I see no reason to assume that. You’re assuming he would just autofail them, when, more likely, he’d just be more critical due to his biases. And it’s unlikely that they’re keeping track of that sort of thing to see if there are any patterns where alternative people would wind up failing more often, and, even if they did, people who would let the guy wear that hat would probably justify it as natural.
It’s like the issue with cops and black people. It’s not that they hate black people and want to hurt them. It’s that they have unchecked biases that make them harder on black people for the same crimes, or more likely to assume a black person is a criminal.
If trying to argue it with race is so hard, how much harder would it be with clothing and style choices? Hell, what are the chances that the records say anything more about the kids than that they are white girls? You can’t notice discrimination against something if that something is never recorded.
Actually, only the first post was to chastise you; the second was simply to correct you.
Look, I know that it can sometimes be annoying or a bit embarrassing to be corrected. I’ve been wrong plenty of times in my life, and I don’t like it very much.
But one of my own personal crusades is to push back a little against precisely what was happening here: relying on assumptions or vague memories or anecdote or “common sense” in order to make specific claims about laws and policies. Far too often, people make pronouncements about stuff like this without really knowing the facts, and then rely on those pronouncements for broader arguments about policy or politics or whatever. I’ve done it before, and it’s something I’ve actively tried to correct in myself.
In an era when so much of this stuff is so easily checked, I think it’s important to get it right. I knew literally nothing about tattoo laws before this thread, and the first thing that popped into my head when people started making comments about the illegality of tattooing minors was, “Huh, I didn’t know that. It sounds plausible. I’m going to check it out.” And do you know how long it took me to find out this stuff? About 30 seconds. I’m not making this argument because I’m some special genius who knows more than anyone else about how to research things; I’m making it precisely because this stuff is so easy to do that everyone should be doing it.
There are many areas of law and policy where certain claims seem, on their face, to be completely plausible, and yet turn out, upon further investigation, to be incorrect. And there are other times when certain claims seem completely outlandish or preposterous, but turn out, upon further investigation, to be completely correct. I’ve been caught out by this on a few occasions, and it left me with a determination to check stuff. We live in an incredibly complex society, and it’s impossible for everyone to be an expert on everything. But we also live in a world where finding reliable information on many things is actually relatively easy, if you’re willing to look for it.
Wow, a 15 minute driving test - you’ve got to be kidding me.
If you want to drive int he UK first you have to pass the driving theory test - which isn’t really all that hard for anyone of average intelligence - this also includes a hazard perception test where you watch a video and indicate when you have identified a hazard - problem here is that good drivers and often identify likely hazards too early and indicate too soon.
If you pass this part then you are given a certificate which you must produce before taking the driving test itself, along with your licence. I have known of people fail their driving test simply because they failed to turn up with these documents.
Then the driving test itself - which used directions from satnav as well as independent driving, you are also asked a couple practical questions such as effects of towing a trailer, identify oil level and water levels in the car.
Actual driving is around 50 minutes - unless you have to take the extended test due to previous driving misbehavior
As for trying to get a full bike licence - well that is a set of labyrinthine routes which depends upon your age, which licences you already hold, capacity of machine you are trying to obtain a licence to ride.
15 minute test, BWAAAAHAAAAHAAAAAAAAA
But that 15 minute driving test often comes after taking a several-week-long Driver’s Education class in school and spending many hours driving with a parent or other responsible adult on a learner’s permit.
In New York, for example, first you pass a written test to get your permit. Then you take a 5 hour course on best driving practices, dig deeper into rules and regs, etc. Then you have to wait 6 months (if you are under 18), in order to practice, before you take the road test. You must complete a minimum 50 hours of supervised driving and 15 hours after sunset.
It’s unfortunate you thought the 15 minute test was all that was required.
Given the information upthread - who would I know any different? I can only go by what has been posted, and in any case I assume that the US will have variations in different states.
We have two weaknesses in our driving tuition, lack of night driving and lack of freeway training. Our rules for under 18s are very tight, effectively for the first three years after passing your test you are under driving probation, it takes fewer infractions to get banned from the road and when you return your insurance fees skyrocket so much that you might not be able to afford to return.
Yeah, but you Brits need that extra time figuring out what side of the road to drive on. Hint: Americans drive on the *correct *side of the road; you Brits drive on the wrong side, and you taught your former colonies to drive on the wrong side, too!
