Post AT0OpoarPyWH6hs8Dw by bmorgan83@mastodon.world
(DIR) More posts by bmorgan83@mastodon.world
(DIR) Post #AT0CxPiKbWuAoNDuaW by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T10:58:42Z
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Is it really common that kids in the US get a car on their 18th birhday? (or 16th or 14th i dunno anymore) Or is it something that TV likes to make us believe? I mean, kids here should be happy if they get 1 lesson for their licence on the birhday instead of a whole car :bloblaugh:
(DIR) Post #AT0D4DnvHc7ftv5KtM by edgeoforever@mastodon.world
2023-02-24T11:00:07Z
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@stux not in the cities. Not sure about the boondocks, but hard to get anywhere without a car.
(DIR) Post #AT0D7vw1f9GZdee3SC by alexpostfacto@tech.lgbt
2023-02-24T11:00:42Z
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@stux It's just a TV thing.Who can even afford a car in this economy?
(DIR) Post #AT0DA7mqZIjUyZOe1o by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:01:08Z
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@edgeoforever Cool! So public transport or a bike could do? š®
(DIR) Post #AT0DCNB6Jbj1I2oTdA by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:01:30Z
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@alexpostfacto My thoughts :blobcatgiggle: It almost seems impossible, let alone with 3 kids for example
(DIR) Post #AT0DCw9CIfzzkHBx1U by affekt@tech.lgbt
2023-02-24T11:01:33Z
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@stuxDefinitely not common. The portrait of the middle class in America that's presented in media I don't think ever existed. At least not where I grew up.
(DIR) Post #AT0DDNPQwQ1sIRznZw by danvanmoll@twit.social
2023-02-24T11:01:38Z
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@stux cars cost a fraction of European prices in the US. And most places are remote w/o proper public transport.. so parents are basically buying themselves freedom by gifting a car (no more driving the kids around).
(DIR) Post #AT0DGDZnxItwfaCZBA by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:02:10Z
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@jacksonchen666 sharp! corrected š ā
(DIR) Post #AT0DKUIxhZt3i5MMDY by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:02:56Z
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@danvanmoll Haha if you look at it that way :blobcatgiggle: Kinda insane it's needed though, woag
(DIR) Post #AT0DNwU1OLt9yMBDAO by edgeoforever@mastodon.world
2023-02-24T11:03:40Z
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@stux again, in the city yes. Outside, the distances to everything are huge. I moved to a suburb once And I had to learn how to drive to be able to buy food. Happily back in NYC soon after
(DIR) Post #AT0DOOdCjns5GwgwMq by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:03:40Z
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@affekt goood to know!
(DIR) Post #AT0DOlq6S0r5Fbu4AK by danvanmoll@twit.social
2023-02-24T11:03:45Z
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@stux haha yeah.. if you want kids better start saving for cars and education..
(DIR) Post #AT0DQq0puFUolxuRfM by jcrabapple@dmv.community
2023-02-24T11:04:06Z
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@stux @danvanmoll I have 2 kids turning 16 this year and they will be sharing one very affordable car.
(DIR) Post #AT0DSSrQxEzHY3HrX6 by DamnCatOnMyDesk@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:04:26Z
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@stux Not always. I just got to drive my family's other vehicle. My brother had to buy a used car himself.
(DIR) Post #AT0DT0OCIRnrXDrzgO by BintyMcFrazzles@ohai.social
2023-02-24T11:04:26Z
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@stux I know we shouldn't believe what we see on TV, but I always see high school kids driving massive, shiny, brand-new, expensive cars.My parents helped me with lessons, but I had to pay half. They wouldn't have bought me a car, though. The driving test in the USA is quite shockingly easy, apparently. (I can't believe in some states they allow 14 yr olds to drive!)
