Not a hurry to get driver's licence?

sammyg2 · 08-13-2015, 01:18 PM

My son passed his driver's test today and got his licence.
He's 16 but will be 17 in 2 months. He's had his own car for almost a year now.

But he didn't really seem to be in a hurry to get his licence. That seemed strange to me, I couldn't wait to get my licence.

So I asked him about it. He said the only place he goes is to school and to sports, it's no different to him if he drives or if i drive.

Is this a generational thing or just wierd?

gacook · gacook's Garage

Generational thing. I'm seeing it a lot more lately. Went through the same thing with my oldest stepson. Bought him a car when he was 14 (deal I couldn't pass up); he had no interest. Had very little interest in learning to drive when it came permit time. Had no interest in maintaining the car (he killed it--drove it around for who knows how long with no transmission fluid). Now, I let him drive my truck to/from work, but most of the time he walks.

KevinP73 · 08-13-2015, 01:35 PM

I think it must be. My daughter just got hers yesterday. She was the same way. Didn't seem at all excited to get it until she failed the driving part of the exam. Then she was pissed because she said the examiner was an ass and made her nervous. She went to a different DMV the next day and passed with compliments from the examiner.

BlueSkyJaunte · 08-13-2015, 01:36 PM

I think the ability to communicate so easily with the outside world is a huge demotivator for "getting out".

When I was a kid we had a telephone in the house. If I wanted to even talk to anybody besides my immediate family I had to get out of the house.

Nowadays kids have telephones in their rooms (or a mobile phone, or both), they chat via the internet while playing games, etc. They don't need face to face time to communicate.

glewis80SC · glewis80SC's Garage

Both my boys didn't get theirs until they were 18 my daughter turns 16 next month and has no interest at all. She will learn though I think it's important.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Fairly common in Portland. Easy to get around without driving, more social life is online, maybe parents are willing to drive the kid around, few schools have drivers ed programs. My daughter is 20 and still doesn't have her license, and is only now becoming very motivated to get it.

stomachmonkey · 08-13-2015, 01:44 PM

Generational.

My brother and I both had cars before permits.

Both cut school on our 16th birthday's to go get our permits.

In NY if you took Drivers Ed you got your full license at 17 instead of 18.

1st Saturday my brother drove to Drivers Ed.

Teacher asked him, your car?

Yes.

How long you been driving?

Couple of years.

Hmm, ok, you can skip the road portion of class, just show up for the tests.

When it was my turn same thing. DE teacher asked if Ray was my older brother. Yes. Got the same deal.

My oldest turns 15 next week. The running joke around here for the last year or so has been,

"Dad, can you drive me to Alex's?"

Drive yourself.

"Daaad, I don't have a license"

Slacker.

"But dad, I'm not old enough"

Never stopped anyone else in this family, you're a disgrace.

Truthfully, I'm OK with it, really don't feel like taking the insurance hit yet.

Seahawk · 08-13-2015, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

I think the ability to communicate so easily with the outside world is a huge demotivator for "getting out".

When I was a kid we had a telephone in the house. If I wanted to even talk to anybody besides my immediate family I had to get out of the house.

Nowadays kids have telephones in their rooms (or a mobile phone, or both), they chat via the internet while playing games, etc. They don't need face to face time to communicate.

Very interesting perspective, one I haven't considered or read before.

I grew up on a small ranch at the end of two miles of dirt road. I was motivated to get my license. HBO arrived after I got my DL

gacook · gacook's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

I think the ability to communicate so easily with the outside world is a huge demotivator for "getting out".

When I was a kid we had a telephone in the house. If I wanted to even talk to anybody besides my immediate family I had to get out of the house.

Nowadays kids have telephones in their rooms (or a mobile phone, or both), they chat via the internet while playing games, etc. They don't need face to face time to communicate.

This. Again my oldest stepson...Never goes "out." Couple years ago, I was chiding him about it on a Saturday afternoon, telling him he needs to get out more; go hang out with friends. He pointed to his laptop and said, "I AM hanging out with friends..."

