I hate to see people buying their too-young children pets that can be easily killed by the clueless kids. Or impulsively buying their young kids pets just to make them happy, without really thinking about the care that's involved. I see and read about cases like that all the time and it makes me angry. That's so irresponsible. I think children too young to understand how to take care of pets should not be allowed to have any.

It's not as bad as it once was when thousands of baby rabbits, ducks and chicks were sold around Easter.

I agree with you that parents shouldn't buy pets for children who are too young to properly care for them. What burns me more is people who buy dogs to keep while they are at their summer homes and then turn them out into the wild when summer is over. That is a big problem on the east end of Long Island where many wealthy people from NYC have summer homes.

I fully agree. The animals have no defense in those situations.

Also a lot of very young children are naturally cruel and sadistic, especially when they don't fully understand mortality or pain. I've seen very young kids laughing in ecstasy as they torture their pets, primarily because the reactions amused them. To them it's like a game/experiment.

I agree as well. This is why I never had a pet bigger than a goldfish when I was young. Mom and Dad didn't know if I would be able to handle the responsibility (and to be quite honest, I don't think I would have been able to either). What else bugs me too is parents...these "parents"...who have young children running around the house, while at the same time, having a pet that's literally twice their size. I would honestly be a little worried about something going wrong there as well.

I too agree. Children need to be old enough to understand the responsibility that it takes to "raise" a pet.....almost like raising a child and we all know there are lots of adults who don't qualify to do that!!

I've always grown up with dogs and cats, but my mom didn't get the pets for us. They were for the family, and she knew that when we were 5 and 6 years old she had to take care of the pets. As far as having big dogs around small children, I think it's perfectly fine as long as the dog has been raised from a puppy with the children. Then that dog will NEVER hurt them.

It's not only pets that parents give to kids who are unprepared. While teaching music to beginning guitarists many years ago I can't tell you how many kids I saw walking in to the studio with $1000. guitars that they "played" for 4-6 months until the next severe case of the "...gotta haves..." came along. The same can be said for automobiles - how many kids have (the older folks anyway) been seen with hot Camaros or Mustangs at age 16?

It's not only pets that parents give to kids who are unprepared. While teaching music to beginning guitarists many years ago I can't tell you how many kids I saw walking in to the studio with $1000. guitars that they "played" for 4-6 months until the next severe case of the "...gotta haves..." came along. The same can be said for automobiles - how many kids have (the older folks anyway) been seen with hot Camaros or Mustangs at age 16?


Ain't that the trust ES. When my sister and I were growing up, my dad looked at us and said "you want a car?.....get a job and pay for it!" NOWADAYS....every 16 yr old I know gets a new car just because they turned 16 and got a license. And NO, they don't take care of it because they didn't have to pay for it or the insurance so they know nothing about the value of a hard-earned buck!!

Oh yeah. I've posted this before: Some people would bring their kids to your place and the kids break stuff, stain your carpet, be mean to your pets. That piss me off. Especially when they are close friends and say stuff like "well you know kids do that..." instead of promptly offer to reimburse you.

Toddlers should also be disallowed to enter movie theaters.

I have a car that I didn't pay for... It's a hand-me-down from my grandpa. I still don't have a license though. My parents had to practically force me to get my learner's permit and actually start driving. My brother, on the other hand, is barely old enough to have a permit and they bought him a $5000 car. >_<

Oh yeah. I've posted this before: Some people would bring their kids to your place and the kids break stuff, stain your carpet, be mean to your pets. That piss me off. Especially when they are close friends and say stuff like "well you know kids do that..." instead of promptly offer to reimburse you.

Toddlers should also be disallowed to enter movie theaters.


ooohhh......I could tell you some tales of my aunts kids.:mad:
When my girls were younger and I took them to others houses,if my kid made a mess,I cleaned it up. If they broke something,I offered to replace or repair it. It's not hard to do and that is one thing that pisses me off about alot of my family and friends,they refuse to make their kids behave in other peoples homes.
As for the toddlers in theaters....good gracious,if you can't get a sitter,stay home. Rent a dang movie instead.

Keep cell phone out of theaters!

Keep cell phone out of theaters!
The theatre close to my place recently started kicking people out for not turning their cell phone off during movies. :thumbs:

Now that's a job I could do .. heh, heh

The only good thing about kids......mine are grown.