(DIR) Post #AT0DTpirRNdSk4viTI by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:04:39Z
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@edgeoforever I bet! :ablobwink: Hmm.. i think it's the same here :blobcatgiggle: But we also COULD go from city to city (or towns) with pub transport if needed
(DIR) Post #AT0DYQfW1BIkUEYZKC by wa7iut@mastodon.radio
2023-02-24T11:04:56Z
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@stux it is common to get a drivers license around age 16/17 but unusual to get a car for their birthday. That said, we donāt have good public transportation in many places, so as a practical matter, we tend to hand off driving them around to having them drive themselves and usually one car in the family becomes the one they get to drive. Itās very rare that itās a newer car.
(DIR) Post #AT0DZvF9pKTbbPwKeW by joeinwynnewood@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:05:47Z
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@stuxMaybe in a handful of very wealthy suburban communities, though when I was in HS in the early 70s, a good number of working class kids managed to scrape together the $ for a used car.Most if not all of them did all the maintenance themselves & worked nights and/or weekends to pay for them & the insurance. No idea if that's still a thing...
(DIR) Post #AT0DdU5uhzOeYkJZQW by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:06:24Z
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@BintyMcFrazzles Indeed š® There is no 'offcial lesson' system or something right?Everyone can basically teach you on the public road? :amaze: Here that's sooo different! It'll cost at least 1K on lessons and 2 exams before you can get into the car alone
(DIR) Post #AT0DeWSTPBTCBFMUTY by Ricketyhalo@mastodon.social
2023-02-24T11:06:35Z
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@stux nope, most of us are too poor to do that.
(DIR) Post #AT0Dho7cBlzxpdAiHo by edgeoforever@mastodon.world
2023-02-24T11:07:16Z
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@stux I lived that way, taking a train or a bus to the city for work. But no bus to supermarket š¤·āāļø
(DIR) Post #AT0DiG2yMcvERLDOwC by EvaSimonBry@mas.to
2023-02-24T11:07:15Z
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@stux We had four children. Middle class family the youngest is 17 and live in the suburbs. All of them were helped to purchase a reliable used vehicle, as long as they worked a part time job and paid their own insurance while kept grades up. All eventually had their own by 18. Driving distance is different in the US while it is improving there are still some places that require vehicles to travel where public transportation isnāt available.
(DIR) Post #AT0DjFE4tx3CBRsdDU by andrew@alinke.com
2023-02-24T11:07:24Z
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@stux I havenāt really seen it. Like, my wife and ex both got access to a car once they had a license, but in both cases the car was a cheap ancient used thing that their parents either already owned or got for about the cost of a decent phone or laptop. I drove family cars until I got a teaching job. My dad helped me buy my first car, but that was family politics. My daughter drives her deceased great-grandmotherās car, but doesnāt own it.
(DIR) Post #AT0DmCkgYYrvNZXkwq by CartyBoston@mastodon.roundpond.net
2023-02-24T11:07:58Z
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@stux in 1975 when I turned 16 in Pennsylvania it was all I could think about, but my parents, both teachers, were in no position to provideit's not a myth as much as a dream
(DIR) Post #AT0Doys4cayhCIK5LM by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:08:23Z
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I really love reading all replies from people who live it ā¤ļø thank you! Mastodon (and the Fedi) can be a wonderful place to get real info about the world and not the fake TV bullshit we get shoved down
(DIR) Post #AT0DtJpYdXnhMODNGi by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:09:07Z
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@jacksonchen666 oh lol! I had it wrong twice :nkoFacepalm:
(DIR) Post #AT0E2GPWilkXMNIvFQ by aurochs@todon.eu
2023-02-24T11:10:56Z
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@edgeoforever @stux Reminds me of when I lived in Lansing. I had to buy a car to spend two years in the US!
(DIR) Post #AT0EMEQjnIJf0dON0q by andrew@alinke.com
2023-02-24T11:14:28Z
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That varries state by state. In Maryland (where I live now) new drivers have to get 60 hours of supervised practice, take a class that includes driving practice, pass a computer test, and pass a driving test. Back when I was a teen in Virginia it was similar, but I admit that I used a loophole where I didnāt apply for a license until I was 19, so I didnāt have to take a class. @stux @BintyMcFrazzles
(DIR) Post #AT0EOEgHpgQsMlcXSq by Lauig@h4.io
2023-02-24T11:14:51Z
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@stux really hoping car culture to die soon.Solo driver cars kill cities, do not improve speed of mobility in any way, deter trafic out of small scale businesses, creates ton of pollution...
