So, the wife and I are driving into downtown Phoenix this morning and I see this Potiac Sunbird flying up behind me. I'm doing 70 in the HOV lane and this car closed on us doing at least 75-80.

So, something click in my mind.

"Robyn, is the kid driving you to school a good driver? Does he speed? Drive too fast?"

"No Dad, he's very responsible." <==== Famous last words

So, we hit a section where the HOV lane runs out and he speeds by me. In the next mile or so, the kid does 5-6 lane changes diving way over the speed limit.

I've, of course, told the wife that this could be Robyn's "responsible" carpool so we're straining to see if my precious daughter is in the backseat. But, I don't want to spook the kid further by chasing him.

We both take the HOV exit at 3rd street and again, I'm kind of/sort of trying to catch him without spooking him. It's obvious to me that he's trying to lose me. That's not going to happen but I don't want either of us to wreck.

They finally lose me but instead of going to work, we go to my daugher's school to wait on her.

Do you know how uncool it is for a kid's father and stepmother to be waiting on you at your new school?!

I tell my daughter that I'm pretty disappointed that she didn't tell the driver to slow down. My daughter told me that she wasn't paying that much attention and she was listening to her cd player in the backseat. On one level I believe her but on another, it's hard to believe a 14-year old doesn't pay attention. Opps... yeah it is. :smile:

Long story but after a dicussion with both parents of this little hotrodder, the kid has lost a lot of priviledges for the next few months.... and my daughter won't be riding with him.

At first, I thought she had told the kid that it was me in the MCS but it finally dawned on me that he wasn't running from me because of me.... he was running from the MCS.

But, like I told my wife, it's kind of like Kobe's situation. I don't think this kid decided to drive wrecklessly anymore than I believe that this was Kobe's first affair.

your title reminded me of pretty woman (my fav movie)

julia roberts goes back to the store in bev hills where the women wouldnt sell her clothes the day before , ,she goes "you guys work on commission right? yes. BIG MISTAKE, big BIG MISTAKE" :grin:

Thanks for reminding me that I am only 5 years or so from this little problem as my daughter is now 8. I think I will just buy her her own pink Mini and trust her instead of boys!

WOHA :eek:

tahts a big sig pic

Sorry, I know I am trying to shrink it up. (No bad jokes about shrinking it guys!). Just wanted you all to soak up the beautiful summer day we had last week.

beautiful pic and gorgeous car and scenery

>>Thanks for reminding me that I am only 5 years or so from this little problem as my daughter is now 8. I think I will just buy her her own pink Mini and trust her instead of boys!

So, you trust your daughter in this instead of boys huh?!........ :eek: :lol:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co.../aca.sized.jpg

K7 - Whether it embarressed her or not you did the right thing. Believe it from a Mom who had a very scarey situation a few years back.

When my daughter was a senior in high school she drove almost every day. She would pick up two of her guy friends who lived in our neighborhood. She is and always has been obsessive about using seatbelts. She won't let ANYONE ride in her car - front or back seat - without wearing one. Of course it is the law in our state but it's amazing the number of people who don't buckle up. Anyway, these two friends griped about it but they did get used to buckling in.

So, one day I'm driving in to work and I hear there's been an accident on the road she travels to get to school. I glanced at the clock and didn't worry because I figured she would be in class by then. I got to work and about 15 minutes later she called me. She said she had been in an accident. Of course my first words were, "Are you all right?" When she assured me she was I asked if there was much damage to the car. She told me she hadn't been driving, that her one friend had gotten his car back from the body shop - after having it fixed from a previous wreck!!! - and the accident had been in his car.

I was still quite calm since she was talking to me I knew she was OK. Then she told me that she had been in the back seat and that they had flown past me as I was about to make a turn off the road. She said she was begging him to slow down but he was showing off his hot car. Well, just after I turned, he tried to switch lanes on a curve, lost control, went into a spin, went off the road, hit a fire hydrant, and flipped the car end over end (several times according to police). The car came to rest right side up and all three kids were able to scramble out. They had all been wearing their seatbelts and except for a few bruises and cuts, none of them were hurt. The top of the car was crushed in, the windows were all blown out - it was totaled. If I had been sitting at the left turn stop light a few more seconds I would have witnessed the entire thing.

As I said, I was calm when she began describing the accident but when she told me that the car had rolled (I didn't find out later that it had actually flipped) I started to scream. Crazy, I know. I knew she was OK but I could just picture what could have happened and I lost it. I left work, picked her up at at school and took her to the ER just to make certain and to cover all the bases just in case. I didn't stop shaking for hours.

