Be afraid. Be very afraid.

[Baruch Menachem]

The State of Oregon in its infinite Wisdom gave my son a driver's licence today. I was there and saw them do it.

Afterwards we had a tall cold one









... a strawberry-lemonade smoothie at the Yoghurt shop next to the DMV.

 

[strollingbones]

ahhhh peace as you know it....has ended


sleep as you know it...has ended

but a great adventure has begun


car insurance as you know it...has ended

 

[Baruch Menachem]

Car insurance is his mom's problem. I only see him once every two weeks.

 

[Wry Catcher]

I remember when my first got his driver's license, the last day my hair was all black.

True story. The first time my dad let me take the car I drove nine blocks and was stopped at The Boulevard and Taravel St. by the police. They were diverting traffic because in the street were three bodies covered in white blankets

I could never figure out how my dad conspired to create that effect, but the image was seared into my brain and has been there for nearly 48 years.

 

[strollingbones]

once every 2 weeks? what the hell is that.....kinda custody?

 

[laughinReaper]

We have a standing rule in my house. You can have a car when you can buy one yourself,get your license yourself and insure it yourself. I have two kids driving age and only one,the responsible one,drives. This is good because the other child likes to party, has ADHD, and has the concentration of a fruit fly.

 

[laughinReaper]

once every 2 weeks? what the hell is that.....kinda custody?

The prevailing PC "wisdom" that children don't really need two parents. As long as there is one,usually the mother as she is supposed to be inherently the best one for the job. Doesn't matter if a woman doesn't have a nurturing bone in her body, she is the best parent cause she gave birth.

The father usually gets the shaft even if he does his part and pays support. I was lucky. My Mom realized early after the diviorce that my father was essential, put aside their differences and let him pop by when ever he wanted even though he only have visitation once a week. She also used to include him in punishments. "Wait until I tell your father" was the worst thing I could ever hear even though he didn't live with us. Visitation every two weeks sucks for the father and the kids.

 

[Ernie S.]

Car insurance is his mom's problem. I only see him once every two weeks.

Hopefully, he can't afford enough gas to reach Alabama. Congratulate him for me, but keep him in Oregon, please.

 

[Big Black Dog]

We have a standing rule in my house. You can have a car when you can buy one yourself,get your license yourself and insure it yourself. I have two kids driving age and only one,the responsible one,drives. This is good because the other child likes to party, has ADHD, and has the concentration of a fruit fly.

That's the way it was in my house when I was growing up. My Dad told me there were two things that he did not owe me, i.e., a car and a college education. He said if I wanted these things I would have to get them on my own. Well, I did. I got my driver's license when I was 15 and immediately bought a car, paid the insurance, and tags. I got my college education while I was in the Navy. Seemed to work out ok for me. I had to work my butt off for my first car and I think that is why I treated it so well.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

He had to pay for his own licence. I am with BBD on this. I taught him to drive and I was there for the test, but I consider the car and the insurance his problem, not mine. Especially since he doesn't live here.
This is one of the places his mom and I disagree of course. But that is her look out.

 

[Montrovant]

We have a standing rule in my house. You can have a car when you can buy one yourself,get your license yourself and insure it yourself. I have two kids driving age and only one,the responsible one,drives. This is good because the other child likes to party, has ADHD, and has the concentration of a fruit fly.

That's the way it was in my house when I was growing up. My Dad told me there were two things that he did not owe me, i.e., a car and a college education. He said if I wanted these things I would have to get them on my own. Well, I did. I got my driver's license when I was 15 and immediately bought a car, paid the insurance, and tags. I got my college education while I was in the Navy. Seemed to work out ok for me. I had to work my butt off for my first car and I think that is why I treated it so well.

You bought a car at 15? How much did that cost you?

I'm on the opposite end of things. Both of my parents have, at times, asked me to get a license. At this point I'm hoping I can find a way to never get one.

 

[editec]

The State of Oregon in its infinite Wisdom gave my son a driver's licence today. I was there and saw them do it.

Afterwards we had a tall cold one


... a strawberry-lemonade smoothie at the Yoghurt shop next to the DMV.

I remember those days when my son first got his license, Baruch.

It's hard letting go, isn't it?

One one hand you're proud that your boy is growing up, on the other you're scared to death that you boy is growing up and facing grown up problems.

It gets better over time.

 

[Two Thumbs]

Mine failed her first test and has too nervous for 3 months to even try again.


My wife and I had a great bonding moment as we celebrated.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

The State of Oregon in its infinite Wisdom gave my son a driver's licence today. I was there and saw them do it.

Afterwards we had a tall cold one


... a strawberry-lemonade smoothie at the Yoghurt shop next to the DMV.

I remember those days when my son first got his license, Baruch.

It's hard letting go, isn't it?

