OT: Anyone else have teenage kids?

[Steve_HOCP]

I have a son that is 19.

His driving could be better, but it could be a lot worse.

It was a task to get him compitent enough to drive.

 

My oldest daughter is 14.

She should be no problem behind the wheel because she has common sense.

However...Before her and my youngest daughter are out of high school, I'm sure I'll be put in prison.

Not long ago the oldest daughter had a boy that kept calling the house.

One night he calls after 11pm and I answered the phone.

He asks for my daughter and I said "Just what are your intentions with her?"

He goes speachless, then I said "There are 50 acres of woods in my back yard. If you call here again after 9pm...nobody will ever find your body." then I hung up on him.

That was almost a year ago, and he hasn't called the house since.

My daughter says he won't even talk to her at school anymore.

I feel so...

 

 

 

First of all...two disclaimers: #1.) As a parent, I like to think I am a decent guy and I do the right thing when it comes down to it...sometimes it doesn't always work that way though. #2.) I am quite the scary looking MoFo...if you know what I mean (look here).

 

 

Last year we are having a BBQ and discussing my daughter not dating until she is 99 years old. And then one of my daughters friend (boy) is being a smartass and says "Well...you can't control what happens at school" and that's when I gave him the "speech". Some people like the sharpening knives speech, or loading the gun speech or even the prison speech. I find this one to work well.

 

I told him that since the begininng of time there has always been one girl at school...every school...who had a huge psychopath father that threw a beating on some boy at school so bad it almost killed him just becasue he liked his daughter ....you know...as an example.

 

That way every time someone mentions my daughters name "that way" someone will always reminds him of the HORRIBLE BEATING that first kid got....

 

...then I asked him..."So do you like my daughter"?

 

Works like a charm.

 

It is funny to watch the color drain out of their faces.

 

 

And if all else fails...follow through with the beating.

[Fan4Fan]

Well, I only have a half-acre in town.

 

But my wife likes to landscape... you know, mounded gardens, tree planting....

 

And while I'm not built like Steve_HOCP, my wit is often dust dry enough and my behavior just so slightly off-kilter, that usually only my wife knows when I am kidding (and often she can't tell for sure)...

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

[Steve_HOCP]

And while I'm not built like Steve_HOCP, my wit is often dust dry enough and my behavior just so slightly off-kilter, that usually only my wife knows when I am kidding (and often she can't tell for sure)...

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

 

THAT is the most important part....when you can pull it off with a totally straight face....PRICELESS!!! You don't have to be big to give the impression you are a homicidal maniac

 

...besides, you KNOW you did good when later your wife says "that was a good one honey, you WERE joking, weren't you?"

[Zanarkand]

My daughter is 11. I am already worried about her driving. My wife and I have already decided that she will pay her own insurance, or if I pick her up on my policy she will pay me the difference. There will be no compromise on this. If she can't afford it, she can't drive.

 

She can borrow one of my cars if she really really needs to. She can drive, I play passenger. This happens until I'm reasonably convinced she will not drive stupid. This will be that case for as long as I feel like it, regardless of age. Personally, I don't believe 16 year old kids have any business careening around in a 2,000 pound projectile.

[Steve_HOCP]

My daughter is 11. I am already worried about her driving. My wife and I have already decided that she will pay her own insurance, or if I pick her up on my policy she will pay me the difference. There will be no compromise on this. If she can't afford it, she can't drive.

 

She can borrow one of my cars if she really really needs to. She can drive, I play passenger. This happens until I'm reasonably convinced she will not drive stupid. This will be that case for as long as I feel like it, regardless of age. Personally, I don't believe 16 year old kids have any business careening around in a 2,000 pound projectile.

 

 

EXACTLY!

 

 

My wife tells me..."Oh c'mon honey, you were her age once too" and I reply "That is EXACTLY why I don't want her driving!!!"

[CentaurMan]

My wife tells me..."Oh c'mon honey, you were her age once too" and I reply "That is EXACTLY why I don't want her driving!!!"

 

Yet you buy her a nice car and soup it up. If you don't practice what you preach, I don't know how we can help you. If you're truly scared of her out there on the road, don't let her drive. If you're encouraging her to drive, then don't act so scared. You're being an enabler here.

 

I know, I'm oversimplifying the situation. Teenagers on the road are frightening, and whether your daughter is driving or not, she's going to at least be in a car with a teenage driver fairly often. I was a good kid, and yet I still drag-raced a friend of mine to the mall once, through heavy traffic (we drove on the shoulder or in the median left-turning lane when necessary, to pass people). We were both top-10 in our high school class (he went on to Cal Tech, even), yet we behaved like a couple of total imbiciles and could've easily killed ourselves (or worse, others) because it was "fun".

[thecomicsheet]

I've got a 14 year old son. I think we are going to give him our Ford Expedition at some point. I want him driving something really big when he starts to drive. My theory is, in any collision, the bigger vehicle wins. A Hummer would be nice, but I can't afford one.

