<p>A LOT of juniors and seniors at my school drive to and from school in their own cars.
I get that they need a ride home from sports, BUT how did they get all the $$$$$$$$????
Not just for the car itself, but for the gas, if they play sports they probably don't work, so HOW??
I just never understood how these KIDS can afford (an average car as of August is $31,252, and then gas in my state is over $2.70 a gallon. </p>
<p>I take the bus to school and the late bus home, after ECs for free. Does anyone have an answer??
There is a public bus stop outside the school, and I can understand a few cars, but there are at least 70 cars, that's 10% of Juniors and Seniors!! At least 10% could bike home!</p>
<p>I’m a senior who drives to school (and comes from a lower middle class family). Rest assured that driving isn’t just for the rich kids. </p>
<p>In my case, my parents didn’t buy a car just for me or any of my siblings. I’m the youngest, so my oldest siblings old Toyota was left behind when he went to college. Now that he has graduated and bought his own car, I inherited the Toyota. My dad gets around in his old car since he only drives short distances (retired) and my mom has our newest car. My parents pay for gas, which I’m very thankful for.</p>
<p>So yeah, don’t think that all kids who drive had their parents shell out $30k!</p>
<p>@Melissawilliams you are very lucky, but I rarely see a toyota or aged car in the lot. It’s sad most of these kids don’t know what it’s like to have to work for something. The real word is gonna suck…</p>
<p>I would say that at my school, most of the kids that drive either buy the car and gas themselves (most kids have part-time jobs), or their parents buy them a used car, but the kids have to pay for the gas.</p>
<p>I drive to school, and I use an old car of ours that no one else ever uses. My parents do pay for the gas, and I’m extremely lucky. </p>
<p>Even if the cars you see aren’t old, that doesn’t mean they’re brand new. Unless you live in a very affluent neighborhood, I would venture to guess that most of them are used. And yes, I know many people who play sports and work. I know a guy who plays two varsity sports, and has a part-time job.</p>
<p>@CE527M
The town is 1/2 super rich, and teensy middle class, and then 1/2 super poor/living in the ghetto/not even living in my town, but the ghetto, run-down parts of one of the poorest cities in america, and coming to school under fake addresses, because their school system is terrible, and kids get shot up there. (Which is super sad, but a vast majority/ALL of them have no motivation).</p>
<p>Anyways, it’s a hard to walk in the locker room and see girls nonchalantly steal money and clothes cause you know they need it to pay for food/transportation home, and then see girls standing on the other side of the hall complaining about how their (I’m not kidding, $120 leggings) came in the wrong color. It’s sad on so many levels.
(The city we are a suburb off of has the highest gap in income in the country, and I live in the wealthiest suburb adjacent to it) (I’m not in the rich part though, #middleclassforlife) </p>
<p>I bought my parents’ used Honda (at the same time they bought another used car) and drove myself to school throughout junior/senior year. It was a whole lot more convenient than the city bus (30 min walk to the nearest bus stop), and they could’ve driven me to school, but all our commutes were to different parts of the city.</p>
<p>First of all, have you SEEN most of the cars high school kids drive around? Many of us drive old crappy junk cars that were passed down from older siblings or parents lol. Even the “newer” looking ones were bought used, trust me. Yes, gas and insurance are all very expensive, but you do what you gotta do to get to school.</p>
<p>Take me, for example. I’m from a lower middle class family as well. There was NO other way for me to get to school (parents work, no bus, too far to walk up and down a very long steep hill), so my family had no choice but to buy me a car. We got it off Craigslist used for less than $10k. I was extremely lucky and I am very grateful for it. It may not seem like it, but that’s how many other kids buy their cars too.</p>
<p>The kids who have brand-spanking-new Jeeps and Hummers are just very wealthy (don’t own any junky spare cars) or just plain spoiled. Forget about them! But remember, most kids aren’t that financially fortunate. Don’t feel bad about not having a car or driving. Tons of my friends are in the same situation…TONS. There’s no shame in it; everyone knows that a car is one of the most costly things to own. Also, remember that even if someone has a car, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re “rich” or anything, so don’t be misguided</p>
<p>It’s actually not that great having a car… It’s ridiculously easy to get into a car accident, so just be glad you don’t have that on your hands. Plus you can get rides from your friends :-bd </p>
<p>D saved all her earnings from 8th grade to sophmore year to buy her own car ($3000). Her Dad agreed to pay the insurance and I matched her savings $1500 to $1500. My husband is an auto tech and he was able to get it in really good working condition for cheap $$. We give her what her bus tickets would have cost, $60/month, towards gas, the rest is up to her. Yes, gas $ has been an issue. I told her to start asking the kids she gives rides to to contribute. She doesn’t want to do that. Her checking account is empty as of last week. Not sure what she is going to do…probably ask her riders for some cash? She works part-time but gas hasn’t been a priority. Eating out has been. Its all about priorities.</p>
<p>Our family has three cars - our newest is a 2007 Ford Focus. Then we have a 2001 Chevy Tahoe and a 1997 Toyota Camry - that car is older than our HS junior! So no, we’re not rich. But it doesn’t take any more gas for my daughter to drive to and from school than it would for me to drive to pick her up after sports practice. So we don’t charge her for gas.</p>
<p>Not many kids driving 30K cars at my school, and this is a pretty affluent area. Generally the cars are hand-me-downs from the parent/older siblings. The kid is generally responsible for gas/maintenance/insurance, etc, which can come from summer jobs and/or savings. It’s definitely more convenient than waiting for the bus. </p>
<p>I go to a private school, so no one can really walk. Some girls don’t have late buses, so driving is a necessity if they do ECs or sports. Only seniors are allowed to drive, and while most of the cars are not brand new, there are a couple of girls each year with Mercedes, Audis, and BMWs each year. I’m a junior, and believe me, it pays to have senior friends who can drive you!</p>
<p>Most of the students at my school take their parents old car when they get their drivers license/permit. Almost no one at my school goes on the bus (normally because of ECs/sports/after school activities outside of school). I know for myself that I’ll be allowed to drive next fall so my parents will be giving me their old car and I will be driving myself to and from school and taking my sister with me. Parents usually pay for gas here unless the student isn’t at that level or they have a job.</p>
<p>I lucked out. My dad works at a major car company, so he receives greatly discounted year long leases for our family. They leave it up to me to pay for gas though. I had to get a job to cover it. A lot of the kids in my area are given cars when they turn 16 and most of their parents pay for their gas which seems a bit over the top. Very few of my friends even have jobs. I’m really lucky my parents provided me with a car and glad they told me to get a job to pay for the other expenses, so that way I’ll learn to work for what I want and not sit around expecting everything to be given to me like some of the kids at my school. </p>
<p>Some kids bought their own cars through savings, sometimes its a parents old car, sometimes its the grandparents and in many cases the cars are not brand new. So you will find a wide gamut of how the car arrived in the high schooler’s life. Some parents pay for the gas and some pay for the gas themseleves. Some parents pay for the auto insurance while others have to pay their parents.</p>
</p>
:-bd </p>