(DIR) Post #AT0ERYwiwZyy5OtZgW by eyebee@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:15:23Z
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@stux My wife, who grew up in California, got a car at 18/19, but she had to pay for running costs. Compare that to me, living in Kent, England, and I didnāt even pass my test until I was 25 and then didnāt get a car right away. I bought a house first. Now, living in West London, we donāt have a car. Itās a few hundred quid a month we save in those running costs, and in the UK, car owners are soft targets for everyone from local authorites to the bandit insurance cowboys for easy money.
(DIR) Post #AT0ESkLk20Mxk8A5JY by jik@federate.social
2023-02-24T11:15:38Z
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@stux @BintyMcFrazzles Depends on the state. In Massachusetts if you want to drive before you're 18 you have to go through an intense drivers ed program with many hours of lessons and supervised road practice, which indeed usually costs around $1k, before you can take the road test, and your license is restricted (curfew, no teenage friends in the car) for 6 months. If you're over 18 you just need to pass the test. These rules hugely decreased new driver accidents.
(DIR) Post #AT0ESuZw05fFT2sYpE by BintyMcFrazzles@ohai.social
2023-02-24T11:15:37Z
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@stux It should be hard like it is in the UK. You're driving a ton or more of very powerful metal at speed, and can also drive small lorries up to a certain size. It ain't just about going from A to B, it's all about hazard perception. It's why American's can't handle British or European roads. They get confused by roundabouts.
(DIR) Post #AT0EfKLi0no0ru94YS by sysop408@sfba.social
2023-02-24T11:17:57Z
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@stux @BintyMcFrazzles here in California, before you can start driving, you have to be 15 1/2 years old and get a provisional license (usually referred to as a learner's permit). Once you have that you can drive under supervision of someone who's at least 25 years old.Before you can get that permit, you have to complete driving school and pass an exam if you're a teenager. An adult just needs to pass the exam for a permit. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/instruction-permits/
(DIR) Post #AT0Eff4kx1it9PNKXw by Urban_Hermit@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:18:01Z
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@stux I'm in Oregon, graduated in 1990. Second largest metro area in the state. Most kids in my highschool had a car by graduation, like maybe 75%. The car was always used and was a 15 year old hand me down from the parents as they were getting a new car or was bought with the money from the kid's first job. The value was about $1,000. A few kids that didn't get cars were using the money for college and they were living on campus. At the time busses were for poor people, like me.
(DIR) Post #AT0EgRtRRsmsYVSUDI by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:18:05Z
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@jik @BintyMcFrazzles Ahh got it! At that age it seems like a huge pain but in the end it's so worth it.. Cars can be killing machines if not handled properly so a bit of time and money investment is not bad i thinkIt is a lot shitter if you live in a place where you have no choice and money ofc..
(DIR) Post #AT0EijxFGgCh9QKWrA by 12thRITS@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:18:36Z
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@stux For prosperous families that can afford to, getting the kids a car when they reach driving age liberates the parents from the responsibility of driving the kids to sportsball practice, music lessons, tutoring sessions, movies, shopping, etc.
(DIR) Post #AT0EknAQILCph4TLWq by stux@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:18:55Z
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@sysop408 @BintyMcFrazzles Woahh, 15.5 is kinda young :amaze: I remember you can start on 17th here and get the licence on 18th bday
(DIR) Post #AT0Eq5puJLHV2iP6jA by RandyNose@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:19:45Z
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@stux I wouldn't say that it's really an 18th birthday present. Back in the seventies I got my permit when I was 15 and I was driving for over a year before I got my license at 16. But my mom wanted to have another driver when she went on trips to visit my sister.But depending on what state you live in, the requirements for driving school before you get your license vary.