 

Some insufficiently_thoughtful_person in an SUV rear ended my sons school bus yesterday. Smashed the front of the SUV all the way back to the steering wheel. The back of the bus was bent up pretty good, but my son said all they felt was a good bump like bouncing over a curb or something. SUV driver wound up in the hospital. None of the kids were hurt thank God. Anyhow, just goes to show, bigger vehicle wins!

[sterlingcomics]

I've got a 15 year old son. Kinda scary for me, because sometimes I think his brain development is working in reverse....hmmm. I collect comics, so that sounds about right....

[Fan4Fan]

hmmm. I collect comics, so that sounds about right....

 

No, you invest in comics.

 

That sounds much better!

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

[Zanarkand]

I've got a 14 year old son. I think we are going to give him our Ford Expedition at some point. I want him driving something really big when he starts to drive. My theory is, in any collision, the bigger vehicle wins. A Hummer would be nice, but I can't afford one.

 

Some insufficiently_thoughtful_person in an SUV rear ended my sons school bus yesterday. Smashed the front of the SUV all the way back to the steering wheel. The back of the bus was bent up pretty good, but my son said all they felt was a good bump like bouncing over a curb or something. SUV driver wound up in the hospital. None of the kids were hurt thank God. Anyhow, just goes to show, bigger vehicle wins!

 

I would tend to agree, except that 1) I wouldn't want my kid to have to choose between paying for insurance and paying for gas, and 2) statistics show that teenage drivers tend to cause the accidents they're in. Giving them a behemoth is probably going to make it more likely that they'll kill someone else.

[Steve_HOCP]

My wife tells me..."Oh c'mon honey, you were her age once too" and I reply "That is EXACTLY why I don't want her driving!!!"

 

Yet you buy her a nice car and soup it up. If you don't practice what you preach, I don't know how we can help you. If you're truly scared of her out there on the road, don't let her drive. If you're encouraging her to drive, then don't act so scared. You're being an enabler here.

 

I know, I'm oversimplifying the situation. Teenagers on the road are frightening, and whether your daughter is driving or not, she's going to at least be in a car with a teenage driver fairly often. I was a good kid, and yet I still drag-raced a friend of mine to the mall once, through heavy traffic (we drove on the shoulder or in the median left-turning lane when necessary, to pass people). We were both top-10 in our high school class (he went on to Cal Tech, even), yet we behaved like a couple of total imbiciles and could've easily killed ourselves (or worse, others) because it was "fun".

 

 

You are not a parent...are you.

 

I can be scared that my daughter is going to the prom with a boy...but I don't make her stay home and miss the prom.

 

I might be scared that my daughter is going to be driving, but you can't make her take the bus until she is 40.

 

that enabler stuff is pure [!@#%^&^]. Following your line of thinking, you should still be wearing a helmet and taking the short bus.

 

Children eventually must learn responsibility. If you teach your children well, get them driving school (for the teaching AND the insurance break) and teach them yourself...hands on with her permit for 8 months before she drives...she should be fine behind the wheel of a Corvette.....

 

that doesn't MEAN I AM NOT SCARED!!!

 

Under your line of thinking, I should get her a tank, cover it with foam padding, make sure it only goes 5mph and ONLY if I am sitting shotgun with one hand on the wheel.

 

Like I said, you must not be a parent....and if you are...God help them.

[Fan4Fan]

Under your line of thinking, I should get her a tank, cover it with foam padding, make sure it only goes 5mph and ONLY if I am sitting shotgun with one hand on the wheel.

 

 

(decides not to bid on that used Russian tank on eBay)....

 

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

[thecomicsheet]

I've got a 14 year old son. I think we are going to give him our Ford Expedition at some point. I want him driving something really big when he starts to drive. My theory is, in any collision, the bigger vehicle wins. A Hummer would be nice, but I can't afford one.

 

Some insufficiently_thoughtful_person in an SUV rear ended my sons school bus yesterday. Smashed the front of the SUV all the way back to the steering wheel. The back of the bus was bent up pretty good, but my son said all they felt was a good bump like bouncing over a curb or something. SUV driver wound up in the hospital. None of the kids were hurt thank God. Anyhow, just goes to show, bigger vehicle wins!

 

I would tend to agree, except that 1) I wouldn't want my kid to have to choose between paying for insurance and paying for gas, and 2) statistics show that teenage drivers tend to cause the accidents they're in. Giving them a behemoth is probably going to make it more likely that they'll kill someone else.

 

I've already decided that I am going to kick in whatever it takes in insurance and gas to support the larger vehicle. Speaking from purely selfish motives, if only one person survives a crash, I want it to be my son.

 

I've been involved in 3 bad crashes in my lifetime (35 years driving). None of them were my fault. One befuddled little old lady who pulled out directly in front of me on the highway, one insufficiently_thoughtful_person talking on a cell phone that rear ended me at a stop sign, and one whacked out druggie in a monster truck who ran a red light and T Boned me in the intersection. In all 3 cases I happened to be driving the smaller vehicle. I got hurt in all 3 wrecks, 1 time rather badly. The other drivers walked away without a scratch on them and with only minor scratches and dings on their vehicles. My tally was 3 emergency room visits, one hospital stay followed by months of rehab, 2 cars totaled (a 66 Mustang [God I miss that car!], and a 94 Taurus, and one car heavily damaged).

