Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Driving is the New Donkey Kong

16 is a strange age in Colorado right now.  16 years old used to mean driving.  And by association, freedom.

...freedom from driving people to seminary...
Oh, we're not talking about me.  Sorry.

The way the driving laws have been revised here - which I completely approve, btw - it has become sort of a tricky combination of things one would have to do to get a driver's license on one's 16th birthday.
There are different driver's ed requirements for different ages, there are numbers of practice hours you must log, both with and without a certified instructor, hours of driving in the dark vs when it's light outside, and there are just certain amounts of time you have to hold a driver's permit before you can be issued a license, depending on when your birthday falls. Then of course, there are the written and on-the-road tests.

I think our state government's evil plan is to make it so difficult to figure out the system, that no one will ever show up at the DMV, except completely by accident while looking for a Jamba Juice in a bad part of town.

If that's their plan, then the state government is out of luck.  Because the state government obviously does not have a 16 year old living in their house.  And certainly not one who has grown up navigating around the upper levels of video games, learning traps, scenarios, and cheat codes by the dozens.  I mean, when you compare the government red tape to that, well, it makes the red tape look like a walk through the first level of a 1980's video arcade game.

Or so I'm told.

I don't really know the point of this, except to say that even though Mimi is now officially 16, I will still be driving her around, and taxi'ing to early morning seminary this year, at least through November, at which time the state of Colorado will finally have a new 16 year and 3 month old driver. 

**sigh**

Sixteen and 3 months is the new freedom.

13 comments:

Kristina P. said...

Yeah, things sure have changed since I was 16, 5 years ago.

goddessdivine said...

I wish our state had more red tape. I swear they give licenses to anyone with a pulse.

But as a 16 year old, 3 months is like an eternity.....and all that red tape would seriously suck.

Heather said...

Yeah, back in the day when we got our permits at 14 and licenses at 15... good times. Hang in there!

Tay said...

That's pretty lame. My mom is in the middle of the same thing with my sister and early morning track. Boo. However, I might make the sacrifice and not let my boys drive until they're older. I don't think I'll be able to mentally handle it. (both the worries and aggravation of too many drivers)

Yvonne said...

We had to keep a log and record the weather, the time of day, etc., when they were driving. Crazy, eh ; )

I have to agree with the driving laws--too bad they aren't willing to do something about giving some of the other freedoms they so easily grant to young people.

Vern said...

Three posts in three days? Go Randi, go!

Dave said...

as soon as i get my teleporter working we won't have to worry about driving at all

The Atomic Mom said...

That's a bummer for your daughter, however it's acutally a good thing. I could have used some graduated liscencing back in the day. I was in my first car crash at 16 and 2 months.

talitha said...

The Hubby loves all the new regulations--far less teen fatalities since they've been changed.

Well, that, and he is a total power junkie who loves to make other people do what he says.

Ahem.

Tammy said...

Looks like I have a lot to learn about the teenage years. I have a feeling Allie will be driving before I know it. Gulp! I'm glad I have friends like you to blaze the "parenting teenagers" trail.

Super Happy Girl said...

Oh, it will come, I promise..Then you'll look back at this post and feel nostalgic ;D

This is how I felt about dealing with immigration: It's almost like they want to make it so difficult that only the strong survive the process and the weak get weeded out.

Heidi said...

I feel your pain. Still, the drivers in Colorado get in less accidents than those who visit from California. Just saying.

Jennifer said...

I, like you appreciate the new rules. Yet find the way we have to navigate the rules a little annoying too. In Utah 4 years ago they also had stipulations on the "new drivers" after they received their license....like the second level!