(DIR) Post #AT0FCPgBDPqgxKUsiG by thinking_images@masto.ai
2023-02-24T11:23:56Z
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@stux I wouldn't say it's common, but it's a big state and country. I live in a rural/suburban town/village. There's the occasional bus. Uber/Lyft and other local car services fill in the gaps. I don't see that many bicycles, either. Maybe it's the mountains. It wouldn't take long to walk the length of the town.Insurance for a young driver here is very high. Depending on the age, driving is limited, too.
(DIR) Post #AT0FLT1AAkyBurd3o0 by sysop408@sfba.social
2023-02-24T11:25:32Z
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@stux haha, indeed it probably is, but it's so ingrained in us that we all start mentally preparing ourselves to drive as we reach that age. I'm pretty sure a lot of teenagers would rather have less pressure to drive, but it's so expected that no teen wants to that one who still doesn't have a license by the time they're 17, but many of them are terrified behind the wheel even if few will admit it. However... attitudes on the driver's license as a rite of passage may be changing.
(DIR) Post #AT0FbhAVKQBoR9jj28 by i_give_u_worms@mastodon.cloud
2023-02-24T11:28:30Z
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@stux the auto industry pays to make 18 year olds think if this could happen.
(DIR) Post #AT0Fe3nu8oSNDdIFiS by RandyNose@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:28:57Z
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@stux Keep in mind that things aren't the same in each state but they're very similar. And yes, TV shows aren't realistic when it comes to people spending their money and living within their budgets.....Part of the reason why I think a lot of people are unhappy, because they feel that they deserve to have a life that they see on TV but that's a whole different subject....
(DIR) Post #AT0Fu8aa7NCQh1jBrs by SteveClough@mastodon.social
2023-02-24T11:31:50Z
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@stux Loving these insights.Another thing that always strikes me as odd - they seem to hand their keys to people regardless. In the UK, they would need to be covered under insurance, so it would not be legal. Is that different?It just seems that so often in US dramas people say "Oh take my car" and I know that in the UK it takes a week of planning to make it happen.
(DIR) Post #AT0GJK4KZbVzXKeUSW by toddtyrtle@zirk.us
2023-02-24T11:36:22Z
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@stux Not sure about *everyone* but I did. It was a very cheap old used '64 Chevrolet (before they got trendy). It might also depend on where you live. Where I lived, without a car there was no getting to see anyone. So everyone eventually got one. Some kids got them from their parents, others would borrow their parents' to get to their part time job for a while and then buy one of their own within a few months.
(DIR) Post #AT0GOBafWVEOgn649Y by Jeltron@pocketpixels.club
2023-02-24T11:37:11Z
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@stux It's common in rich areas like suburbs in California. Sometimes even new cars! More often it's used cars. In poorer areas even parents can't afford a car for themselves.
(DIR) Post #AT0GhURVeg8of119Yu by toddtyrtle@zirk.us
2023-02-24T11:40:45Z
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@stux @edgeoforever Looking at where I grew up (Rural Vermont) I was lucky to have a *tiny* bit of transit. There were 3-4 weekly van routes to take people (mostly seniors) shopping. I'd use it to go the 55 km to get to my grandparents place on Fridays. My parents would pick me up on Sunday. Sometimes I'd even catch *another* van in the eve from my grandparents place to a mall another 55 km away. The van would wait a couple hours and then drop us all back off.
(DIR) Post #AT0Gk7AocsdhMRScfg by FallsMom@mastodon.coffee
2023-02-24T11:41:13Z
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@stux TV make believe. And more kids are not getting drivers licenses until ages 18, 19, 21 even though the can obtain one at 16 in most states. Why, I do not know
(DIR) Post #AT0HC09WK5wdh79VCK by jrnoded@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:46:15Z
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@stux what is common is that families become two or three car families once they have young drivers. In cases where after school activities or jobs require being three places at the same time. But not just because they became 16 or 18.
(DIR) Post #AT0HFI89wC4MJy5IOm by randynose@fosstodon.org
2023-02-24T11:46:51Z
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@stux @sysop408 @BintyMcFrazzles There's also those that live in the farmland areas, that are driving farm equipment as soon as their feet can reach the pedals, but they only allowed to drive on private property. - I've run into a few truck drivers that have been driving since they were 13 or 14, if you count driving on the farms. Farm equipment can be anything from a car to a semi to a combine in the field.
