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For the love of cars

By Kaia Mcclure tx. Correspondent - | May 2, 2020

There are many material things that are important to teenagers in today’s world. Social media, TV shows, sleep, video games, sports and other things.

However, the iconic thing about the teenage years that has been around for many, many years is the love of cars. Teenage girls and boys alike hope to have a fancy, expensive car that they can decorate, and spend time taking care of, and driving with their long-time friends and new friends.

Cars have played, and still play, one of the biggest parts in the lives of teens. Here’s a list of some things teenagers love about and love to do with their cars.

What’s in a name?

Teenagers adore “naming” their cars. A lot of times, teenagers love to give their cars silly or even human-like names. I know I do!

I have two cars that my parents have let me drive, one being named “Chester” and the other, “Anthony Levire.” I have multiple friends with cars that have taken a special place in their hearts with names as well. There’s everything from “The Golden Chariot” to “Lars,” because that’s what it says on the license plate.

It’s interesting how much meaning a name can have, and how naming one’s car can create an emotional attachment to the vehicle.

Personalizing

Another thing that teenagers like to do with their cars is decorate them. I have a friend who spends a lot of time finding little trinkets to keep in his car. He has a small Thanos figurine taped to the dashboard of his car. He also keeps a disco ball in the back seat, and while it is illegal to drive with things like this lighted in the car, when parked, the ball can be lit up and my friend can have a party, including a giant speaker and other random party objects.

A lot of teens also have objects in their car like graduation tassels or parking passes that allow them to park in the parking lot at school. There are also different things similar to a Thanos doll taped to the dashboard, such as various Disney figurines.

Birthday decos

Additionally, some teenagers enjoy spray painting each other’s cars when asking another student to a dance, or doing other types of things on the outside of their cars. A lot of times, for example, there are streamers and balloons attached to teen’s car on their birthdays.

A lot of teenagers even find going through the car wash a fascinating adventure, and enjoy doing this with their cars as well.

While there can be a lot of different issues with teenagers and how they drive, there are also plus sides to the driving experience. Mothers worldwide are grateful for their children’s new privilege of driving. They are grateful that their sons and daughters can drive to the grocery store and pick up that milk they forgot to get earlier in the day on their first trip. They are grateful that their child can help with menial tasks, like gassing up the vehicles, or taking them to the car wash, and thankfully, the teenagers enjoy it too!

There are also traditions like car trains that go back years and years. Teenagers line up — especially right now, during the coronavirus quarantine — and throw candy at their friends as they drive past on their birthdays. Similar to a parade, they shower their friend with gifts! This is a really fun tradition that’s being taken advantage of during this scary time.

Driving is a lot of fun and teenagers are new to it, making the experience all the more thrilling to them. Whether the car is big, little, colorful or plain, a car is special in a teenager’s life and holds a special place in their heart. A car holds the key to many of their amazing memories and happy times.

After all, without a car, what would the average American teenager be?

Kaia McClure is a senior at Syracuse High and one of four girls in her family. Aside from reading and writing, she loves going boating and playing tennis. Email her at kaiaxmc@gmail.com.

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