 

After the last crash, we got the Expedition. Now I've at least got a fair chance of being in the bigger vehicle in a crash. Of course I still drive my old Pontiac Fiero to work. (For those not familiar with the car - think very small 2 seater death trap.) As soon as I can afford it, that car is getting replaced with something very large. My son is never going to get the chance to drive the Fiero.

 

I drive the Expedition whenever my wife lets me. I love sitting way up high where I can see everything and I'm pretty sure everyone can see me.

[Fan4Fan]

love sitting way up high where I can see everything and I'm pretty sure everyone can see me.

 

I just hope that you're not one of those blokes that feels a need to pull way out before moving in an intersection and effectively preventing everyone else from seeing what is going on.

 

 

Those people....

 

If they want to get the big monstrosity, at least they should remember that they can see much more from up high and they don't need to pull out and block everyone else.

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

[thecomicsheet]

love sitting way up high where I can see everything and I'm pretty sure everyone can see me.

 

I just hope that you're not one of those blokes that feels a need to pull way out before moving in an intersection and effectively preventing everyone else from seeing what is going on.

 

 

Those people....

 

If they want to get the big monstrosity, at least they should remember that they can see much more from up high and they don't need to pull out and block everyone else.

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

 

I know what you mean! I try to be very nice at stop signs and intersections so I don't block someones view. Like I said before, I drive a Fiero to work so I'm VERY familiar with the frustrations of other vehicles blocking my view. Even a normal size passenger car is big enough to cut off my line of sight.

 

All in all though, I'd rather be the blocker than the blockee!

[Steve_HOCP]

love sitting way up high where I can see everything and I'm pretty sure everyone can see me.

 

I just hope that you're not one of those blokes that feels a need to pull way out before moving in an intersection and effectively preventing everyone else from seeing what is going on.

 

 

Those people....

 

If they want to get the big monstrosity, at least they should remember that they can see much more from up high and they don't need to pull out and block everyone else.

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

 

My wife is the QUEEN of that [!@#%^&^] with her Chevy truck...but she swears she doesn't.

[Fan4Fan]

love sitting way up high where I can see everything and I'm pretty sure everyone can see me.

 

I just hope that you're not one of those blokes that feels a need to pull way out before moving in an intersection and effectively preventing everyone else from seeing what is going on.

 

 

Those people....

 

If they want to get the big monstrosity, at least they should remember that they can see much more from up high and they don't need to pull out and block everyone else.

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

 

My wife is the QUEEN of that [!@#%^&^] with her Chevy truck...but she swears she doesn't.

 

I think it is just force of habit, and I try not to get too pissed off about it. Still, I've nearly gotten my front end taken off because I basically have to commit to getting through the intersection in order to see if I can.

 

And, yes, I could wait, but waiting for the other car to turn left and clear the way could take tens of minutes (I know, cuz I did that the first few times).

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

[Steve_HOCP]

I think it is just force of habit, and I try not to get too pissed off about it. Still, I've nearly gotten my front end taken off because I basically have to commit to getting through the intersection in order to see if I can.

 

And, yes, I could wait, but waiting for the other car to turn left and clear the way could take tens of minutes (I know, cuz I did that the first few times).

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

 

get a bigger SUV than the next guy. My partner, (the guy that runs HardOCP) has a stealth black (everything blacked out) Hummer2 that makes it easy to see over other peoples vehicles

 

Both the wife and I have Chevy trucks, so we can at least see around other trucks our size...but when I drive me old Camaros, I am waaaay to low to see around anyone.

[OldGuy]

statistics show that teenage drivers tend to cause the accidents they're in. Giving them a behemoth is probably going to make it more likely that they'll kill someone else.

 

Better someone else then them selves. Sorry, but if it comes down to someone dying, I'd rather it be "the other guy" then my daughter.

 

In the worst accident I was in I was rear ended while sitting at a stop light in my 78' Grand Pris. The lady that hit me was driving a small Honda and she almost died. The guy in front of me was in a small Toyota truck and he was hospitalized. I drove away with a sore neck.

 

My daughter will be driving a large car, so look out.

 

I should also mention that my Grand Pris only had damage to the front and rear bumpers, not so much as a busted light. Both other cars were complete losses.

 

[Steve_HOCP]

statistics show that teenage drivers tend to cause the accidents they're in. Giving them a behemoth is probably going to make it more likely that they'll kill someone else.

 

Better someone else then them selves. Sorry, but if it comes down to someone dying, I'd rather it be "the other guy" then my daughter.

 

In the worst accident I was in I was rear ended while sitting at a stop light in my 78' Grand Pris. The lady that hit me was driving a small Honda and she almost died. The guy in front of me was in a small Toyota truck and he was hospitalized. I drove away with a sore neck.

 

My daughter will be driving a large car, so look out.

 

I should also mention that my Grand Pris only had damage to the front and rear bumpers, not so much as a busted light. Both other cars were complete losses.

 

That's why I chose the Neon RT, it had dual airbags, four wheel disc brakes, anti-lock brakes etc. etc. etc.

 

I am a firm believer in airbags after a wreck I had last year