My Ranger Gave The Last Full Measure of Devotion

[TxOTRRanger]

God I hate to admit this but the fears my parents had when I was a teen.. I understand now. I'm sure you are feeling the same.

My 15yo son started his driving classes this weekend. He THINKS he will be using the Ranger. He also tries to debate on why I should just give him the GTO.
My plan is to get him a 90s model nissan truck or ranger. Single ca and 4cyl. Slow and minimal passangers. Still, a teen will be a teen. Just trying to minimize it.

That is smart thinking on your part. If you look back to one of my earlier posts, the second truck that I had, and I was still in high school BTW, was a single cab short bed 2wd Ranger with a 4 cylinder engine and automatic transmission. You are on the right track!

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[Cabose-1]

My son is 18 and i have been taking out to drive in my 2024 ranger. I try so hard not to show nervousness, my wife says why do you use the new truck. Well, he has to learn sometime, and hopefully does it fine, and not by denting the ranger. I just think back to when i was young and how many mistakes i made and learned from. I had patient parents, and now am a gear jammer. So passing that knowledge on down. Hopefully he makes fewer mistakes. But experience is the best teacher. He is a car guy so the first time he gets in the truck he says. " wow the truck is big i can not even see over the hood to what is in front of me! It could be 100 kids and i would never see them!" Haha wait till you drive a full size chevy truck with the fake scoops!!!
Glad your family is okay op

 

[Ranger_Pawl]

my 17 year old wont drive my truck he says its too intimidating?

I'm really impressed by your son's honesty. Well done young man.

 

[OGMix376]

My son is 16 and has only been driving for a couple of weeks. He was out with his mom on a road that I told them he wasn't ready for yet. She yelled at him to slow down in a reducing radius curve on a country road. He did what any inexperienced driver would do. They flew off the road, hit a tree a glancing blow and rolled down an embankment. He's terribly upset, but physically fine. She's got some impressive scrapes & bruises and is sore. They could just as easily have died.

I really enjoyed my Ranger and thought I would keep it around for my retirement, this is much preferable to the alternative. I will try to post pictures in the morning.

I’m glad to hear you and your family were blessed with a better than worst case scenario brother..
Sad about the Ranger, but also proud of it.
RIP little Ranger and Thank you. .

 

[TJC]

Purchase a cheap clunker. Let him work on it to keep it running, and let him cover the insurance costs. Freedom comes with responsibilities.

Rem,ember the adage "Easy come easy go." If it is free, most kids won't value it, but if they have to earn it, they began to understand and care for it.

If he puts effort / $$ in it, he will value it more.

Been there and done that. 3 of my 4 kids wrecked the cars I gave them. Resist the urge. A little tough love helps them grow up independent.

My oldest completed college with a degree in Chemistry, then sat down on the couch for 2.5 years. We had a discussion about finding meaningful employment and growing up. Her reply, "I don't want to grow up."

I set her up in her own apartment, and paid the first 3 months rent, stocked the pantry and refrigerator, and gave her a paper with the job market section.

She was angry but found work. I kept an eye on her for a year from a distance just in case.

She turned out OK. Is happily married with 3 kids.

 

[TJC]

Just a follow on to my previous message... It wasn't easy for me to do either. My pillow was wet with tears for many nights.

 

[OGMix376]

Just a follow on to my previous message... It wasn't easy for me to do either. My pillow was wet with tears for many nights.

Sometimes we do gotta give them that soft kick in the rear to get them into gear buddy..
But look those nights of a soggy warm pillow paid off.. sounds like she’s doing great..

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

Very happy to read that everyone is ok! Hopefully when the dust settles it's something you can tease him about incessantly until he's 46. It's much preferred to learn the easy way...

Best wishes to you and your family!

 

[Grandaccess]

My youngest dont even care about driving, he says he dont need one cause he has me BAHAHA
If I have to drive him to work when he is F***ING 30 I am not gonna be happy LOL

 

[Ranger Mel]

My youngest dont even care about driving, he says he dont need one cause he has me BAHAHA
If I have to drive him to work when he is F***ING 30 I am not gonna be happy LOL

That's when you buy him his first set of wheels... a Walmart bicycle. Go to work now, kid!! Earn money for your own car.