To me, they're missing out on what life as a kid is supposed to be about.

kach22i · kach22i's Garage

I don't understand it at all either.

I know this 21 year old, he cannot get around on his own and still doesn't seem interested in getting a driver's license.

He has a "found" cell phone with no service, hooks up to local WiFi's to make calls.

It's like a "less is more" mentality which runs deep.

Less education.

Less work.

More reliance on others.

afterburn 549 · 08-13-2015, 02:34 PM

Rites to passage have changed.
There seems to be no rush to leave home, get a job, be on their own like it once was.
Most of us older guys remeber we could not leave the home fast enough.
Now we all know 40 year olds living at home.....
I am not sure if its low self esteem, giving up, or what.
In the 50s and 60s we all wanted to drive, fix up hot rods and meet at the hamburger stand on Sat night.
We all had part time jobs too.
Now they have face book and a virtual life on the net, which somehow suffices for them.

BlueSkyJaunte · 08-13-2015, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gacook

To me, they're missing out on what life as a kid is supposed to be about.

I agree - I also think it's unhealthy for other reasons. If someone's social life is primarily on the internet, what kind of personality is s/he going to develop when immersed in a social structure where there are no repercussions for being a complete a-hole?

aschen · 08-13-2015, 03:25 PM

15.75 year old aschen would have thought he is bat crap crazy

39.2 year old aschen thinks having someone drive me around sounds pretty good

A930Rocket · 08-13-2015, 03:34 PM

My kids are 19 and 21 now.

They couldn't wait to get their license (at 15 here in SC).

aigel · aigel's Garage

Where is romance playing into this?

I would guess that 20-30 years ago it was harder to bring home your bf/gf to be intimate. You had to go the drive-in movies or up the mountain road to "watch the sunset". Has this changed? Do these kids still get intimate, or can they do that on the internet or to the internet now?

I specifically moved to a smaller town setting where my teen kids can go anywhere with a bicycle on their own, including friends, school, sports, music lessons etc. Gets us parents away from being bus drivers and the kids more independent.

I guess biking isn't that much fun, so my kids can't wait to drive, are claiming the 993 already, want a Corvette for a first car etc. etc. Whenever we are in the boonies, like hunting in the high desert, I let them drive the truck on non public roads and they have a blast. I do think however, they may be the last generation. Next generation will be in self driving vehicles.

G

sc_rufctr · 08-13-2015, 03:53 PM

The decline of free range parenting!

When I was a teenager we'd leave the house in the morning and return sometime in the afternoon hungry and thirsty.
Obviously no Internet or anything. My parents didn't even have a phone until I started high school.

If you wanted to have fun you had to leave the house.

Gaming has had a huge impact on our kids. Some of the guys my daughters went to high school with (mid 20s) don't have their licences and do nothing but play games or goof off on Facebook, Twitter...

mattdavis11 · 04:08 PM

Our 15yr old is, or so it now seems. However, we did everything to get him going when there was no initiative whatsoever. Now that he has his permit, he loves driving, and we do too. He is a pretty good driver, better than his momma, and we all know it.

He has completed one lesson behind the wheel with the school, but has completed all his requirements outside of the school. Sadly, he probably won't have a license when he turns 16 in January because the driving school is understaffed. Total bullshyte.

Oh, he's every bit the new age kid, hooked on gaming big time, cell phone never leaves sight, loses house key all the time, and never goes outside. However, he does now know how to change a tire, and oil. We were going to do the front end on the camry this weekend, but his dad bailed him out of that one, and it has to be done before he returns.

Nostril Cheese · 08-13-2015, 04:05 PM

I spent a year rebuilding my grandma's beat to hell 914 when I was 15. I was very motivated to get my license.

epbrown · 08-13-2015, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Very interesting perspective, one I haven't considered or read before.

Google it - it's been a concern of car sellers for a few years now, with lots of articles. Social media has been killing interest in driving.

onewhippedpuppy · 08-13-2015, 04:18 PM

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.