Ok I'm 16 years old. I live in a fairly rich community full of shallow people and expensive things. I have a couple friends who like me, beleieve this town is a false "Pleasantville." I have a Golf, which was owned by my grandpa before he died. He was like 86 with glaucoma in one eye and a glass ball in the other (eye socket, that is). His son took away his Jetta, so he went and bought a new Golf. He died and my Grandma got the car; basically the only thing his family would let her have. My Grandma transfered the title to my father last January. I turned sixteen this past summer and the car has been basically considered my own. Here's a little synopsis of my recent history:
7.25.01 - I turn 16 and get my driver's license
7.26.01 - My dad has me drive somewhere with him. I drive across some railroad tracks and a bright light flashes at us. The lights on the crossing had started flashing about 2.5 seconds ago.
9.27.01 - I make a u turn in front of my school. The girl who was behind me hit me while I was in the middle of the turn. Repair bill: approx $1500. We made an insurance claim and paid our $500 deductible, the girl eventually reimbursed us.
10.??.01 - My dad gets an envelope in the mail from the Naperville Police Department. Inside is a letter and a $500 ticket for failure to obey a railroad crossing signal. The letter contains photos from every angle of when I drove accross the railroad tracks. The ticket is for my dad, because he is the owner. He takes 50 hours community service and leaves it at that. We're doing the 50 hours together. He's become the laughing stock of his in-laws.
1.5.02 - I am driving through my friend's neighborhood and have to turn around in a court (no more U turns for me). I am driving on fresh snow. I go slow through the court (approx 10mph) and when the court becomes a circle I turn the wheel and the car goes straight. I put the brake pedal to the floor and the ABS kicks in. I eventually (5 seconds later) slid into someone's mailbox and knocked it over. They weren't home, so I called the police non-emergency number. I was given a ticket for "too fast for conditions" and also settled the mailbox cost with the homeowner. I take the ticket to court.
1.30.01 - I am leaving ACT class. It is fresh snow again. All of us kids were pulling out of the parking lot one by one. It was the type of thing where you let go of the brake and idle to move forward, apply the brake to stop. Well I let go of the brake to move up, apply it and slide. I hit the Blazer in front of me. He has no noticeable damge, my front license plate is bent. We leave it at that. I never tell my parents.
2.6.02 - Court date for mailbox ticket. My original $80 fine plus court costs became $50 court costs included. I have court supervision for one year. Or 3 months, I forget.
2.9.02 - I go to the school's car club where we have been transplanting a Chevy V8 into an Astro van. I don't know much about how cars work, so I basically watch. I decide to take off my front plate and pound it back into shape. I pull my car up outside the shop, remove the plate, but decide to bang on it at home, so I put it in the back seat. I go into the auto shop to talk. 5 min later the teacher is outside saying "were you guys screwin' with this truck, cuz it's rolling into this VW." I go outside - the truck is up against my car. The passenger front fender is bent and scratched a little. I decide I wasn't offering any help and I go home.
So. It's been a little over six months and I've had three collisions and two tickets. The funny thing is, I've always wanted to be a good driver. I can parallel park in spaces 1 foot longer than my car, but I still have more 'altercations' than all my friends. And most of them have been driving for almost a year. But it really sucks because of all the things I've ever done in life, I don't think I've wanted or been more excited about anything besides driving. Yet I seem to be a horrible driver. Go figure.
7.25.01 - I turn 16 and get my driver's license
7.26.01 - My dad has me drive somewhere with him. I drive across some railroad tracks and a bright light flashes at us. The lights on the crossing had started flashing about 2.5 seconds ago.
9.27.01 - I make a u turn in front of my school. The girl who was behind me hit me while I was in the middle of the turn. Repair bill: approx $1500. We made an insurance claim and paid our $500 deductible, the girl eventually reimbursed us.
10.??.01 - My dad gets an envelope in the mail from the Naperville Police Department. Inside is a letter and a $500 ticket for failure to obey a railroad crossing signal. The letter contains photos from every angle of when I drove accross the railroad tracks. The ticket is for my dad, because he is the owner. He takes 50 hours community service and leaves it at that. We're doing the 50 hours together. He's become the laughing stock of his in-laws.
1.5.02 - I am driving through my friend's neighborhood and have to turn around in a court (no more U turns for me). I am driving on fresh snow. I go slow through the court (approx 10mph) and when the court becomes a circle I turn the wheel and the car goes straight. I put the brake pedal to the floor and the ABS kicks in. I eventually (5 seconds later) slid into someone's mailbox and knocked it over. They weren't home, so I called the police non-emergency number. I was given a ticket for "too fast for conditions" and also settled the mailbox cost with the homeowner. I take the ticket to court.
1.30.01 - I am leaving ACT class. It is fresh snow again. All of us kids were pulling out of the parking lot one by one. It was the type of thing where you let go of the brake and idle to move forward, apply the brake to stop. Well I let go of the brake to move up, apply it and slide. I hit the Blazer in front of me. He has no noticeable damge, my front license plate is bent. We leave it at that. I never tell my parents.
2.6.02 - Court date for mailbox ticket. My original $80 fine plus court costs became $50 court costs included. I have court supervision for one year. Or 3 months, I forget.
2.9.02 - I go to the school's car club where we have been transplanting a Chevy V8 into an Astro van. I don't know much about how cars work, so I basically watch. I decide to take off my front plate and pound it back into shape. I pull my car up outside the shop, remove the plate, but decide to bang on it at home, so I put it in the back seat. I go into the auto shop to talk. 5 min later the teacher is outside saying "were you guys screwin' with this truck, cuz it's rolling into this VW." I go outside - the truck is up against my car. The passenger front fender is bent and scratched a little. I decide I wasn't offering any help and I go home.
So. It's been a little over six months and I've had three collisions and two tickets. The funny thing is, I've always wanted to be a good driver. I can parallel park in spaces 1 foot longer than my car, but I still have more 'altercations' than all my friends. And most of them have been driving for almost a year. But it really sucks because of all the things I've ever done in life, I don't think I've wanted or been more excited about anything besides driving. Yet I seem to be a horrible driver. Go figure.