 

[Ranger Mel]

My son is 16 and has only been driving for a couple of weeks. He was out with his mom on a road that I told them he wasn't ready for yet. She yelled at him to slow down in a reducing radius curve on a country road. He did what any inexperienced driver would do. They flew off the road, hit a tree a glancing blow and rolled down an embankment. He's terribly upset, but physically fine. She's got some impressive scrapes & bruises and is sore. They could just as easily have died.

I really enjoyed my Ranger and thought I would keep it around for my retirement, this is much preferable to the alternative. I will try to post pictures in the morning.

Scary stuff! Our daughter was on her last physical therapy school rotation in Bozeman, Montana and was heading into town to the clinic one morning and spun out on some black ice. Luckily all she did was tag the front on a guard rail and settled in the grassy median safely. Shook up but okay. We replaced the parts and she and her soon to be husband paid to have them painted to match. Not bad overall. She's still driving that '02 Explorer. We were just glad neither she or anyone else was injured. She learned a lesson even though she learned how to drive in winter conditions here in north Idaho. So glad your family is safe. Replace that Ranger with another knowing it will protect all of you if need be.

 

[Rock squirrel]

Glad to hear they’re both ok and echo everyone else’s sentiments. I had a minor accident with my learners permit at 15 and even the fender bender gave me a sense of vulnerability that carried into becoming a better driver. Everything happens for a reason!

 

[Joeiconic]

I work with several people in urban Atlanta that have kids just approaching driving age and it seems that most are not interested in driving as long as Uber can take them where they want to go. Who know’s, that may be cheaper and safer in the long run, but seems strange to me. I like cars and driving and the freedom it brings.

 

[TJC]

Scary stuff! Our daughter was on her last physical therapy school rotation in Bozeman, Montana and was heading into town to the clinic one morning and spun out on some black ice.

In my driving experience there is NOTHING more dangerous than black ice. You don't see it and you are absolutely helpless until you exit it. You are totally helpless and along for the ride.

I took as coworkers wife home while stationed in Colorado Springs back in the late 1970s. An Albuquerque Low had moved in and had pushed the cold up against the front range. It had been well below freezing for some time but it was overcast all along the front range.

She lived up a slight incline about 1/2 mile from the turnoff. I got her home safely, and started back. The road looked dry but I proceeded very cautiously, driving down that gradual very slight incline. 1/4 mile away from the intersection I started to slow down. I applied my brakes very lightly, and I didn't stop! I tried turning the wheel - to no effect. I'm still 1500 feet from the intersection and I'm only moving 2mph or so. It'll stop. Only it didn't stop, no matter what I tried.

We had a heavy snow the last several days and there were snow banks on all the roads, in some places 5' high. As I was coming down that slope I looked for traffic. There were two cars coming in opposite directions, The one to my left was up hill and far away, but coming fast. The one to my right was half the distance but driving much more slowly and approaching a railroad crossing.

Meanwhile I was helplessly approaching the intersection! With 50' or so to go I looked to my left and my eyes looked directly into the drivers eyes of the oncoming car. I finally got traction and stopped my car, but I was completely in his lane! He swerved into the passing lane only to see the oncoming car coming over the railroad tracks head on! He took his only option and veered left into the 5' snow pack at about 60mph. Snow sent everywhere! The fellow crossing the tracks proceeded slowly, passing right by the nose of my car as I sat stunned at what was happening. I looked to my right to see the other car emerge from the snow drift well on the other side of the railroad tracks. He continue on his way, but much slower. I turned left and headed home thankful to be alive.

I could walk faster than my car was moving, but it simply wasn't under my control. It took what seemed like eternity for the entire event to play out.

 

[Grandaccess]

I work with several people in urban Atlanta that have kids just approaching driving age and it seems that most are not interested in driving as long as Uber can take them where they want to go. Who know’s, that may be cheaper and safer in the long run, but seems strange to me. I like cars and driving and the freedom it brings.

Thats what I am seeing up here too, my sisters Son is in his second year of college and still does not have a DL
WTF where did we go so wrong

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