And what’s the deal calling the hood of a car a “bonnet”?!? Do your tough guys wear *bonnets *instead of hoodies, too?
And, heck, your tiny little cars are more like the cars our toddlers drive. More like Ringling Bros./Barnum & Bailey clown cars if you ask me! You need to drive ~3000lbs of American steel wrapped around a big block V-8 before you can call yourself an automobile driver, mate!
And, before your Italian neighbors join the fight, let’s recall that the Ford GT-40 kicked Ferrari’s butt in the 1966 24 hour Le Mans race.
Making fun of American road tests, indeed. Go check the pressure of your tyres [sp?], put your groceries in your boot [sp?], check the level of your petrol tank [sp?] and look out the windscreen [sp?] of your 4-door saloon [sp?], you silly Brit!
Well, maybe you shouldn’t assume we’re completely ridiculous and only have a 15 minute test and nothing more. You wouldn’t be expected to know, but you don’t have to assume the worst either.
Well, I guess we will have to “agree to disagree,” as much as I hate that saying.
I learned as a child, and I taught my children as a parent, you do NOT challenge authority. You respect authority. Growing up as a child of a career military man, then marrying a career military man myself probably had much to do with that mindset.
“Authority” is someone who has earned that rank.
It will be a long, tough life to go out in the world with a chip on your shoulder, wanting to challenge every authority figure you meet.
IF there is a perceived problem, be courteous, follow instructions, and after the fact do your research on how to file a complaint. But coming in to a situation with any authority baring tooth and nail, challenging everything can create a messy situation with repercussions.
~VOW
When I see someone in a MAGA hat I feel like asking them, “What, America isn’t great now? Other countries are greater? China maybe, that YUGE! republic? They have a wall already. Would you be happier there?”
Yes, I feel like saying that. But not if they can affect my future. Yes SIR, sir!
Will driver’s licence tests go mostly obsolete when autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs) are ubiquitous? Will licence possession mark one as too poor to afford an AEV? Should Segway and scooter riders be licensed?
You can buy a full tattoo kit including inks on Amazon for under forty bucks–no “artist” or shop required, the kids tattoo each other or even themselves. My grandson has some absolutely awful amateur tattoos on his hands that I wish he’d go have professionally neatened up because dayum, they are shitty.
In Florida, minors can get tattoos with parental consent. I (somewhat reluctantly) gave that consent (notarized and all), when my daughters turned 16 and they convinced me their tats were tasteful and something they wanted permanently engraved on their bodies.
This is my oldest daughter’s tat. It’s a tat of our cat, Tibby (coincidently, my SDMB moniker!). She designed the tattoo herself.
She designed her sister, Chloe’s tattoo, too. It’s a face-shot of our other cat, Bently. Bently and Chloe are 2 peas in a pod. They love each other.
The girls keep trying to convince me to get a tattoo, but I’m resisting. Wearing a dad-hat is as far out as I want to go.
My brother took 3 tries to get his license in the late 70s [um, 78 as I recall] and I got it on my first try the same year. He took drivers ed, I did not, we both had to do the watch the movies bit. I remember my inspector was a cop in uniform. Western NY, Livingston County, Geneseo.
I’m with you. While I think a DMV worker should be able to adequately explain why someone is being failed, I think that being failed and not entirely understanding why is probably something that happens incredibly often.
My dad told me about a DMV worker in his town that would pass all the girls and flunk all the buys, no matter what. It’s bullshit, but I suppose at least he wasn’t advocating for geriatric extermination, so there’s that.
So then maybe don’t assume? Seems more logical to ASK, but what do I know?
And yes, states are different, but mostly when it comes to exactly who has to take the test, or how many hours of driving experience are required. Most states - 32 - require driver’s ed. I imagine most of the others still require a certain number of hours logged. I think most of those are more rural states, like Alaska. In some of them, teens do have to take Driver’s ed, but adults just need to log hours (my Wisconsin friend did that).
In my state (Iowa), we HAD to take driver’s ed in high school if you wanted to drive. But who had to actually take the test was chosen randomly, unless the instructor specifically recommended you to take the test. So while I took driver’s ed, I had decent grades in the class and drove well with the teacher. I wasn’t chosen randomly, so I didn’t have to take the driver’s test. I still had to take the initial written test for my driver’s permit, and obviously pass my classwork.
