Kids today...

[ausf]

I know every generation says the same thing, but I'm going to be teaching my oldest to drive this weekend.

It dawned on me, he's never had an engine of any sort under his own power yet.

When I was a kid, any lawn mower engine or wheel in the garbage was like gold. We strapped power to every thing we could find. I was riding 80s by the 6th grade, minis before that and my first real band had it's own car, a Fairlane with no seats (milk crates) or anything else (like insurance, registration). I'm no Evil Knievel, but engines and kids went hand in hand.

My kid isn't sheltered or anything, it's just a different world, but yikes, it was a shock when I realized he's never throttled anything, but I'm going to climb into a 4000 lbs cage with him and let him discover freedom.

 

[SA Dave]

Good luck mate

 

[Adam]

Oh man I know that feeling well. Our oldest who is 18 now and a good driver had never driven anything before either. This is the same girl who I once saw ride her bicycle at full speed into our garage door because "she forgot how to stop!" Now our second oldest has just turned 16 and she had a lot of experience driving lawn mowers and go karts and the transition was much easier. It is definitely teeth gritting white knuckle and hair raising at times. The plus side of it is though that it is a very good and positive bonding experience. :smack

 

[Heavens Eagle]

I remember the first time my daughter drove my car onto the expressway in Tulsa. We were in my Celica and I gave her instructions on what she needed to do to get on and merge.

She did quite well even with changing lanes and such until we got about 6 miles down the road and there was a roll of carpet laying there half in our lane. We were in the inside of 3 lanes and there wasn't a lot of traffic. I saw the roll of carpet looked at here and she had that "deer in the headlights" look. I reached over grabbed the top of the steering wheel and just guided the car around the obsticle. I then said that is how you do it, don't panic, just ease around it however is safest. I got one of those "WOW Dad! Thanks!" looks.

I know also that she listened to stuff I told her as I drove around, as one time with a driving instructor they were driving down a neighborhood street with cars parked in the street and she slowed way down and stopped suddenly. Just as the instructor was going to ask what she was doing, a ball followed by a kid rolled out in the street. If she had not already stopped she would have hit him. The instructor then asked her how she knew the kids were there, and she told him that she saw their feet under the car as they were driving up. Said she learned it from her dad! :dance

Quite proud of her and yeah she has had her share of goofs, but has done quite well for the most part.

 

[Paulw]

I had the fortune of only teaching just one of my 5 kids to drive. They are all in their 30's now with children of their own. One of my daughters decided to start backing the car in and out of the driveway when she was 15. The Dodge Intrepid was a fairly nice car for the time and she used to sneak the keys and back down the drive and back up. I was a trucker at the time pulling flat beds for Smithway Motor Express out of Ft. Dodge, Iowa. The Peterbilt that I drove was at the time a Chrysler/Mercedes product and the keys show that fact by being the exact same shape.

My lovely daughter came to me telling me the keys didn't fit the car anymore. I don't know why she thought it necessary to inform me of that fact seeing that she was forbidden to drive the car with out an adult. You can guess what she did. Thinking that the keys that were hanging on a hook on the wall were car keys and not the keys to the Truck she grabbed those. Imagine her surprise when she wound up being grounded for two weeks.

 

[jknaus]

I hear you. I did the road work with my son a bit but he never went for his license. I dont understand why not. I was driving at 16 in a big city and hes in his 30s and still not.
James

 

[Jeeves]

My baby girl just turned 13 on Monday so I have a few years yet. There's loads of farm fields around and my M tractor for her to practice on...

 

[nsmekanik]

I hear you. I did the road work with my son a bit but he never went for his license. I dont understand why not. I was driving at 16 in a big city and hes in his 30s and still not.
James

Don't feel bad James, I tied to teach one person how to drive.....she's 30, something married with children, still doesn't drive and BLAMES ME for that........ :facepalm

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Don't feel bad James, I tied to teach one person how to drive.....she's 30, something married with children, still doesn't drive and BLAMES ME for that........ :facepalm

There is one word in there that explains it all. She.

While there are women out there that are all the good bits smart, pretty, have common sense, honesty and integrity, I for the most part have come to the conclusion that there are a great number that are dumber than a box of rocks. Which is why I now am pretty much a hermit and don't bother to date any more. The single ones don't seem to have any of the good attributes and mostly just the bad.

 

[Barney]

You will be in my prayers, as will everyone within 500 miles.