Whats a theater? I stopped going to them 40 yrs ago.

I equally detest, and I do mean detest, people who do not research the needs of the pet before acquiring them. Yes bunnies are cute, their teeth need special care. Yes kittens and puppies are sweet but if you can't afford their vet bills and there will be many, then you are NOT a responsible pet owner I don't care how much you think you love them. If you don't meet their health needs and need for walks and social interaction then you are absolutely irresponsible.

OK Sal...a.tell us how you really feel...LOL

j/k.....i totally agree with you!!

It's not only pets that parents give to kids who are unprepared. While teaching music to beginning guitarists many years ago I can't tell you how many kids I saw walking in to the studio with $1000. guitars that they "played" for 4-6 months until the next severe case of the "...gotta haves..." came along. The same can be said for automobiles - how many kids have (the older folks anyway) been seen with hot Camaros or Mustangs at age 16?
it took me 22 years, but i finally got my Mustang:D

it took me 22 years, but i finally got my Mustang:D
My dad said he'd buy me a Mustang if I finish college with a 4.0 GPA. Having that 4.0 right now is the reason that they're not making me get a job. That and I don't drive. I think it would make my parents nuts to have to drive me to work. :p

it took me 22 years, but i finally got my Mustang:D
And it will only have taken you 23 years to need an engine rebuild for that piece of shit, unreliable vehicle! :thumbs:

My dad said he'd buy me a Mustang if I finish college with a 4.0 GPA. Having that 4.0 right now is the reason that they're not making me get a job. That and I don't drive. I think it would make my parents nuts to have to drive me to work. :p
a red 1971 convertible?:drive:

a red 1971 convertible?:drive:
Nah, one of the new ones. I love them.

Nah, one of the new ones. I love them.
I will admit that they're fancy looking. However, you're a fucking dumbass if you base a thousands of dollars decision on the appearance of what is essentially a tool. Honestly, ask for the money your dad would spend on the Mustang and invest it. Or if you really need a new car, buy a Civic or a Corolla and take the balance and invest it. Don't make stupid purchases.

Nah, one of the new ones. I love them.
i win!:lolhit:

I will admit that they're fancy looking. However, you're a fucking dumbass if you base a thousands of dollars decision on the appearance of what is essentially a tool. Honestly, ask for the money your dad would spend on the Mustang and invest it. Or if you really need a new car, buy a Civic or a Corolla and take the balance and invest it. Don't make stupid purchases.
A Civic? A COROLLA? Jesus. I'd rather just stick with my decade old Lumina then. Still not very attractive, but it was free...

I don't want to drive a nondescript, boring looking car. If I don't get a Mustang I'll probably go for one of the new Chargers that just came out. By the time I finish college they'll be a couple years old and I can get a used one.

i win!:lolhit:
If I ever get a classic car, it'd be either a '69 Camaro or a '70 Chevelle.

I will admit that they're fancy looking. However, you're a fucking dumbass if you base a thousands of dollars decision on the appearance of what is essentially a tool. Honestly, ask for the money your dad would spend on the Mustang and invest it. Or if you really need a new car, buy a Civic or a Corolla and take the balance and invest it. Don't make stupid purchases.
you can get a '07 Shelby Mustang for about $60k<---that would be stupid.


(the 2007 is last year's model)

If I ever get a classic car, it'd be either a '69 Camaro or a '70 Chevelle.
you can build a complete new '69 Camaro convertible from the Year One catalog.

you can get a '07 Shelby Mustang for about $60k<---that would be stupid.


(the 2007 is last year's model)
Yeah, I'm gonna be going for an '06 or '07 Mustang in about 2010... So it won't be expensive.

EDIT: Those Shelbys are fucking awesome.

you can build a complete new '69 Camaro convertible from the Year One catalog.
Oh yeah, I'm totally gonna do that. :p

Oh yeah, I'm totally gonna do that. :p
:p put your dad to work on it...it'll save him a few bucks and give him a hobby...call it a "family project"

:p put your dad to work on it...it'll save him a few bucks and give him a hobby...call it a "family project"
Now that one sounds a little more reasonable. :hula:
EDIT: Not that I wouldn't help him! :)

A Civic? A COROLLA? Jesus. I'd rather just stick with my decade old Lumina then. Still not very attractive, but it was free...