The police told them that it was a good thing they had been wearing their seat belts. The one boy told them that Sarah always made them put them on and the officer said, "Well, Son, you'd better thank her because she just saved your life." Just the day before, and off-duty police officer had the exact same type of accident in the same model car. He wasn't wearing his seatbelt. He was killed.

I know this sounds like it has turned into an advertisement for seat belt use - didn't mean for it to happen but I still get a little shakey just thinking about what could have happened to my daughter 10 days before her 17th birthday. I thank God every day for my now 21 year old and for her 6 month old son. They are both the loves of my life and I can't imagine the world without them.

Needless to say, she never rode with that boy again. In fact, I think he lost his license for a while. I know teenagers think they are indestructible and that nothing can ever happen to them. If you can impress upon your daughter now that these things can happen and to be adament about no reckless driving, AND to ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS wear a seatbelt - no matter where she is sitting in the car - you can hopefully avoid the kind of tragedy we ALMOST had. <shiver> :cry:

Sorry for the long off-topic post but keeping the young'uns safe is very important to me.

Laurie

Hi Laurie,

Great note Laurie... you sound like a great mom. I feel the same way about Robyn and view this as a great opportunity to teach her more life lessons.

We did our best not to embarrass her at school ... other than showing up of course. I talked to her homeroom teacher to let her know we were there and would wait outside. When she walked up, it was a calm, quiet discussion with no yelling or shouting. I had about 30 minutes to cool down so that helped.

Upon reflection almost 24-hours later, I'm pretty sure that the girls in the car weren't paying attention. Sharon, my daughter's friend, was half-asleep in the front and Robyn was in the back seat listening to her music.

I was thankful that we had the opportunity to raise the point early in the year and not after an accident. The streets in PHX aren't generally too bad but in certain areas of town, even I drive more diligently. Just this weekend, we had a driver shot and killed on I-10 in the west part of town and a lot of people just don't pay attention.

The other point, generally speaking, I think that young girls are better, safer drivers than young boys. In a lot of activities, our (male) nature is to just do it without trying to learn the proper way first. Testosterone and natural ability try to take over and before we know it, we're in trouble. Thank goodness it all worked out!

Best regards!

I was quite intrigued by these posts. I don't have any kids so it is from a different perspective than you that I read them. It is an interesting tale, however, because the driver of the car who loses control might not only kill himself and his passengers but other motorists or pedestrians as well. If you want to show your kids a good program about what can happen, call your local Farmers Insurance Agent and ask him if you can borrow a copy of the Youth Education and Safety (YES) video called "Wrecked". It's a short video which tells a story, from the mouths of young drivers, about paying attention and being aware of your driving habits. This is not a commercial for FIG but the program is a good one to see.

Our youngest is 16 with a permit.
The local news noted that 16 yr olds were involved in a great majority of fatal accidents. We're giving him lots of practice, and his older siblings have been accident free, but he's not getting his license until the last possible second.
It's tougher to trust that he's not getting into others cars. :eek:

>>Our youngest is 16 with a permit.
>>The local news noted that 16 yr olds were involved in a great majority of fatal accidents. We're giving him lots of practice, and his older siblings have been accident free, but he's not getting his license until the last possible second.
>>It's tougher to trust that he's not getting into others cars. :grin:

David
-V--V-

Its really ashame that some (most?) young guys have to act like idiots and ruin insurance rates for me. I am 20 and have never had more than a parking ticket. not a single moving violation. I realize that I am probably more responsible behind the wheel than most (especially compared to my 17 year old brother...) but this is just too bad.

I've always thought that there are better ways of handling driver training.

I personally thinkg that at age 16, people should be allowed to get their learners permits, and 6 months later, be issued junior licenses (in PA, that means no driving after 11 or before 5).

At 18, people should be given the right to drive, vote, and drink. like most other places.

its just ashame that people cant handle themselves. Too many kids end up killing themselves and other innocents just because they have to show off.

I plan on enrolling my son in the Evolution Driving School. Its an Autocross school and they do a special class for teens. My 10 y/o son Autocrosses a 100cc Racing Kart right now while I race my RX-7. I fully plan on him co-driving with me as soon as he has his license. I also plan on instilling in him to be responsible when driving. I know this will be hard to do. Although it sounds like you guys/gals have done a wonderful job with your kids.

Evolution Driving School

>>
>>I've always thought that there are better ways of handling driver training.
>>
>>I personally thinkg that at age 16, people should be allowed to get their learners permits, and 6 months later, be issued junior licenses (in PA, that means no driving after 11 or before 5).
>>
>>At 18, people should be given the right to drive, vote, and drink. like most other places.
>>

Amen Brother! PA resident here and I agree 100%.

