Part of the joy of having older kids is they go off and do thier stuff, and you get to do your stuff.

Oldest son loves to drive and will add 20-22,000 miles on his car this year. Goes everywhere he wants to, when he wants to, and I am 100% in agreement with him enjoying his own life.

It is a generational thing. My son will be 21 in October and he is thinking about getting a license and buying a car. Unlike those in my generation, driving and getting a car was a milestone, a sense of freedom. It was an age of chrome, fins and horsepower. That all disappeared.

I live in Chicago and owning a car in this town is more of a liability than an asset. Gas, insurance, vehicle sticker prices and lack of parking add to the joy of owning an operating a car in town.

My son takes public transportation and gets around just fine. Honestly, i'm was in no hurry to price insurance for him.

BTW, since he is almost 21, he can buy his own. After my experience with my oldest son, there is no way I would put any kid on my insurance policy.