Stupid fucking teenage driver!

The BBQ Pit
1

Right, so, I went in to pick up a friend of mine from school today, as I usually do on Fridays. A HS student, he is, and we usually hang out Friday evenings.

Waiting in the normal line of traffic to leave, I notice there’s a louder-than-should-be old Mustang creeping up perpendicular to my car, trying to get a place in line behind me somewhere. It irks me that he got within 3 feet of my car to begin with when approaching from the side, but as I creeped forward, I forgot about it. For about 10 seconds, that is, while we sat still in traffic.

When the car in front of me pulled forward to go, I lightly moved forward. No sudden stopping or anything, I just let go of the brake and before my foot even got to the gas pedal, the jackass kid in the suped up Mustang plowed into my from behind. I was thrown forward, as was my passenger. I was pissed, but I knew that something like this was eventually going to happen in this lot, having driven to and from high school daily for 2 years of my own life.

So, naturally, I turned my blinker on and waited for the next row (the last) in the parking lot to pull into a space and out of traffic to talk to the kid who hit me. My blinker was on, and I put my hand out of the window to signal that I was turning, and he should follow. I turned, and pulled into a space. I got out of the car, and at this point, I noticed he hadn’t followed. Luckily, he was one car away from pulling out of the lot and zooming off at 55 mph. I tried to run over and flag him (or his equally obtuse passenger) down, but I made it about a car-length away before they pulled out.

VERY thankfully, I was able to read his license plate (as was my passenger, who I was able to confirm the plate # with) before he sped off. VERY pissed off at this point, I pulled over to the office and spoke with an administrator. Needless to say, she was not very happy about the hit and run incident, OR the 1 ft long, 6" wide gash now gracing my rear bumper. I filled out an accident report for her as well as the cop on duty at the school. I was told that the cop would run the plate this evening through DMV and find the owner of that white Ford Mustang, though the school was able to provide him with the student driver’s name and address from permit records. <3

The administrator took photos, so now I’m waiting for a call from the officer.

I’m not normally a vindictive person, but a hit and run? In a school parking lot? From a 16 year old kid, with a passenger? I’m certain that he’s going to lose his school permit, and hopefully face larger penalties from the state. Damn, even when I had an accident at 16, I was fucking freaked out enough to stop on the spot and bawl my eyes out to the poor lady who hit ME.

<unfair, ironic generalization> kids these days… </unfair, ironic generalization> :wink:

2

Ahhh Revenge is sweet. I comend you on your appropriate actions you took!
I’m a teen as well, in high school that has a licence to drive. I am appaled at the fucked up driving of people, our age especially. My friends have called me a ‘grandma driver’ on occasion because of my careful driving.
At least not everyone is like this, good luck.

3

And your response was, “Yes, I intend to live to see my grandchildren”?

4

With any luck this guy will lose his license till he is 21.

Isn’t hit and run a felony?

5

Depends on what state you’re in, what other violations he has on his record, whether anyone was injured, stuff like that.

6

I know I’m gonna get it for this but I don’t think high schoolers need to drive themselves to school unless they live in a rural area that isn’t served by bus, they are responsible for picking up and supervising younger children, or they work after school.

My reasoning for this is that I live three blocks from the local high school. Every morning, when I get ready to leave for the day, I get the Idiot Parade. Kids who can barely tell the gas from the brake are driving on poorly-plowed and salted roads. I am tired of being within inches of getting hit by one of these kids. Even in warmer weather, when the roads aren’t snow- and ice-covered, I’ve been close to being hit.

Robin

7

Civil Defense, its too bad you were moving. Then he’d have to tell all his friends he got in trouble for hitting a parked car. :smiley:

All joking aside, I’m glad no one was hurt and I hope things get straightened out for you.

8

I sorta agree. But what I think we really need is longer training periods. My folks started my driving instruction when I was 10. I had to sit on a pillow to drive the car (I’m 6’4" now). That, and running tractors and such gave me some respect for motor vehicles.

When your 10, you still have respect for your folks, and their opinions. When your 16, everyone but you is wrong, and your indistructable.

I’ve been driving with a licence for 29 years. I have never been involved in any kind of accident, nothing nada. Neither has my brother. He has drove for 34 years.

9

I didn’t get my license until I was eighteen, but I shudder to fear of the trouble I’d have been in if I’d done what this kid did when my mother heard about it. I wouldn’t be driving again for several years to START with, even if the state let me keep my license. But that would be the least-awful thing to happen, I’m quite sure. You don’t mess with my mom when she’s mad.

I am all for the graduated licensing they have in some states, if it cuts down on the idiocy even a little bit. I’m not sure it’d have helped in this situation, though.

He’s gonna be in trou-ble, he’s gonna be in trou-ble…:smiley:

10

You might want to talk to your town’s Police Chief about this. See if he can get some officers to patrol that area around that time. Maybe you could even talk to the City Council about it, just so the city is aware of the problem. I remember when I was driving to HS in the mornings, just having some officers there to pull the people running the stop signs for a few mornings was enough to slow everyone down.

11

I drove to high school for three years. (no bus service for those within a mile of the school). I was involved in so many extra curricular activities I often didn’t get home until after 10 pm. I also served as chauffeur to my less vehicularly gifted friends and to various large objects that had to be shuttled to and fro.

