[ansel12]

Like crawling from one car window to the other at 75 miles an hour on the freeway for fun, or blind folding the driver and talking him through driving, or driving cars without windshield wipers in Houston rains, and cars with no brakes, towing cars with 4’ chains on the freeways, or flying off the big bump on the country road at 120mph, repeatedly, on bald tires that were bought used, all before seat belts and air bags, and when the dashboard looked like a work bench that OSHA wouldn’t approve?

Cars used to be the center of our lives, and today some kids don’t even want a driver’s license.

[mmichaels1970]

Like crawling from one car window to the other at 75 miles an hour on the freeway for fun

Plain crazy. Never did that

or blind folding the driver and talking him through driving

Never did that either.

or driving cars without windshield wipers in Houston rains

Did that in Cleveland snow quite often.

and cars with no brakes,

Did that up until about a month ago with my 2000 Sable.

towing cars with 4’ chains on the freeways,

Did that but had white knuckles and a shaky brake foot all the way

or flying off the big bump on the country road at 120mph, repeatedly, on bald tires that were bought used,

We used to call that the "end of the earth". But we'd only get up to about 60mph. I could never do 100mph, my entire body shakes.

all before seat belts and air bags, and when the dashboard looked like a work bench that OSHA wouldn’t approve?

Think you've got me by a few years. My first car was an '82 Chevette....an entire car that OSHA would never approve.

Cars used to be the center of our lives, and today some kids don’t even want a driver’s license.

True. I see it a lot around here. But here are a couple contributing factors that I believe have removed teens from cars in Ohio.

- Laws now restrict anybody under 18 from having more than one non-family passenger. I remember in HS piling about 6 friends into a station wagon to go to an away football game. Or getting a ride home from wrestling practice with four teammates. If, unlike us, we have a decent kid who generally wants to follow the law, he has to forego the "car as the center of our lives".

- Driver's Ed (required for all under 18) is a scam. About $400 to see 30 year old movies and ride with a sketchy and/or perverted driving instructor.