(DIR) Post #AT0HbcSZ2Ejvk2H8Lo by noondlyt@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:50:54Z
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@stux I think for the majority of people this is a no. Insurance is crazy expensive for anyone under 21 no matter what, but on a new car it can be cost prohibitive. Many get to use the family car. More are waiting to drive until they're older.
(DIR) Post #AT0HmxwfUbWxYylbNI by MollyNYC@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:52:57Z
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@stux No, but kids are likely to get their driversā licenses as soon as theyāre legally allowed to, especially in areas where thereās no public transportation, and in farming areas, where some families want their kids to be able to drive tractors, etc.A lot of high schools offer driverās education (i.e., training to pass the state driving test) as an elective.Most Americans also use their driversā licenses as ID, so thatās one more incentive to get one.
(DIR) Post #AT0HnQnoCcfv3tqR5k by johnlehet@mas.to
2023-02-24T11:53:01Z
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@stux @edgeoforever It's also a deep cultural thing that has gotten worse as near as I can tell. When I was a kid I took the bus to school. My son didn't want to take the bus but I insisted. A friend though, who teaches school in an affluent district told me that taking the bus to school is cause for derision: they call the bus the "Loser Cruiser." The kids want to be driven by their parents. And then I think adults in general also associate public transport with low status.
(DIR) Post #AT0HuEQgbSvMiOGvdg by jrod3737@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T11:54:15Z
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@stux I wouldnāt say itās an official thing, but in the US itās almost impossible to build your life without a car unless you live and work in the heart of a city and there are ample grocers, doctors, and other basic services nearby.From my experience, most Europeans donāt understand how big the US is and how little our government believes in public transportation. For most people cars are as vital as running water
(DIR) Post #AT0Ih4OahIQtmka0lU by kevinteljeur@mastodon.online
2023-02-24T12:03:05Z
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@stux Everyone in the USA lives in an improbably large house made of wood with two cars, even if theyāre single.
(DIR) Post #AT0J6i6UCWhWB2L0IC by SamKurth@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T12:07:44Z
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@stux of my circle in high school, maybe 30%? For me there was 2 family cars, one for mom, dad would usually bike or take the bus to work, leaving one for kids. But mom and dad always had priority.
(DIR) Post #AT0JCZ1krLbXlTuqoa by edd@freeradical.zone
2023-02-24T12:08:41Z
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@stux Depends on the area/family's wealth. I didn't (also didn't get my license until forced to, I just biked it), but others in my well-to-do suburb did. One very well off boy at school trashed multiple new BMWs and his parents kept getting him more. Had I trashed one of my parents' cars I wouldn't be driving period.
(DIR) Post #AT0JpsXwDoN3b0iSoq by monsoonrains@mastodon.social
2023-02-24T12:15:52Z
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@stux Until I actually visit America I will continue to assume that the country and all its supposed people are fake.
(DIR) Post #AT0K4XVCkHIQflQcG8 by the_skotts@mastodon.social
2023-02-24T12:18:31Z
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@stux It definitely wasn't uncommon where I grew up, but it was usually at 16 because that is when you could get your license. Most kids were gifted older used cars (this was in the late 2000s and most had cars from the 90s) but there were some kids who got brand new cars. Bike lanes are non-existent in my hometown and public transit is a bus system that turns a 10 min drive into an hour trip. There were also several of us who worked during high school to buy a car.
(DIR) Post #AT0KQKR00nfmVwqplo by SensibleMadman@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T12:22:22Z
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@stux a literal train track divided my town and the kids in the south got cars when they turned 17 and I had a job from 15 and bought my own. I lived in the north. Obviously. It happens and itās common but itās not everyone.
(DIR) Post #AT0MeR4kJirD4dITQW by johnlehet@mas.to
2023-02-24T12:47:24Z
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@stux @edgeoforever In my part of #Vermont and adjacent #NewHampshire, a mostly rural area called "The Upper Valley,ā which is more progressive than average America, we have free public buses from town to town. They are well used as far as I can tell. (Since my once-a-week errands involve going out to drop recycling and garbage and coming home with groceries, I never do it, not a commuter.) I took those buses 40 years ago when they were not free though.
