This is really sobering. Options

[KaptKaos]

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Colum...rticleId=124526

Its about that kid that launched the M5 off the runway and died. Evidently, he was on a forum, not unlike this one. The M5 board seems to be down right now.

Since I can't read the forum, and see what people were posting, I'll need to wait until it's online. But I can't help but think that maybe someone could have reasoned with him not to drive so fast. Terribly sad.

[Pat Garvey]

Kids are stupid (particularly males)!

I was 17 & my parents foolishly let me drive the "Family Truckster" (a 1960 4-door Dodge, with a 318 & pushbutton tanny) to school ONE day - ONE day!

That very weekend, I was to take delivery of a 55 Chevy, primed in black, but with a 283 & a 4-speed - for $125! It was 1964.

On the way from the school parking lot (with 6 other people inside) I ripped away & was going through the buttons (anyone remember those things). My soon to be mine Chevy was in front of me & he had 6 people inside. So, we're yukking it up, going through the "gears" & out walks "Bitsy" Nader ("Bitsy' rhymed & she could have fallen straight forward & never come close to hurting her face - nomasayin?). Well, the Chevy guys hit the brakes, made some catcalls & I'm looking at Bitsy - we hit REALLY hard. Don't know the speed, but I still have the image in my head - dust & dirt everywhere & the three people in the front seat of the 55 disappearing from sight (the seat mounts broke).

Needless to say, the Chevy was toast. My parents said, about the Dodge, "you broke it, fix it - it's yours now", along with all related expenses. I learned a hard lesson from that. I fixed that Dodge, drove it as a beer wagon for 6 months & traded in for a 65 Doge Dart with a V8 & 4-speed, that it learned to make into a very severe hotrod (wasted lots of bucks too).

I also befriended a Kentucky state trooper, who taught me how to drive & care for a VERY hot MoPar (his was a Street Hemi). Learned to drag race (off the streets) & how to rebuild things when I broke them. I learned respect (at 18) for the power & expense-to-maintain aspects of a high performance car. Also realized that I couldn't afford to keep feeding the roarty bastard!

Two years later I got my first VW, went into the Army, learned how to make a velocity stack for a Bug, tuned the timing & drag it (I reaaly could lift the front wheels off the ground on launch) until it crapped out when the throttle body iced over. Still, it was fun.

Point here is this. Kids will be dumb. Parents need to step in & create a sense of responsibility. Parents also need to be certain that the kids know how to drive - both from a safety & performance standpoint. Kids will test the limits, beacause they are indestructable. Show them that they aren't. Teach, or have them taught, how to drive from a performance standpoint. Yep, they'll still test thier limitations, but at least they'll have some proper training. Take them to an autocross a couple of time - then enter them. That'll wake them up.

I am so sorry for the parents who caused this tragedy (and, they did cause it). They will live with this sad event forever. They were wrong, stupid and inconsiderate - and a lot of people lost lives. These parents are responsible for EVERY lost life. I wouldn't want to be them.
Pat