Posted by admin on February 26th, 2009 in Driving

When your daughter starts dating,  it’s very probable  the boy will not have a driver’s license.  California has a graduated driver’s license system wherein they have a permit for the first year and can only drive with an adult in the car.  After they’ve passed the driving test,  they have 12 months in which they cannot:

• Allow passengers younger than 20 to ride in the car.

• Drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

It’s Not What You Know…It’s What You Don’t Know

I’m not saying I have personal experience with this yet but I have a suspicious mind.  Do I think she will ride in a car driven by a cute boy who just got his license?  Do I think she will listen to me when I tell her it’s a bad idea?  Do I think she’s going to do it anyway?  I don’t know.   I have to trust her.

Here’s the rub…hormones are raging. The guy is really cute.  He is showing MY daughter attention.  And…there’s a free period after school (before sports) OR she’s at a friend’s house…  Guess what?   I have to trust her.

Trust…The Slender Thread

We trust her because she’s never done anything to make us NOT trust her.  But, boys provide the biggest lure…you know they’re just so cute and convincing…  You may say, “Why don’t you just give her prmission to ride  in the darn car?”  And, I would say – ” Have you ever driven in Silicon Valley???   Do you know how crazy everyone is?  These tech people ARE INTENSE.  And, they drive like crazy….

I’ve been driving for almost 40 years and I have had several, serious close calls. The kind of “close call” that you don’t wake up from.   I’m not keen on seeing my daughter in a morgue.

It’s Brings Me Back to….Trust.

Am I holding my breath?    You bet.  But…I have to trust her.  I have no choice.  Oh, by the way..

if you see my daughter riding in a car with a young man will you let me know????