It’s raining. Your bus is late. Again. Your friend, who lives a block away from you, is driving home. You asked for a ride, he told you it was illegal. And so, miserable and cold, you watch him walk down to the student parking lot to drive his heated, cushy, K-ROQ – blaring car home. Sound Familiar? It shouldn’t. Chances are your friend let you catch a ride. The only thing (hypothetically) stopping him is Section 12814.6 subsection (b) of the California Drivers Handbook, stating that drivers under the age of 18 can’t drive passengers under 20 without a licensed driver over 25 present. Basically, even if you’ve only had your license for a day, the second you’re 18 this law is no longer applicable to you. To most students, this law isn’t worth the paper that it is written on. Despite this law, however, your friend really has nothing to worry about by driving you home. New drivers cannot be pulled over just for having another person in their car, so as long as their brake lights work and they’re obeying the speed limit, this law doesn’t matter and will not stop the unlawful driving of someone under the age limit. People who are worried about the consequences find ways around the law. A new driver may transport their friends if they have written parental consent from both minors’ parents. Even though this is only limited to trips to and from school and work, it’s an excuse to do what they want. How would a police officer know if they are driving to school or just for fun? Those who don’t try to find a way around just complain for the twelve month period. “It really sucked! My sister couldn’t drive me to school,” said Satenik Melkumyan. “We didn’t know about the exceptions to the law so we had to wait it out.” Junior Edgar Grigoryan seemed to have an opinion on how the law would be more appropriate and fitting for teens. “The law should be there, but not for a year. Maybe for six months.” Unfortunately, even he doesn’t feel pressured enough to obey his modified law, and gives rides to his friends. Truthfully, I don’t know anyone who follows the restrictions placed on new drivers and I don’t think I would either. Teenagers want to drive friends around and no law is going to stop them. In fact the prohibition of something makes them want to do it more, as it becomes something rebellious. As it is with drugs and alcohol, so it is with 2-ton killing machines that can hurt someone besides yourself if you’re too busy laughing at a joke your friend made to pay attention to the brake lights ahead. But hey, as it is with pregancy, so it is with car accidents: “this will never happen to me!” Pray it be so. This quote has become a mantra for underage drivers everywhere as they continue to give their friends rides to the the movies, the Americana and beyond.