(DIR) Post #AT0NYr6SjYgG0v0EkK by Cheesebiscuits@newsie.social
2023-02-24T12:57:28Z
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@stux In central Florida, the high schools in more affluent communities have huuuuge parking lots for students. Iāve seen old cars, sensible cars, and plenty of Teslas, BMWs, and Range Rovers parked in the student section.
(DIR) Post #AT0NiMbgyOdQKL8zhI by aintist@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T12:59:20Z
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@stux I got a used car from my dad when I got my license at 17- it was a terrible car that my dad claimed to have researched, but was listed as ādo not buy usedā by consumer reports.There was very little public transportation available and Iām pretty sure my parents were tired of driving me to work and school functions.
(DIR) Post #AT0OCDgIit9ZKeXJMe by bmorgan83@mastodon.world
2023-02-24T13:04:44Z
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@stux my kids arenāt old enough, but otherās Iāve seen, their kids donāt even want to get their license till theyāre over 18. So no point in a carā¦ I do however hope thatās not the case with my oldestā¦ sheās doing theater stuff 6 days a week, and we have to drive her everywhere.
(DIR) Post #AT0OZBY2oufHNPcpCC by bmorgan83@mastodon.world
2023-02-24T13:08:53Z
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@stux @BintyMcFrazzles here in California, to get your license at 16, you have to take a classroom driving school class, to get your permit, which requires a written test. then have something like 15 hours with a certified driving instructor before you can take the behind the wheel test.
(DIR) Post #AT0OpoarPyWH6hs8Dw by bmorgan83@mastodon.world
2023-02-24T13:11:54Z
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@stux @sysop408 @BintyMcFrazzles we go that young because we are more spread out and have terrible public transportation in most the US. Historically kids got to drive at 16 to help alleviate the parents as they got busier. In more rural states, you can get a license younger to help with family farm responsibilities.
(DIR) Post #AT0TQ5GjIRsp4B0QJE by dema@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T14:03:06Z
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@stux I live in Canada, but not anyone I know. Lessons and put on the insurance, is what you get on your 16 birthday, if you want to drive. In the city many donāt even get that. My son has āborrowedā our second car, but he is 21, and with both working from home now we only need one.
(DIR) Post #AT0W4if6S9CUjXuVt2 by Artemis201@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T14:33:02Z
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@stux i know some people who did, but most often a family would buy a beat up old car for their oldest to use, which would then be passed to the next child and the next as they started learning how to drive (which generally started around age 16). This was for upper-middle class white kids in the city.So mostly the kids didn't own the car, they were just loaners from the parents that were highly likely to get in an accident.
(DIR) Post #AT0WW1otKfytyAVjgu by Artemis201@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T14:37:59Z
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@stux @edgeoforever it really depends on the city and the person. Sometimes the transit is good, most times it's terrible. My neighbor and school were mostly un-bikeable due to a lack of bike lanes or sidewalks in some areas. The bus didn't come by my school, so i had to get dropped off at school and then dropped off at the bus stop after school for extracurriculars somewhere else in town.
(DIR) Post #AT0YGnnfNKAU3Jnz5E by Dunstable@mstdn.ca
2023-02-24T14:57:31Z
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@stux definitely rare amongst the people I knew at that age. The only people I knew with cars at 18 got them because their parents got a new car and they inherited the old one, or they had liberal borrowing privileges.
(DIR) Post #AT0ZHf8JBVD1PqQznU by Tedgarrison3@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T15:08:58Z
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@stux I grew up in "upstate" NY (not NYC). Some of us were fortunate enough to get a hand-me-down (my dad was in the market for a bigger truck at the time, and his wasn't worth anything for trade-in). But generally, we saved our money and bought our first clunker. Sometimes before we were old enough to drive it if we wanted to spend time fixing it up beforehand. But in rural areas, you needed wheels or access to them to get to work in the winter months.
