Austin T Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I know I have brought this up before in the past,but I was somewhat childish about it.Now I want to talk about it like the mature person I am. As many of you know I recently turned 16 in May,this is one of the greatest years of my life so far,but I am still being treated like a irresponsible child almost because of the word "Sixteen".I got my drivers licencee and have been mowing yards around the neighborhood to save up for a first car for the upcoming school year,just part of every teenage boys dream.I got a quote from several insurance companies and to insure a $500 car,for one year it would be $2,500!.That's more then five times the value of the car!This is on my parents plan without and accidents or traffic violations.Also I recently tried to enter a contest with round2 to win a signed drag racing helmet (That I probably wasn't going to win,might as well try right?),and it said I had to be 18 years or older to enter.I know round2 doesn't know how much I have spent on their products,but I've been a loyal customer for years.And this next one makes me fell bad,I almost had a ride to the Nationals in Florida this August with a club member and his friend,but his friend said he didn't want to bring a kid along.And lastly don't even get me started on spray paint. Sorry about the rant,just had to vent.Do any other modelers out there my age feel held back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 The only cure for what ails you is time. You'll be 18 soon enough. Then you'll be 20, then 30, then 40... and you'll be wishing you were 16 again. Enjoy your youth while you have it. It goes away real fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Build more models Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jantrix Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I understand your insurance frustrations. But the fact is ................. odds are you will be in an accident before you are 20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAGNUM4342 Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I sure wish I was 16 again! I would gladly trade your problems for mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Buck Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 The only cure for what ails you is time. You'll be 18 soon enough. Then you'll be 20, then 30, then 40... and you'll be wishing you were 16 again. Enjoy your youth while you have it. It goes away real fast. My thoughts EXACTLY!!! I can't really contribute much...as I am 31 (where'd the time go?!!), but the part about the ride to Florida makes me upset. VERY un-cool... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunajammer Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 The doors just keep on opening for you my friend, it's a rite of passage and looking at the doors that temporarily remain closed will only frustrate you. Good things come to those who wait and anything worth having is worth waiting for etc, etc, etc. Don't hate me, but impatience is a quality of being 16. I think the other statements above reflect the rest of what I wanted to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trogdor Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Don't be too wishful to be older. Enjoy your glory days which are now. We all felt like we were mature at 16 but as you get older you'll see the wisdom behind some of the perceived discrimination. I'd gladly trade you my low insurance rates for your youth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rel14 Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Enjoy being young,,Trust me,, It took about 40 yrs for me to turn 21, so i could drink,,in 3yrs i was 30, in 2yrs i hit 40, Now I'm over 55, and trying to figure out were it went,, and most guys here will tell ya the same,, I got 7 kids..and this Sept, will be 16 grandkids,, And i have no idea were it went,,, my youngest kid is 31,,,Were did it all go... Please,,,Enjoy being young,,and enjoy every minute,,, Your time will come before you know what hit you,,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scale-Master Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 A $500.00 car or a $50,000 dollar car at 45 mph can do far more than $2500.00 in damage when it hits something, or somebody... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Johnny Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Hold on to 16 as long as you can................................................................................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jas1957 Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 As the others have said, enjoy being 16 it goes SO fast. I'm 55 & my car insurance may not be real expensive but I just sent a check for $2800 to pay my annual home property tax. So you will always have some major expense or another your whole life. Just roll with it & enjoy whatever time you have. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Brian Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 There was a book out eight or ten years ago about how the arbitrary age requirements in modern countries can have negative effects on responsible youths who in earlier times would have been given more adult responsibilities. The best thing to do is just keep plugging away, 18 will be there before you know it. As for your insurance rates, you can partially thank the AARP for your inflated rates. Older drives have more accidents per mile driven than any other age group including 16 to 20 year olds but the AARP lobbies insurance companies to keep elderly drivers rates decreasing. The best way to keep your rates as low as possible is to keep your record clean, I'm 31 and have never had an accident or moving violation, it can be done so don't feel like you are doomed to have a ton of accidents and such. Also, check with your insurance company to see if you can take a defensive driving course to lower your rates. Spending a little on a day or weekend long class may save you a good bit annually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Don't try and grow up too fast. Relax and enjoy your youth. Soon enough you will be paying rent or a mortgage and have phone bill. waterbill. electric bill, car payment, car insurance, gas , auto upkeep, cable and or internet bill. I could go on but you get the idea. I didn't know how good I had it when I was 16 and mom and pop were paying for everything including my clothes till I started to work. Bought my first car from the folks for 50.00 and I was in their insurance. My first new car was a 1972 Pinto ( go ahead and laugh but that car went everywhere around Chicago and never let me down. My car payment was 72 bucks a month and my insurance was 75 bucks a month. Sure there are benifits to being older but a ton of responsibilty comes along with it. Stay young and have fun ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinfan5 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Not being rude here, but its how it is, you are not the only one that is going thru this, or feels how you do, like others have said, its a right of passage, deal with it, and soon it will be over, but again , like some have said, enjoy being young, because its goes away fast. Again, not being rude here, just pointing this out I know I have brought this up before in the past,but I was somewhat childish about it.Now I want to talk