I don't want to drive a nondescript, boring looking car. If I don't get a Mustang I'll probably go for one of the new Chargers that just came out.
What?! You went from bad to awful in terms of reliability. The Dodge Chargers/Magnums have been getting straight "Very Bad" reliability scores from ConsumerReports for years. Buy a Charger, but expect to spend a lot of money and time getting it fixed.

And by the way, you don't want to drive a boring car? You expect cars to be some sort of "fashion statement"? Fine, I can respect that...no, wait, I can't. You are not in the sort of position where you should be pigeonholing yourself into making sure you buy yourself a sharp-looking car. You'll bleed money when you have to take the damn thing to the mechanic's all the time, and you don't even have a job yet, how the hell is it you're already planning on buying a late model used car because you like the way it LOOKS? That kind of thinking is how people rack up debt, DF. Re-think your car-buying strategy before you get in trouble. You should have lots of other priorities with whatever money you have or will have.

I know plenty of people who don't drive Corollas OR Civics and they aren't racking up debt...

What?! You went from bad to awful in terms of reliability. The Dodge Chargers/Magnums have been getting straight "Very Bad" reliability scores from ConsumerReports for years. Buy a Charger, but expect to spend a lot of money and time getting it fixed.

And by the way, you don't want to drive a boring car? You expect cars to be some sort of "fashion statement"? Fine, I can respect that...no, wait, I can't. You are not in the sort of position where you should be pigeonholing yourself into making sure you buy yourself a sharp-looking car. You'll bleed money when you have to take the damn thing to the mechanic's all the time, and you don't even have a job yet, how the hell is it you're already planning on buying a late model used car because you like the way it LOOKS? That kind of thinking is how people rack up debt, DF. Re-think your car-buying strategy before you get in trouble. You should have lots of other priorities with whatever money you have or will have.
:confused: the Michigan State Police said the Charger is the best car they've ever tested..with the exception of the Magnum (because it stopped slightly faster), and taxi drivers get into fist fights over them.

:confused: the Michigan State Police said the Charger is the best car they've ever tested..with the exception of the Magnum (because it stopped slightly faster), and taxi drivers get into fist fights over them.
Yeah... If they're such horrible cars, why do the cops use them? You'd think that it would have to be a good car.

I know plenty of people who don't drive Corollas OR Civics and they aren't racking up debt...
Of course. Likely, they aren't attempting to live above their means. Deciding on what car you want before you know what your financial situation will be is dangerous, dangerous stuff, DF. You get enamored with the thing and then you WANT it and you buy it without thinking it through...and before you can blink you're trying to figure out how to afford the thing, and you eventually realize you can't and then sell it...at a loss...and you're out however much money.

Do you know what gas mileage a V6 Mustang gets? Do you know the average cost of repairs over its lifetime of a Mustang over, say, a Civic? How do you know you'll have the money in a year to afford to buy one? You almost certainly won't be able to buy it in cash...how much a month can you afford? How much money are you going to make then? How much will your rent be?

DF, these are questions you can't answer now. So don't answer your car question now, either. And don't make an impulse buy when the time comes because you like how something "looks". If you can afford a Mustang, its gas, its repairs, and the likelihood of requiring a replacement sooner than you would should you have purchased a more reliable vehicle...fine, go for it, if you have the money, get what you want. What I'm saying is, make your decision too soon and you'll fall in love with a car...and automotive love can be powerful, and can make you do incredibly stupid things with money. One mistake could take you years to rectify...don't do it. Be pragmatic, be realistic, and keep a level head. And don't count your chickens before they hatch, as you are doing here.

Rethink is one word, Borg.

Re-think your car-buying strategy before you get in trouble. You should have lots of other priorities with whatever money you have or will have.

DF actually sounds like a normal 17 y/o dreaming of her first car. What she says now may not be the case when she graduates college.

:confused: the Michigan State Police said the Charger is the best car they've ever tested..with the exception of the Magnum (because it stopped slightly faster), and taxi drivers get into fist fights over them.
I've heard that too, and the Charger/Magnum is undoubtedly a fast and agile little mofo. Loads better than the Crown Vic Police Interceptor. Probably fun to drive because of that. Does that make it a pragmatic or reliable option? Of course not.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Michigan State Police didn't take reliability into account when they tested their vehicles. I would imagine police vehicles get serviced enough that reliability isn't much of an issue.

