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Senior-Driving to School-Stubborn Parents
I'm going into my senior year and I got my license in June, so I've been driving a lot over the summer. I have a car (well, technically, it's not my car it's "my parents' for me to use." I've been taking the bus every year of high school. I've honestly never known any seniors who took the bus to school, actually I knew one but she didn't have a car or people she could go with. I really really wanna drive myself to school senior year. I told my parents I would pay for all of the gas and they said no and that I would have to take the bus. I'm so freakin sick of the bus and I hate the fact that all my friends are gonna be driving to school and I'm gonna be the only idiot senior taking the bus when I HAVE A FREAKIN CAR. Should I see if I can carpool with any of my friends and maybe that will get them to let me. Uggh, it's so annoying, my parents don't understand high school life at all.
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You have only had your license for two months. While you took drivers lessons you still have a lot to learn about driving itself. They obviously don't feel you have enough experience to drive alone and that seems to be the only issue.
It's not gas, not the vehicle but their trust in you as a driver. It's not wise to be given full control of a car driving daily to/from school or anywhere else when you haven't been driving for that long. Any good parent would be taking the stance they are.
You have to see it from that perspective. If you want to drive alone you've got to prove a lot more to them over time and I'm sure sooner or later they'll let you. But if you act all angry or pouty over this than they will drag this out even longer and assume they were right. I'm sure you'll be driving the car wherever you want to in a few months.
As far as the bus goes that's not true. There's lots of students that ride it regardless of what year they are in to get to school. Not everyone has a license in their senior year or full access to a car even if you haven't met one YET.
Taking the bus doesn't make you look like an idiot either. People way older than you take the bus to work and everywhere else including downtown because they don't have cars and even when they do because nobody likes driving downtown.
Your parents understand high school life believe me. They went through all of what you are going through and a lot more to become the adults they are now. It wasn't rosy for them and they always had issues with their own parents about TRUST and you can bet with driving a car too. They aren't out to ruin your good time but rather to make sure you're ready and safe. Give them credit for that.
If you want this kind of freedom stop dumping on them, blaming them and acting like a little kid and be an adult and go by the rules and earn the right to drive that car. You're setting yourself back 15-20 steps every time you keep bugging them or acting whiney, pouting, angry etc.
You'll get what you want in due course. For now it won't kill you if you took the bus and went by their rules. It may earn you something faster.
One thing that may work to your advantage is to ask them to figure out the shortest and safest way for you to get too and from school via car. Then you can ask them to let you drive alone with them following you in another vehicle watching your driving for a week or two and then graduate to the point they'll allow you.
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Talk to your parents like an adult. Explain to them that you feel confident enough in your driving to get yourself to school and back, and you promise to hold all responsibility when it comes to gas. Tell them what a safe driver you are (bc if you aren't you have no busines driving yourself anyways) and prove it to them by not getting any tickets or getting in any car accidents.
You may also want to explain to them that you will be out of school next year, and if you are going to college, then there's probably not a bus you can take. So it's better to get the experience now. You may talk to them about carpooling with a friend, but I wouldn't recommend it. When friends get behind the wheel together, they sometimes get careless. And plus, unless your friends are super responsible you can't trust them to get you to school on time. They may resent it as well. They are paying for the gas, the wear and tear on the vehicle, plus they have to get up earlier to come pick you up. So I wouldn't if I were you. :)
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