One one hand you're proud that your boy is growing up, on the other you're scared to death that you boy is growing up and facing grown up problems.

It gets better over time.

It is very hard letting go. I remember watching 'the bun coming out of the oven' and cutting the cord at the time. I changed his diapers, watched him struggle with addition and subtraction, I know about half the stupid things he pulled until he moved away four years ago. And now he is responsible for two tons of metal traveling at high speeds on roads full of people texting each other while driving, people putting on mascara at 65mph,.... I used to freak when I saw him cross the street by himself... It seems it just gets harder.

 

[Iridescence]

Im still laughing hilariously at the referencing of the concentration of a fruit fly..... The poor child...tohave such a wonderfully supportive parent....

 

[editec]

YOu know what having kids is, right?

It's giving you heart to somebody who is so completely clueless that they can break your heart and when they get hurt (or even almost hurt) they cannnot understand why you're getting so upset about it.

Raising kids is the greatest leap of faith that most of us ever undertake. Evil Kenevil never undertook such a daring leap.

And advancing parenthood sort of gets worse, too.

No sooner do the kids become adults than we parents, having structured our entire our lives around raising them, wonder what the whole point of our lives is now.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

he has a gf now. All his emotional energy is directed at her now.

 

[Big Black Dog]

We have a standing rule in my house. You can have a car when you can buy one yourself,get your license yourself and insure it yourself. I have two kids driving age and only one,the responsible one,drives. This is good because the other child likes to party, has ADHD, and has the concentration of a fruit fly.

That's the way it was in my house when I was growing up. My Dad told me there were two things that he did not owe me, i.e., a car and a college education. He said if I wanted these things I would have to get them on my own. Well, I did. I got my driver's license when I was 15 and immediately bought a car, paid the insurance, and tags. I got my college education while I was in the Navy. Seemed to work out ok for me. I had to work my butt off for my first car and I think that is why I treated it so well.

You bought a car at 15? How much did that cost you?

I'm on the opposite end of things. Both of my parents have, at times, asked me to get a license. At this point I'm hoping I can find a way to never get one.

My first car was a 57 Chevy that I bought from an old fella for $150.00. It burnt a little oil but it got me to where I wanted to go for over a year. Oddly enough, my second car was also a 57 Chevy that I paid $175.00 for and it was in a lot better shape. I drove that car for well over a year until I traded it to a fireman friend for his Buick convertible. This was in 1966 and 1967.

 

[percysunshine]

I told my 14 year old that when he is old enough to legally drive, all distractions have to be removed from the car if he wants to drive safely. He thought about it for a while, and asked if that included cell phones. I said yes, but I was realy talking about his girl friends. Talk about managing two polar opposites at one time....girls and cars.

 

[violet]

That's the way it was in my house when I was growing up. My Dad told me there were two things that he did not owe me, i.e., a car and a college education. He said if I wanted these things I would have to get them on my own. Well, I did. I got my driver's license when I was 15 and immediately bought a car, paid the insurance, and tags. I got my college education while I was in the Navy. Seemed to work out ok for me. I had to work my butt off for my first car and I think that is why I treated it so well.

You bought a car at 15? How much did that cost you?

I'm on the opposite end of things. Both of my parents have, at times, asked me to get a license. At this point I'm hoping I can find a way to never get one.

My first car was a 57 Chevy that I bought from an old fella for $150.00. It burnt a little oil but it got me to where I wanted to go for over a year. Oddly enough, my second car was also a 57 Chevy that I paid $175.00 for and it was in a lot better shape. I drove that car for well over a year until I traded it to a fireman friend for his Buick convertible. This was in 1966 and 1967.

my first car was a 73/74 fiat, pea green with an orange racing stripe, my mother called it the death trap. The back springs we so shot only one person could sit in the back, no real tail pipe to speak of. It looked like it had one but it was just the end piece held on by a coat hanger to fool the cops. The rest of the long pipe was rotted away. Seats came unbolted from the floor. This mad vaccuuming easy as you could just take the seats out and place them on the ground. Windows rolled down with the help of a pair of plyers. Radio worked when it wanted to as did the heat. Clutch/plate was new after I replaced it. My sister(if you can't find em grind em) wrecked the one it came with. Considering she'd been driving clutch for a couple of years when she did this,i'm guessin automatic cars have saved her a fortune over the years. Emergency brake was gone so I carried a large piece of metal ( the old thermastat) to put under the wheels so it stayed put. Trans axel was new after I replaced it and the doors only opened from the outside, so you had to roll the window down with the plyers and use the outside handle to get out. Something new wrong with it every day, Yup Good times.

It was a piece of shit, but It was My piece of shit and it got me where I needed to go. I bought it, insured it and repaired it. When the time came I couldn't get someone to tow the damn thing away, gave it to a kid with the same year Fiat for spare parts.