Am I the only teenager that has to buy their own car? (play, learn)
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I'm getting a car so I can drive. Instead of using aforementioned modes of transportation
This is either a hoax or you're just not grown up enough to do the former. What is it you hope to achieve here? Do you want someone to agree that your tantrum with your parent/s is valid, even though you want them to buy you a car, pay for insurance, car pmts, repairs & gas?
Fine, I agree... so go into your parent/s' room right now. Don't knock. Barge in, flick on the lights & loudly demand a car for 15-min. If they don't drive you to the dealership immediately, rinse & repeat until they come to their senses. Best of luck with that.
You've some growing up to do. Get a job, buy a used moped, learn to fix it, work up to a car.
Or, if you're just trolling, get offline & find some friends IRL.
Guys I'm not saying I want my parents to buy me a car because I don't. I recently had a job interview at McDonald's the interview guy gave the impression that I was in but he didn't even call back. Once I do get a job I'll work work work even full time throughout the summer and then I'll get a 1995 Miata NA and if I have extra money I'll get it painted black.
You aren't the only kid who has to buy their own car. I'm not seeing any whining in your post so don't know why adults are giving you a hard time. Just a hint (and I'm assuming this post is real and not someone playing around on the internet), when you apply for a job check in with the potential employer occasionally, even if you've already interviewed. Shows interest and dedication. Good luck.
I started driving roughly around 1999/2000. Used cars were cheap but terrible. (The late 80s, early 90s were not automakers finest).
Gas was dirt cheap then. Insurance in my home state of New York was incredibly expensive, say 200-300 a month.
In the somewhat affluent area I lived in, I'd say most girls were given cars of varying costs, and for boys it was a mixed bag. Many had family matches or would pay for a $5000 down if the student went to college at home.
As time went on, and wages became stagnant- cars rose in price, and gas got insanely more expensive (3.50 a gallon).
In the community I lived and worked- you couldn't possibly afford a car on a low wage job.
The kids who had them were all getting considerable help from parents, and the kids who didn't have that support were limited in work opportunities, internship choices, etc.
Today gas is certainly cheaper and the used cars are quite better in selection. So I imagine we've slightly returned to a more level playing field.
AAA cites annual car ownership at averaging $8,698 a year. $725 or so a month.
At 9 dollars an hour, at 20 hours a week part time work, your teen is bringing in 720 a month.
LA is very have-or-have-not. If that's where you are living, most people your age you see driving decent cars have them bought for them or they are buying family cars. Kids in Private School are all driving family cars. Parents who want their children to get ahead try to give them as many opportunities as possible. Those on here with the 'bootstraps' mentality aren't necessarily wrong- but that doesn't account for affluent teens ending up with better jobs and opportunities than hardworking middle-lower class teens.
When my two sons were about 14, we started together building them the two cars they wanted. One wanted a Cal Look VW and the other an Olds convertible. I bought them the cars, chipped in with money for parts, and they contributed their labor and their money for other parts. By the time they were 16 they had two cars that they loved and that they had invested time and money into, so those cars meant more than one I could have simply bought.
Go to your parents, talk about it as an adult, and try to work out a compromise. Some parents see it as teaching you responsibility , but if you are a good kid, have good grades, I think a parent should reward you for that kind of behavior. I think teenagers need a little help getting started in life, and a nice, dependable car is something that will help them for years to come.
i grew up in a city and had to take subway/bus everywhere. i bought a car for college though because i interned. i know l.a. is a car culture but do parents really buy kids $5,000 toys (i always thought that was a fairy-tale in a movie).
tbh - i know several east coasters whose parent spoiled them with cars.
the t was opened in l.a. in around 1995 so we are still in the first generation growing up with public transportation. in gangsta' films in the 90's having pimped out caddies was a big part of the culture. is it still an expectation to get around by car ? maybe op's seemingly entitled demand is based on east-west cultural differences ?
i bought a $100 dollar car at 17 and registered it via a PO box in a state with no car insurance or inspection. I only had $50 bucks and borrowed from my brother the rest.
I recall once I was working the second shift in my summer job and kinda dozed a bit slowly pulling up to a light and slightly scrapped a new BMW. The owner gets out some stockbroker looking guy looking all 1980s Wall St with a few beers in system and since it is NY he notices right off bat car has no front plate or stickers on windshield and a 18 year old driver. Car was a junk car with around 160 thousand miles and 20 years old. Guy goes this car is not insured I bet. I go sorry about that. guy goes **** and gets back in car and drives away.
Another time my brother was driving and this kid tried the "bump". An insurance scam where in slow moving traffic they look for a distracted driver make it seem like you hit them and them ask for cash to not call cops or go through insurance But my brother was looking and he never hit the brake but accelerated and guy did not get in front of us instead hit us on the side and we dragged side of car across his front bumper scratching it up and puling off the rubber trim . He was stuck across traffic. My brother was laughing so hard. A ten pound chunk of bondo fell off side of car. The guy still tried to salvage the bump. Went into this is dads car he will sue you but I tell you what give me some cash and I will tell Dad car was parked and someone hit it. My brother held up the chunk of bondo and goes you better call your Dad I need him to glue my bondo back on car. I loved the 80s. Since he hit us on side and was stuck sideways he was at fault. He tried to get in front of us while we were moving slowly figuring we would tap him on side never expected brother to accelerate at last second to make him hit us at a higher speed then attended. My brother was like I did my good deed for today.. That guy wont be scamming anyone for awhile. The joy of a junk car.
My husband and I have four kids, we bought our oldest daughter a $3,200+ tax car and she drove it for about six years before selling it and buying a new car. Two months ago we bought our 3rd child a car and this daughter of ours kicked in $6,000 in addition to our $3,200+ tax so she got a really nice 2010 car. Whenever our other two kids get their licenses we plan on contributing $3,200+ tax to their cars, whether they want to add funds or not is up to them.
My husband and I both bought our own cars, neither of us has help from our parents.
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