Tales from the Front Line

Glenn Johnson sent the following letter

Dear Tom & Ray:

I was in total agreement with your advice to the mom (September 26) who wanted to buy her 16-year-old an overpowered car (M-3??). Ten years ago I did communication rehab with a 16-year-old girl (I'm a speech-language pathologist) whose well-intentioned parents bought her a sporty Z-car for her birthday. Within a few weeks she'd driven it into a tree, for no reason other than that she couldn't handle the car, and came into our care on the neuro unit at Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alberta. She suffered a severe head injury, and her parents were in agony and anger (who to blame? fight?) over their lovely daughter, who could talk, walk--but had to wear diapers.

The car's a bad idea--great no-holds-barred advice, guys. Many thanks from someone who's been in the front lines (and whose 12-year-old, if she gets a 'new' car at 17 or 18, will get a Volvo or a lovely tank Riviera, or something similar!). Love your show.

Glenn J.

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