I have had only one accident, in a busy parking lot (not at school). I was slowly backing out and a new driver zoomed up behind me to fill in the spot into which I was backing. I didn’t see her, crunch. My insurance covered it with no premium increase.

The girl was threatening litigation and screaming that she was going to call her father. I knew I was at fault (sort of, but I’m not arguing with an hysterical 16 year old) and gave her my information. She dragged me into the building and had me talk to her father on a pay phone. I apologized for scaring his daughter and assured him that I was fully covered and that there wouldn’t be any problems. She continued to freak out on me until I simply left. Luckily her father was level-headed and calmed his daughter down.

I never would have left the scene of an accident like your mustang buddy did. What are people thinking?

12

Nothing. LOL. You have to ask?

It may not be fair to say some of these kids shouldnt be driving at all, but I’m not so sure it would be a bad idea to add a plate to the throttle so it only opens up to halfway. :stuck_out_tongue:

13

That would be a good idea for many of the adults around where I grew up. I’m 18, drive the speed limit (mostly) and have one more than one occasion been passed by a SCHOOL BUS.

Yes, I also got picked on for ‘driving slow’ but you know what? I can get my regular license now. One girl I know has to wait until she’s 21 (she’s my age) to get hers because she got caught speeding.

14

The proper teenage response, among my crowd, was “You don’t like it, get out and fucking walk.”

15

I am in the same situation, living three blocks from the high school. I always know when school lets out, and I don’t even have to look at the clock. About ten to three, here comes the loud cars, music blaring, tire squealing idiots. I have witnessed a few accidents, mostly when one car full of kids is following another too closely and the lead car gets rear-ended.

I don’t really mind the kids driving themselves to school, I know I liked driving myself when I was that age, but I wish they’d be a bit more responsible about it. I know some of those teens shold not be allowed to have a license yet, they just don’t seem to be able to handle the responsibility of driving safe, paying attention, and not showing off.

16

[QUOTE=Teelo]
My friends have called me a ‘grandma driver’ on occasion because of my careful driving.

[QUOTE]

I too have been called a “Grandma driver” by my friends. I drive a station wagon, which only adds to the illusion of age. My station wagon has been hit numerous times, usually while parked, twice by teenagers.

BTW, I’m 20… so it doesn’t get any better after high school… people are still stupid. Anyways, my grandma says I’m a great driver :smiley:

17

qts My responses were more like the one GMRyujin mentioned. :cool:

Oh, and for the record I may be called a ‘grandma driver’ but I will grow to be a grandfather, and yes: living to see my grandchildren.

18

Last week, my daughter and I witnessed an accident where a high school senior (my daughter knew her) ran a red light and smashed into a pick-up truck, sending it spinning a 180 before it stopped. The driver of the truck was taken away in an ambulance, while the teen driver was pacing around somewhat hyperactively. Both vehicles were probably going to be totaled.

As we left the scene, my daughter commented on how many of her classmates had totaled vehicles, some more than one. Her best friend was one of them.

I think seeing the crash made my kid more cautious than usual, which suits me fine. She’s been driving over 3 years, 2 of them licensed, one on permit. Last few times I’ve driven with her, I noticed she’s gotten better at monitoring traffic around her. And she uses her signal. I figure once she has 15 or 20 more years of experience, I’ll stop fretting.

19

I’ve noticed that people in general have become much better at driving since I was a teenager.

I mean, when I passed my test, I was the best driver I knew. I could drive fast but safely.

The problem was all the other assholes on the road.

Why, in my first year of driving, I had 5 minor wrecks, all caused by someone else. Like the motorcycle that pulled up behind me and therefore got in the way when I reversed suddenly without looking. Asshole.

In the next year, I only had 2 - clearly people’s skill was beginning to improve - though the last one, where some other asshole had the temerity to stop at a red light, totalled my car.

During the intervening 15 years, people have become such good drivers that I haven’t had a wreck since.

Glad people are starting to address their driving competence these days.

20

I also stared learning how to drive at 10 - on a Buick station wagon, lawnmower, and tractor.

I’ve never been in a car accident. Well, I once backed into a car. No damage, and I felt SO stupid. But I did that when I was 20.

I suppose I drive well for 2 reasons: 1- My mom gave me my car, and if I wrecked it, I’d be SOL, and 2- I’m terrified of other drivers.

I learned how to drive in Austin, TX. The drivers there are INSANE. I saw enough accidents on the roads, and enough stupid STUPID drivers vefore I even started driving to already know to keep my eyes on the road. People running red lights, people driving past me at stop signs and getting hit, swerving into my lane without a turn signal, etc.

Of the people I knew in HS, the kids most likely to get in accidents were the ones whose parents would buy them a new car if they wrecked theirs. One friend got in 4 accidents - her parents got her a new car/repair the damaged one each time. Cody dated a girl who totalled 4 cars, and her parents got her a new car each time.

I think kids would be more careful if their parents said, “If you wreck this car, unless it’s 100% the other person’s fault, you can’t get a new car until you’re 18.” To the extent where if they rear-ended someone, the parents wouldn’t even let them buy a new car for themselves. I was super careful because I KNEW my mom wouldn’t get me a new car, and there was no way for me to afford one myself. Thus,.I was super careful.