Licensed To Drive

Late one night, I was aimlessly flipping through channels and cursing myself for even being up this late knowing I have a full day ahead of me. It was 2:00 AM!

I was ready to doze of but the television caught my eye and I began watching the movie Licensed To Drive.

Considering that I got my license only 6 months ago, and working has me constantly involved in making life easier for teens to get their first experience of independence....I turned the volume up, grabbed a blanket and settled in to what I personally found a ride of its own.

Set in the 1980's Les (Corey Haim) is about to go through one of the most important adolescent rites-of-passage. Les is preparing to take his driver's license exam. He is overly confident that he will not only pass the exam with flying colors but is also looking forward to taking out Mercedes, an older blonde babe played by Heather Graham.

There are of course the 3 nerdy friends who are depending on you to pass your test and free them from the atrocious rides they are forced to deal with from their parentals. Les and his twin sister (the overachiever and exact opposite of Les) goes to DMV to take the first written exam. After getting 4 wrong, Les hits the computer screen and shuts down the system by accident.

Personally, I was surprised to see a movie from the 80's where permit tests are taken on computers....its 2007 and we don't have that privilege.

Anyhow, his test information was lost due to system malfunction and because his twin sister passed Les is allowed to go on to take the driving exam. I was laughing hysterically as Les got into the car to take his test, only to be told by the instructor that he doesn't believe in clipboards and checkpoints. Therefore Les's challenge was based on driving carefully enough not to spill the instructors coffee. As Les is getting his picture taken and already grinning broadly from passing the drivers test...he is told that his written test results were retrieved and he FAILED.

That word echoes through his mind as he walk home, only to walk into a living room and lie to his parents about his test. Later that evening while mom is doing laundry, she of course finds the test results in his pocket and grounds Les.

But nevertheless, he does what we all did at one point. He waits patiently until the house is quiet and asleep, then slips out into the dark night and "borrows" his grandfather’s vintage sky blue caddy. After getting behind that wheel, the night is young for Les and his friends.

What Les doesn't realize is that in one night...everything that can possibly go wrong does and his whole world crashes in an instance.

Because I was born in the late 80's I was so intrigued by the manners, the cars, and the general life style back then. Yet as times change, teens and the overwhelming process of not only getting a license, but getting behind the wheel and listing to your favorite tape, or ipod in my case while cruising down the street to pick up friends will always stay the same.

Written by Dasha Vasilyeva

Car Talk: Hooptie vs. New

Most teens would definitely prefer driving a new car over a hooptie. Unless you're one of those teens from MTV's hit show Sweet Sixteen, chances are you'll be getting a hand-me-down.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with driving a used car. I mean, I drive one myself, a 1999 two door Honda Civic EX from my mom.

As shallow as it may sound, when it comes to cars we value style, appearance, performance, size (not too large but enough room for friends), and accessories (custom equipment). Ideally, your car projects your personality, but it also conveys other things: a sense of freedom and maybe, to a degree, desire for peer approval. Of course, it also helps get us to school or work and back.

Parents want their kids to have a safe car. They weigh economical merits (purchase price, miles on a gallon, operation and maintenance costs), reliability, and insurance rates. Teens expected to pay their own way may also start looking into these things early on.

Cost plays a major factor. This is where the issue of used-versus-new comes in. Getting a used car can be less expensive than buying a new car, but they can also be less dependable, require unexpected repairs, have less safety equipment, and may not be as attractive as newer models. The nice thing about getting a used car is that in some cases your insurance rate can be less costly.

If you’re curious about what kind of cars are out there, we have a neat little resource where you can check out new, used and pre-owned cars in your area.

Newer cars tend to have better safety equipment, better reliability, improved gas mileage, and, in some cases, lower insurance rates - because of better safety and reliability.

Top 10 cars:
1) Ford Focus ZX3
2) Scion-Braun xB Rampvan
3) Honda Civic
4) Hyundai Accent
5) Kia Optima
6) Honda Fit
7) Pontiac G5
8) Mazda 3
10) Toyota Corolla

If you end up buying one of these cars, you definitely won’t have a problem getting seen. Just remember that mobility comes with responsibility. Drive safely!

Written by Dave Arizabal