DF actually sounds like a normal 17 y/o dreaming of her first car. What she says now may not be the case when she graduates college.
I'm trying to warn her before her dreaming turns into a monthly car payment that she may not be able to afford. Once you fall in love with a car, it can be difficult to avoid signing on the dotted line.

Of course. Likely, they aren't attempting to live above their means. Deciding on what car you want before you know what your financial situation will be is dangerous, dangerous stuff, DF. You get enamored with the thing and then you WANT it and you buy it without thinking it through...and before you can blink you're trying to figure out how to afford the thing, and you eventually realize you can't and then sell it...at a loss...and you're out however much money.

Do you know what gas mileage a V6 Mustang gets? Do you know the average cost of repairs over its lifetime of a Mustang over, say, a Civic? How do you know you'll have the money in a year to afford to buy one? You almost certainly won't be able to buy it in cash...how much a month can you afford? How much money are you going to make then? How much will your rent be?

DF, these are questions you can't answer now. So don't answer your car question now, either. And don't make an impulse buy when the time comes because you like how something "looks". If you can afford a Mustang, its gas, its repairs, and the likelihood of requiring a replacement sooner than you would should you have purchased a more reliable vehicle...fine, go for it, if you have the money, get what you want. What I'm saying is, make your decision too soon and you'll fall in love with a car...and automotive love can be powerful, and can make you do incredibly stupid things with money. One mistake could take you years to rectify...don't do it. Be pragmatic, be realistic, and keep a level head. And don't count your chickens before they hatch, as you are doing here.
a V6?:confused: have you gone mad? dream big-the Rousch 427R or a Stage 3!:drive:

a V6?:confused: have you gone mad? dream big-the Rousch 427R or a Stage 3!:drive:
DF would get a V6, I'm 95% sure. The V6s are the chick Mustangs anyway.

DF would get a V6, I'm 95% sure. The V6s are the chick Mustangs anyway.
:eek: you did not say that!:lolhit:

Cop cars are bought at deep fleet discounts. They drive the crap out of them for a few years and dump them at auction. Until the latest Dodge was introduced there wasn't a rear wheel drive sedan other than a Crown Vic. A great many police depts are still purchasing the Crown Vic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rear_wheel_drive_vehicles

Cop cars are bought at deep fleet discounts. They drive the crap out of them for a few years and dump them at auction. Until the latest Dodge was introduced there wasn't a rear wheel drive sedan other than a Crown Vic. A great many police depts are still purchasing the Crown Vic.
the locals being as GM fixated as they are have been using Impalas and Tahoes..they like them, but they'll rebuild the Caprices before they buy a P71.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rear_wheel_drive_vehicles
how many of those are still in production and suitable as a service vehicle?

Not what he said.

Not what he said.
you know what he meant.

In that list is the Chevy Impala.

In that list is the Chevy Impala.

You must be thinking of your grandpa's Impala. Presently, General Motors (http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2008/chevrolet/impala/index.html) makes primarily front wheel drive sedans, although some rear wheel drives are under development.

In that list is the Chevy Impala.
You're out of your element here, Nappy. The modern Impala is a midsize, FWD vehicle.

The only good thing about kids......mine are grown.


AMEN!! Mine, too!

There's nothing wrong with hoopties!

My first car (only mine was powder blue):

http://i24.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/b9/d4/5bca_12.JPG

http://i18.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/b9/d4/678d_12.JPG

There's nothing wrong with hoopties!

My first car (only mine was powder blue):

Damn Frannie, the only thing missing is the "426 Hemi" badge on the front fender

From pets to cars..........well, I guess cars can be considered pets as well...the beasts that they can be.:)

From pets to cars..........well, I guess cars can be considered pets as well...the beasts that they can be.:)

Seems to me the inappropriateness of gifts to children - be those cars, guitars or puppies, given by stupid parents and relatives - was open to discussion.

ORiginally Posted by es347fan
[I]Seems to me the inappropriateness of gifts to children - be those cars, guitars or puppies, given by stupid parents and relatives - was open to discussion.[/B]
Ahh...thought it was just about pets. Either way....

Ahh...thought it was just about pets. Either way....

Bad, silver, bad!!

~slaps silver's hand~

What'd I do?!

~woof~

~woof~

:lolhit:
stop that:p