The same thing that's wrong with American cars. Bubble wrapped, cookie cutter and awash in mediocrity.

Richard Saunders: Modern American parents of teenagers.

/what do I win?

I have this 4H club best calf in show trophy I can write "I am so mad at my MOM!" on.

Aren't we sort of hanging out online right now?

I think the kids of today are better than the kids of yesterday. They're nicer, but the side effect of it is that they need a bit of a kick in the pants. (Previous generation is assholes, they need a kick in the teeth)

Cruising was something we did once we got our driver's licences. Once the novelty wore off we just hung out on people's decks or in their basements. Some beer, a foosball table and mariokart would take up most Friday nights (minus the occasional house party) until we were of clubbing age.

Plus growing up in suburbia meant you had to drive into the city for anything of interest, which was just a waste of time and money.

They have better shiat to do than ride around in a damn car. How farking entertaining is that?

I like driving, but don't miss cruising.

still amazed when I see people my age doing it. And not just an American phenomenon, I saw quite a bit of that in Munich.

/including a Cadillac Escalade with Florida plates. what the fark?

Ghastly: 1) Vehicles are expensive to purchase.
2) Vehicles are expensive to maintain.
3) Vehicles are expensive to fuel
4) Vehicles are expensive to operate, especially for teens (insurance).

That's what's wrong.

5) HDTV has better RESOLUTION than the real world.

dont look at me, most of my late teenage years were either spent in the garage or on the computer. i didnt spend much time cruising since i had my car tore apart all the time, but thats besides the point.

Can we change that phrase in the headline to begs the question so we can rage about its misuse? Thx.

Breaking news, new technologies change social behaviours. More details tonight with Ric Romero.

thelordofcheese: They have better shiat to do than ride around in a damn car. How farking entertaining is that?

Different, but I doubt better. I used to love cruising. It was a great pastime and great social activity.

They've been told by pop culture that Lamborghinii, Bentleys, and Escalades are the only vehicles worth riding in. As much as that may be true, it also prices these kids out of the market.

Ghastly: 1) Vehicles are expensive to purchase.
2) Vehicles are expensive to maintain.
3) Vehicles are expensive to fuel
4) Vehicles are expensive to operate, especially for teens (insurance).

And we're done.

My dad loves to tell me about the cars he had when he was a teenager. His parents bought them all. When he crashed one, they bought him another. They paid for his gas, and if he needed insurance in the 60's I bet they bought him that, too.

I dragged my car out of his driveway. It was a '87, so I was at least able to change the fluids and belts myself. It has 160,000 miles on it, and if it breaks or gets totaled, I'm not going to get another. So you can understand why I try to avoid driving it around needlessly.

TripcodeMel: Ghastly: 1) Vehicles are expensive to purchase.
2) Vehicles are expensive to maintain.
3) Vehicles are expensive to fuel
4) Vehicles are expensive to operate, especially for teens (insurance).

And we're done.

My dad loves to tell me about the cars he had when he was a teenager. His parents bought them all. When he crashed one, they bought him another. They paid for his gas, and if he needed insurance in the 60's I bet they bought him that, too.

I dragged my car out of his driveway. It was a '87, so I was at least able to change the fluids and belts myself. It has 160,000 miles on it, and if it breaks or gets totaled, I'm not going to get another. So you can understand why I try to avoid driving it around needlessly.

A 25 year old car with only 160K?

Isn't it weird how kids liked cars more when gas was cheaper?

Cars are what people did before computers. Computers are much more interesting, you dried up old farts.

Nothing, cars are overrated.

BF3

Confabulat: TripcodeMel: I dragged my car out of his driveway. It was a '87, so I was at least able to change the fluids and belts myself. It has 160,000 miles on it, and if it breaks or gets totaled, I'm not going to get another

I just ditched the car thing for good too recently (got helped along by getting rear-ended) and I'm pretty happy I did. Insurance was getting out of control. We know about gas prices. Now I bike to work and the store, and I'll probably pick up a scooter soon enough. In retrospect it seems kind of ridiculous to pay all that money to drive around a 3-ton vehicle that seats six just to go 3 miles to work.

And biking is a lot of laughs!

Yay! A farker of my own heart. On new years I'll have gone for two years without driving, and I dig it. I use my bike to get everywhere, bart and Caltrain when necessary. Work is 20 miles away and not a bad commute every day. It's great!

and for farkers who wish to blame government regulations for the attitude shift (someone hinted at that in the article already), I present the following: A IIHS crash test between a new Malibu and a 1959 Bel-Air

Link (new window)

I think the answer you're looking for is everything is wrong with them. Thank you Viacom and Disney. Did an awesome job fellas.

One of the more pitiful memories of my teenage years was the throng of neanderthals cruising downtown each weekend. I never understood how they thought that was a good time.

Not that playing WoW all weekend is any better, mind you. Go outside and do some drugs, kids.

Fact: Kids today cannot afford to drive around for no good reason.

Sane: Wow, it is sad that our children will have a lower standard of living than we did.

Insane: Kids today are stoopid. I had a MUCH better childhood where I could find a job and afford a car.

Confabulat: Uchiha_Cycliste: On new years I'll have gone for two years without driving, and I dig it. I use my bike to get everywhere, bart and Caltrain when necessary

Yeah I've gone a few periods in my life without a car, but this is the first time I have no plans to never get another. Biking is a lot of fun, and I know people who commute in their car every day only to go home and exercise for a couple hours anyway, which makes no sense to me, why not just kill two birds?

Although I do live in Florida and the land is flat and the weather is usually warm, which may factor into this situation.

Yeah, that's a big part of my motivation too, I combine commute and exercise. Though you *do*I have better weather, at least when it sucks too much here, I can work from home.


Uchiha_Cycliste: Work is 20 miles away and not a bad commute every day

Damn, that might be a bit much for me every day. How long does that take you?
I've gotten to the point where it takes me *just* about an hour every day to get to work, maybe 58 minutes, maybe 63. The first 15 minutes is a warm-up, through the pleasant residential streets of Atherton. Afterward I'm allowed to get into my big ring and I haul ass the rest of the way, until I'm, 1 mile away, then cool down. It's especially sweet because it can take over an hour to drive in during bad rush hour traffic, and the bay-area is prone to it.

Internet porn?

\Cue the Futurama "Don't Date Robots"?

In my high school we didn't have lockers because of some imaginary threat. So we all drove instead and used our cars as lockers.

Of course, the cost and pollution of ~700 people driving every day was worse in the long run than the imaginary threat.