about it like the mature person I am., a mature person would understand and accept the facts that being young can suck,not complaining about it on a forum. Please Austin, dont take that as bashing on you, I am not, but there are things in life that are not fair, but its life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbowser Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Don't try and grow up too fast. Relax and enjoy your youth. Soon enough you will be paying rent or a mortgage and have phone bill. waterbill. electric bill, car payment, car insurance, gas , auto upkeep, cable and or internet bill. I could go on but you get the idea. I didn't know how good I had it when I was 16 and mom and pop were paying for everything including my clothes till I started to work. Bought my first car from the folks for 50.00 and I was in their insurance. My first new car was a 1972 Pinto ( go ahead and laugh but that car went everywhere around Chicago and never let me down. My car payment was 72 bucks a month and my insurance was 75 bucks a month. Sure there are benifits to being older but a ton of responsibilty comes along with it. Stay young and have fun ! But minimum wage was $2.75 an hour so it's all relative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 One of the biggest frustrations of living in the real world has always been, to me anyway, having to pay the price in restrictions and laws brought about by the actions of the irresponsible and the human lowest-common-denominator. Even though YOU may be a fully responsible adult at 16, most of your peers aren't, and the odds of someone your age doing something stupid in a car are very high. It may certainly not be fair to you, but that's the way it is, for now. This will most assuredly not be the last time that you as an individual will be penalized for the behavior of a particular group you may be classified as belonging to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinfan5 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 One of the biggest frustrations of living in the real world has always been, to me anyway, having to pay the price in restrictions and laws brought about by the actions of the irresponsible and the human lowest-common-denominator. Even though YOU may be a fully responsible adult at 16, most of your peers aren't, and the odds of someone your age doing something stupid in a car are very high. It may certainly not be fair to you, but that's the way it is, for now. This will most assuredly not be the last time that you as an individual will be penalized for the behavior of a particular group you may be classified as belonging to. Just wait tell you are 18, where half of the doors have been opened up, for , it was going from 18-21 that was the worse, it took foooorrrrrreeeevvvveeeerrrr to make it to 21, then the next day I woke,and I am 31 now. You know what I think is the biggest unfair age restriction, being able to go off and fight for our country at the age of 18, but when they come home, you cant buy that hero a beer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 (edited) You know what I think is the biggest unfair age restriction, being able to go off and fight for our country at the age of 18, but when they come home, you cant buy that hero a beer Yup, exactly. And when I was young, the guys going to and coming back from Viet Nam, after being asked to fight, kill, die and be maimed, couldn't even VOTE for the people who were sending them. Edited July 21, 2012 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miatatom Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 The problem with age is that when you're young, you're looking ahead and it seems like it goes on forever. You get frustrated when the road seems so long. When you get old, you're looking back and it seems like it goes on forever. That's why us old types always say, where did it all go. 8^) Patience. Life will come to you soon enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Been there, done that with the cost of auto insurance, Austin. I lost my license twice before the age of 18, and I probably paid close to $1,600 per year once I got my license back the second time....in 1990 or so...driving a $500 '77 Celica. Most young, inexperienced drivers make mistakes, which is why their insurance rates are so high. I learned the hard (and expensive) way that it wasn't worth it. Owning and driving your own car comes with all sorts of additional expenses, too-- expenses which will probably wipe out any money you'd have to put toward building models. Not everything is better as you get older, so don't spend your time waiting for and wanting the future to arrive. You will get there soon enough. Enjoy your life now and do what you can to make your future life easier and better so when you're enjoying your life at 40, 50, 60, etc., you'll be happy you're not 16 again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 But minimum wage was $2.75 an hour so it's all relative. Agreed but the point I was trying to make was that even back then the cost of auto insurance was high in relation to the cost of a car for a young man. I would have bought a Mustang if it wasn't for the fact that insurance was so high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I just turned 30 in April, and my rates have gone down- though they're a bit higher than they would have been had I not had a minor fender-bender back in 2009. So it isn't just young drivers who get into fender-benders. And from what I hear, Michigan is kind of screwy with regards to the auto insurance policies it allows anyway, so maybe I'm not the best guy to offer advice! All I can reccomend is to ask the insurance agents about any discounts you may qualify for. Being a new driver, your options may be a bit limited but it never hurts to ask. Barring that, keep yourself out of trouble and wait a few years- age and a clean driving record will help keep your rates down. I would suggest going with a deducable you can actually afford, though, even if going with a higher deductable would help keep the payments down significantly. You'd be paying less per month with a $1000 deductable over a $500 deductable just as an example, but if you are in an accident and can't come up with $1000, is it really worth it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Setzer Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 (edited) When I was a Teen, what upset me was the fact that when I was 19 I was old enough to lead men in combat , but I couldn' t own my car in my name, or buy a beer, or vote! I have to live with the memories of the men who were in my Team that I lost! When I came home on leave I was still treated like a child by the laws of the country I was serving in combat. Edited July 21, 2012 by Tom Setzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miatatom Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 When I was a Teen, what upset me was the fact that when I was 19 I was old enough to lead men in combat , but I couldn' t own my car in my name, or buy a beer, or vote! I have to live with the memories of the men who were in my Team that I lost! When I came home on leave I was still treated like a child by the laws of the country I was serving in combat. I totally agree. Some things make no sense at all, do they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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