I especially think it is ridiculous that by 18 people can drive and help determine the course of this country (vote) or die in the armed forces, but technically are not supposed to drink :roll: :roll: :roll:

>>Thanks for reminding me that I am only 5 years or so from this little problem as my daughter is now 8. I think I will just buy her her own pink Mini and trust her instead of boys!

I trust my kids too, but I don't know if I would have turned them loose in a new MINI when they were novice drivers. That's a lot of temptation. My "kids" are now 24, 21, and 19. FWIW, here are my thoughts on teenagers and driving.

First, don't give a teenager a *new* car. Gifts are almost never viewed by the recipient with as much value or respect, as something that they've paid for from their own efforts. I've watched a lot of my kid's friends trash and crash the shinny new cars that they've been given. If you're going to give a teenager a vehicle, because they need transportation, go for a dependable, older, safe (slow) car. If they want something better, let them earn it.

Second, if they're driving the 'family' car on a regular basis, have them pay for gas, and have them pay for the difference in your insurance from the rate it was before they started driving. I think that, if they're responsible for the expenses, they're more likely to be responsible for how they drive, and how much they drive.

Third, don't be afraid to be a little annoying. Make sure they always use seat belts. (This shouldn't be a problem if they always see you using them, and if you've always buckled them in as children.) Always ask where they're going, and when they'll be back. Let them know that they should check-in with you if their plans change.

Finally, and maybe most important, discuss drinking and driving. Ask them to promise that they won't drink and drive, or ride with a driver who's been drinking. Let them know that you don't approve of under age drinking, but their safety is the most important thing. I always told my kids that they could call me anytime of the day or night, if they needed a ride home, and they would not be in trouble, whatever the reason.

In the mean time, enjoy your daughter's childhood. It?s a wonderful thing.

brgfan,

I've got some years before my daughter is old enough to drive, however I AGREE WITH YOU 100%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good advice!

>>>>Thanks for reminding me that I am only 5 years or so from this little problem as my daughter is now 8. I think I will just buy her her own pink Mini and trust her instead of boys!
>>
>>I trust my kids too, but I don't know if I would have turned them loose in a new MINI when they were novice drivers. That's a lot of temptation. My "kids" are now 24, 21, and 19. FWIW, here are my thoughts on teenagers and driving.
>>
>>First, don't give a teenager a *new* car. Gifts are almost never viewed by the recipient with as much value or respect, as something that they've paid for from their own efforts. I've watched a lot of my kid's friends trash and crash the shinny new cars that they've been given. If you're going to give a teenager a vehicle, because they need transportation, go for a dependable, older, safe (slow) car. If they want something better, let them earn it.
>>
>>Second, if they're driving the 'family' car on a regular basis, have them pay for gas, and have them pay for the difference in your insurance from the rate it was before they started driving. I think that, if they're responsible for the expenses, they're more likely to be responsible for how they drive, and how much they drive.
>>
>>Third, don't be afraid to be a little annoying. Make sure they always use seat belts. (This shouldn't be a problem if they always see you using them, and if you've always buckled them in as children.) Always ask where they're going, and when they'll be back. Let them know that they should check-in with you if their plans change.
>>
>>Finally, and maybe most important, discuss drinking and driving. Ask them to promise that they won't drink and drive, or ride with a driver who's been drinking. Let them know that you don't approve of under age drinking, but their safety is the most important thing. I always told my kids that they could call me anytime of the day or night, if they needed a ride home, and they would not be in trouble, whatever the reason.
>>
>>In the mean time, enjoy your daughter's childhood. It?s a wonderful thing.
>>

Great post BRGFAN. I really want the pink Mini for me, just like I claim to get the anual passes to Disneyland for her ( they are really for me). I am an attorney and I deal with personal injury claims all the time and will be sharing photos and stories with her as we get closer to "driving age". I do enjoy her childhood by participating in it as much as I can. Its a great life.

>>In the mean time, enjoy your daughter's childhood. It?s a wonderful thing.
>>


Bye the way here she is with the original Minnie.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...5/fc0b2800.jpg

Kids now-a-days.......

My daughter has also been a strong seatbelt supporter and it paid off a few months ago. She was coming to visit with the 2 grandkids one night, and in the rain/mist/fog here in the hills she missed one of the 71 curves on the road to our place.

I can only hope that everyone will realize the importance of wearing their seatbelts before they need them. She ended up driving off the side on the mountain, rolling the car and ending up on the roof. No one was hurt, just shaken up pretty good. The 5 year old was still strapped in and suspended from the seat, the 1 year old was in her car seat, which was still belted and hooked into the backseat.

:razz: