1st Impression - GTO

[RandallNeighbour]

Originally Posted by BoxsterBob - CA

I don't want to stereotype Nick's co-worker's kid, because he may be very level headed and responsible, but with a brand new GTO, it only takes a split second lapse.

Ditto!

Here's what I've learned about 16 year olds today and their parents.

1. Kids are smart these days. Far smarter than my generation at that age. Just my opinion, but I think others would agree.

2. Kids are far more saavy to the ways of the world today than when I was growing up. In other words, a straight A student can also be selling bootleg speed pills over the internet, and he's smart enough to keep his mouth shut — and no one, not even his best friend knows he's doing it. He's squirreled the money away and is scheming to buy a Porsche the day he goes off to college, which his parents are paying for because they don't know he's got $40k growing in his Fidelity brokerage account.

3. My friends with teenaged kids actually think they know what their kids are doing or not doing most of the time. What a load of crap. Their kids are all smiles and straight A's around them and act like gangsters when the parents are out of sight. Many teenage kids today have a strong dual persona.

Geez. I re-read this before I posted it and I am officially an old geezer at 45! One would expect me to come out with "cut your hair and get a job and start paying taxes like the rest of us, you snot-nosed little brat!"

[Ronzi]

The first car we got my oldest son was a '77 Firebird Formula with a 455ci engine. The second was a Datsun 240Z with 3 Webers and the third was a Geo Metro convertible. The only one he wrecked was the Metro.
Now, almost twenty yrs later, I hear stories about 125mph on a two-lane blacktop north of town in the Firebird. Fortunately he survived it all, probably no thanks to me.
I look back on it and say to myself, what was I thinking?

[steve00s]

To each their own I guess. The mother will have to live with the consequences of her actions but in my opinion people who do not earn things do not appreciate them. We may be doing things that we think are in our children's best interest at the time but life lessons and parenting sometimes mean holding back what our hearts would like us to do. I have a 16 year old son who is crazy about cars and I could buy him the coolest car in town but what would that teach him? I believe that it would rob him of the satisfaction of working, earning, and than smiling a sense of accomplishment because he did it himself. Working towards a dream instead of it handed to him like an ice cream cone. The world is full of these stories about kids gifted with too much car for their maturity. I know personally of three horrible accidents and two deaths because of this type of situation. This particular kid may be great and wise beyond his years but it is a bad recipe. At any rate, about the car. They are pretty nice in a straight line but I have seen it autocrossed and it wasn't pretty. Its like so many of the new domestic cars that are one dimensional. Not the total package but would be fun at the weekend drags.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Ditto!

Here's what I've learned about 16 year olds today and their parents.

1. Kids are smart these days. Far smarter than my generation at that age. Just my opinion, but I think others would agree.

2. Kids are far more saavy to the ways of the world today than when I was growing up. In other words, a straight A student can also be selling bootleg speed pills over the internet, and he's smart enough to keep his mouth shut — and no one, not even his best friend knows he's doing it. He's squirreled the money away and is scheming to buy a Porsche the day he goes off to college, which his parents are paying for because they don't know he's got $40k growing in his Fidelity brokerage account.

3. My friends with teenaged kids actually think they know what their kids are doing or not doing most of the time. What a load of crap. Their kids are all smiles and straight A's around them and act like gangsters when the parents are out of sight. Many teenage kids today have a strong dual persona.

Geez. I re-read this before I posted it and I am officially an old geezer at 45! One would expect me to come out with "cut your hair and get a job and start paying taxes like the rest of us, you snot-nosed little brat!"

Sooo true. I once had my car stolen. Made a few phone calls (I was working in law enforcement at the time) and got the car back. Later found out the guy pivotal in all of this was a guy who used to be in my AP Physics class! He was going to Med School and funding it all with all sorts of illegal activities.
This line between what is just and what's a way to quick cash has completely been lost on young people. Same goes for young women and sex, having a sex tape and being a nice A student doesn't clash with these kids today.

anyhooters.... back to young people and fast cars. I used to drive very very fast on public roads. When I had an unmarked police car at my disposal it was like the worst thing that could have happened. People would just get out of your way. But once I started receiving professional high peformance driving instruction everything changed. I realized how little I knew and how clueless others on the road were. The result was I drove slower on streets and avoided highways whenver possible, particularly at night when the drunks are out.

[spark00]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

I drove slower on streets and avoided highways whenver possible, particularly at night when the drunks are out.

I don't drive fast not because of fear of speed and losing control but more of other drivers not paying attention when they are driving. Sound like an old man at 31 but defensive driving is priority for me on the road.