(DIR) Post #AT0b05NL4peFV8DAG0 by danwilson_rev3@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T15:28:12Z
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@stux itās common for the wealthy, not common for the serfs (everyone else).
(DIR) Post #AT0c3Z0LTNdWDWg85Q by ThatMichaelM@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T15:40:03Z
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@stux Is it common? Maybe a couple decades ago. A used car anyway.Nowadays, it's probably not as common with the average income for a family being reduced.
(DIR) Post #AT0dJhkwnn8LwnjkEy by dkrapohl@mstdn.science
2023-02-24T15:54:07Z
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@stux Little off topic maybe: I live in Sweden, and teenagers are allowed to drive here with 16 as well. However, it's either special light cars that go 45km/h or cars that have an electronic choke, allowing them to go 30km/h. Either way, I find it rather annoying and not very safe. I'm also still wondering how they can afford some of the cars. I've seen bigger BMW, Audi, and even a Porsche.
(DIR) Post #AT0emp58kCp51Hd8Ua by dpp@mastodon.social
2023-02-24T16:10:37Z
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@stux I offered my kids a car as soon as they got their drivers license. It took 2 years for my son to get his license. My daughter hasnāt gotten her license yet.I got my license 6 weeks after my 16th birthday and got my car (partially subsidized by my grandparents) 2 weeks later.
(DIR) Post #AT0ged2ZpV0FGXeTKa by sufficiency@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T16:31:34Z
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@stux I teach high school in the states and at a private school, though not a ritzy one, but there is money. Limited public transit in the area. I rarely see my students owning their own cars, though, unless they are gearheads and itās been their dream theyāve been saving for since they started mowing lawns and babysitting. Possibly because most of my students are headed to colleges where they wonāt need a car, so the need is quite temporary (licensing at 16.5, college at age 18-19).
(DIR) Post #AT0hWKxlG3mKpv0e92 by Basic_Bench@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T16:41:17Z
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@stuxUsually an old car thats falling apart or something. Obv not as bad in cities where driving and parking can be more time consuming and expensive, but yeah most US infrastructure is designed and zoned around cars and ir results in very restricted movement for carless people.
(DIR) Post #AT0hdq7lnb4zVcGhns by EdSanders@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T16:42:37Z
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@stux it's not really that common, though outside of the cities, they likely get access to a car. Much like a parent will give an old phone to a child for a first phone, it's not outrageous for a family to hand down a car if there's a relatively new driver who could really use it, not a birthday thing though.Rich people give their kids cars.
(DIR) Post #AT0jDlkJeeC8JDziFc by nlarson830@techhub.social
2023-02-24T17:00:18Z
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@stux I don't have a good feel for how common it is.My mom gave me her 10 year old Toyota Corona MkII. I do not recall if it was on my birthday.Kids from wealthier families are sometimes given brand new cars, but IMO that's widely viewed as foolish.Distances are generally beyond bicycle or walking range, and bicycling here is often hazardous. Public transport is not very good at all, at least here in Southern California.And as said, it frees up the parents as they don't have to drive the kids.
(DIR) Post #AT0jIDEHPkYyhn81dQ by plaidphantom@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T17:01:08Z
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@stux it's not uncommon, but for perspective this could range from rich parents buying a brand-new Mustang to my parents buying a 20-year old beater for $400 or so. Though I don't think mine was specifically a birthday gift, IIRC.
(DIR) Post #AT0lEcE2jkwiynQkAS by MyCart@jawns.club
2023-02-24T17:22:49Z
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I was given my momās old 1986 Dodge Caravan with wood grain paneling. I thought it was stupid and embarrassing then, but honestly Iād drive this thing again, and totally miss it. @stux
(DIR) Post #AT0nMvUJCh2Iwh83sm by 3rdNRobzilla13@universeodon.com
2023-02-24T17:46:48Z
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@stux We're infamous for our general lack of public transportation in the suburbs, so that's a yes. Most of the time, the kids get a hand me down car that the parents still own.Only in the affluent areas do you see brats getting new German cars.
