Driving is Awesome!(?)

Driving is seen as highlight of the teen years. But with the traffic, the responsibility, and the hassle, is driving really that great?

In the movies, the “cool kids” drive themselves to school every morning and life is great. During my freshman and sophomore year I, like many others, couldn’t wait to be licensed and have the freedom to drive everywhere and leave school whenever I wanted — no more needing my parents to give me a ride to friends’ houses or waiting for them to get off work and pick me up from school.

I was so upset with myself for falling behind and not getting licensed until I was seventeen. But now that I’ve been driving so much, it’s losing its glory. Every morning I’m sitting in traffic to and from Elk Grove — driving just doesn’t seem awesome anymore.

Driving to new places and getting frustratingly lost late at night? Not awesome. Realizing you’re running low on gas and not having your parents pay for more? Not awesome.

Fellow Falcons agree. The glitz and glam of driving dies out with time.

“I got [my license] on my 16th birthday,” says Lindsey Doll (’15), “I was so excited!”

There is so much excitement with getting your license. But after a while, driving just isn’t the same.

“It’s a pain. You start driving people, and you’re responsible for all these people!” explains the wise senior. “It takes a long time and you always have to be focused — it gets tiring.”

Preach, Lindsey Doll, preach. She understands the pain. However, not everyone agrees with Lindsey’s golden words.

“Driving gives me a lot of freedom,” shares Daniel Pearson (’15), “Traffic is a little annoying but I’d rather have it be that then not driving”

Freedom is a wonderful perk that comes along with driving. No more asking mom or dad to drive or relying on a carpool’s schedule. It’s no wonder that many lower division students can’t wait for the chance to get behind the wheel.

“I’m kinda excited,” says Remi Kirrene (’17). “But at the same time I’m afraid I’m going to crash and die”

Exactly, Remi! There is that underlying fear when you don’t quite know if your brakes are fast enough or maybe that duck doesn’t see you yet and you scare the life out of him.

But is all of this enough to take away the sparkle of driving?

“No! Still do it [drive]!” exclaims Remi.

So regardless of the hassle, dangers, and traffic, driving is undoubtedly worth the trouble. Driving gives a sense of freedom that can’t be found through anything else.