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Helicopter-parenting generation kids are too scared to drive - how are we going to win wars & make America great again if the kids won't drive?
68% of 16-24 year olds have a driver's license - down from 80% in 1984
"The poll was conducted by Penn Schoen Berland for Ford, and it places "other motorists driving dangerously" as the top fear for the two generations. In fact, its cited by 88 percent of respondents, ahead of public speaking (the former top placer, now at 75 percent), death (74 percent), spiders (69 percent) and snakes (also 69 percent). The bottom line is you'll terrify them more with the chase scene from "Bullitt" than a rerun of "Snakes on a Plane."
A tech exec in a suburban office building was "complaining about the number of times he would interview a person who would say he wasn't crazy about taking the subway and then a bus all the way out to the ‘burbs every day. The exec got increasingly frustrated and at one point responded “So get a car! That’s what grown-ups do when they get jobs!” The candidate responded that he didn’t know how to drive, didn’t have a license, and would keep looking for a job that allowed him to use a bike or transit. This scenario has played out more than once, so the company is now looking for new office space downtown. The suburban office building in his business sector is functionally obsolete. It may well become what we used to call a "see-through" — a glass box with nothing inside.
I can believe this. We, as a country, have raised at least two generations of squirrels afraid of everything. These kids apparently believe they will be protected all the time for the rest of their lives. If you think these kids are frightened of automobiles (anyone that rides bicycles on public roads SHOULD be afraid of automobiles) why are they willing to ride those bicycles? Travelling in a car is far safer than riding a bicycle anywhere. Hell, in the California hills you could be attacked by a Mountain Lion while on your bicycle.
In the novel "DUNE" lady Jessica stated that "Fear is the mind killer...." Being more afraid to drive a car than ride a bicycle is a fine example of this observation.
FWIW - maybe the developers of some of these huge suburban office malls suffering from lack of employees could convert a couple of the buildings to really nice apartments or condo at prices affordable to their prospective employees and close enough to ride a bicycle or walk to work. Providing changing rooms and showers at the work building would also help. If they simply got their heads out of the dark place they could see this opportunity.
Can you imagine a more satisfying world. Work in a cubical box all day them ride your bicycle through a park to your living box with the sensesurrond entertaining devices. People do that every day in every big city on the planet. I would hate it.
If you think these kids are frightened of automobiles (anyone that rides bicycles on public roads SHOULD be afraid of automobiles) why are they willing to ride those bicycles?
Probably because they're not actually afraid of driving, they just prefer not to.
"The poll was conducted by Penn Schoen Berland for Ford, and it places "other motorists driving dangerously" as the top fear for the two generations. In fact, its cited by 88 percent of respondents, ahead of public speaking (the former top placer, now at 75 percent), death (74 percent), spiders (69 percent) and snakes (also 69 percent). The bottom line is you'll terrify them more with the chase scene from "Bullitt" than a rerun of "Snakes on a Plane."
That, on the other hand, seems logical. Going by the numbers, traffic is good deal more dangerous than snakes and spiders and whatnot. Traffic accidents are essentially how young people die.
Less people driving is a good thing, this also helps promote the support and increase for alternative forms of transportation in this country. Not that I am saying helicopter parenting is a good thing because it isn't.
Quote:
A tech exec in a suburban office building was "complaining about the number of times he would interview a person who would say he wasn't crazy about taking the subway and then a bus all the way out to the ‘burbs every day. The exec got increasingly frustrated and at one point responded “So get a car! That’s what grown-ups do when they get jobs!” The candidate responded that he didn’t know how to drive, didn’t have a license, and would keep looking for a job that allowed him to use a bike or transit. This scenario has played out more than once, so the company is now looking for new office space downtown. The suburban office building in his business sector is functionally obsolete. It may well become what we used to call a "see-through" — a glass box with nothing inside.
I am guessing this is in the NYC metro, my suggestion to the business hiring, if your potential employees all seem to be coming from the city, then maybe it is time to move the business to the city, or start saying employees must like driving a car and spending their time in the suburbs.
Also, this is a questionable comment because there are a number of people in NYC who don't know how to drive, this isn't something new, they have quite an extensive transportation system there and a very walkable city grid.
The era of the office parks is slowly dying because the office park doesn't offer the same amenities the urban setting can offer.
Those with few children are more likely I guess to over protect their kids. If not poor people are having less of them due to the expense. So people are holding the fewer kids more closely perhaps.
Others depending on where they are from would let their 6 kids walk through an active parking lot without holding their hand or would not care if their kid only got a 3rd grade education.
All depends on the parents involved.
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