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Published August 28, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. | Updated August 28, 2024 at 10:55 a.m.
Dear Reverend,
I'm supposed to get my driver's license this year. All of my friends are excited about getting theirs, but I'm not. My parents keep bugging me about it and say I should do it. How do I get them to understand that I just don't want to drive?
Axel Greeze,
(nonbinary, 16)
Dear Axel Greeze,
When I was your age, I didn't want to get my driver's license, either. At the time, I played it off like I was rebelling against teenage norms, but to tell the truth, I was just really nervous about driving. And I certainly didn't want to let anybody in on that secret.
The thought of driving a car when you've never done it before can be pretty scary. I mean, you're getting behind the wheel of a very heavy, very powerful machine. Not to mention the other cars whipping by you on the road. If that doesn't make a person at least a little nervous, I think they're foolish.
Might that fear factor into why you're hesitant to get your license?
If not, it could just be that you're part of a growing trend of young people who are delaying getting their licenses. According to the Federal Highway Administration, in 2021, only 25.3 percent of 16-year-olds in the U.S. had their driver's license. Compare that to 46 percent in 1983 (back in the Stone Age when I was about ready to get mine).
Whatever your reason for not wanting to drive, I highly suggest that you learn to do it anyway. If your school offers a driver's ed course, take advantage of it. You don't have to get your license right away, but I'm going to side with your parents and say you should. The longer you put it off, the harder it will get to make the time to do it.
Just because you have a driver's license doesn't mean you need to use it, but knowing how to drive is an incredibly handy skill. Getting around without having to rely on other people brings a lot of independence and freedom. Also, should there ever be an emergency where you have to drive, you'll be able to.
Like I always say, if you're prepared for everything, you don't have to worry about anything.
Good luck and God bless,
The Reverend
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The Reverend
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What's your problem? Need some irreverent counsel on life's conundrums? You can always just "Ask the Rev."
What's your problem? Need some irreverent counsel on life's conundrums? You can always just "Ask the Rev."
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