(DIR) Post #AT0xpaxxa5zZEpJ77Q by Pineywoozle@masto.ai
2023-02-24T19:43:57Z
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@stux @edgeoforever In the part of the US I grew up in a 30ish mile drive between cities often involves several thousand ft of elevation change & the rapid weather changes that that includes. I did it on a bike for fun but I also had a car at 16 for winter etc. Home was 7kā the summit on the L is 8,600 the town to the L is 6k the summit to the right is over 8k & the town is 5k. Most people canāt do that. Plus distances in America are much vaster than people realize.
(DIR) Post #AT16Doa5Pbeq30CTsu by sfierbaugh@home.social
2023-02-24T21:18:02Z
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@stux I got an old one from grandparents on my 18th birthday, but I needed it for an out-of-town college. (Thinking back on it now, this might also have been encouraged by my parents to stop my aging granddad's driving. Hmm...)US kids sometimes but not always get "helped" in various ways with their first car by parents/grandparents. This varies by socioeconomic class & circumstances.Used cars have gone through the roof in price in last 2 years, so that may make it rarer.
(DIR) Post #AT16jWzwJwV6mVPt8C by sfierbaugh@home.social
2023-02-24T21:23:47Z
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@stux @BintyMcFrazzles Varies widely by state. On average, at around 16yo you have to take lessons, spend some time driving with a copilot, and pass a test, but the details are all over the place. In no case is this seriously expensive or difficult. Getting a drivers license is pretty easy.
(DIR) Post #AT17uh3fMEh37c2uh6 by kalpik@mstdn.social
2023-02-24T21:37:01Z
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@stux it's impossible to live in America (outside the major cities at least) without a car.
(DIR) Post #AT184QbBPMnOyBMh9c by sfierbaugh@home.social
2023-02-24T21:38:46Z
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@stux @edgeoforever Having seen the replies to this, you're getting a lot of observer bias from both directions in the answers. Blue cities manage with decent public transport. Everywhere else in America is intentionally designed to require a car.
(DIR) Post #AT1HjVZKjW2LqRABVo by edgeoforever@mastodon.world
2023-02-24T23:27:06Z
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@sfierbaugh @stux I thought some comments came from outside the US. But itās true that not all cities are walkable. See LA. NYC avoided a planning disaster like that some decades ago (Robert Moses)
(DIR) Post #AT1vVmRtAovyJEgqUy by CapitalB@noagendasocial.com
2023-02-25T06:52:50Z
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@RandyNose @stux ???They are unhappy bc some bullshit EU takes away 1/2 of their income just lile that. If ze Germans want to donate 78% of their income to the state that is their thing but now they force a whole continent (again) to do their crappy politics. No wonder "ppl are unhappy".
(DIR) Post #AT2EYmNhmMoo67sPjs by Miniver@mastodon.social
2023-02-24T23:37:05Z
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In the US elementary schools are typically small and local enough that kids can get to school on foot or by school bus, but I would guess that maybe half of US teens ā¢cannotā¢ get to high school in reasonable time without use of a car@johnlehet @edgeoforever @stux
(DIR) Post #AT2EYoAJ99I3d9ck8O by Miniver@mastodon.social
2023-02-24T23:38:26Z
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Recall also the Stranger Danger abandonment of public space in the US in recent decades is such that letting a kid walk more than a few blocks unattended is often considered irresponsible parental neglect@edgeoforever @johnlehet @stux
(DIR) Post #AT2EYpfXYVrqIJFCSG by Miniver@mastodon.social
2023-02-24T23:39:59Z
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It is difficult for people in other countries to imagine how terrible public transit is in most of the US@stux @edgeoforever @johnlehet
(DIR) Post #AT2PRnPAfq7gk1R1to by eyebee@mstdn.social
2023-02-25T12:28:11Z
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@stux When I lived in the US, and I complained about the price of gas for the car, friends and family in the UK would loudly respond with the difference in the cost at the pump between the UK and the US. Thing is, because we had to drive everywhere in the US, I spent as much at the pump in the US as I would have in the UK. My wife complained about not being able to walk to the local stores in the US. Here so much more is within walking distance or a short bus ride away, with buses every few mins