It’s tough being a parent sometimes. You raise these people and then eventually they get to a certain age and they just don’t need you anymore. My son is twenty-one now and he’s working full-time and has his license. He hasn’t bought his own car just yet but that’s partly our influence as we have two cars and tell him that he might as well just use one of ours.
Last week he drove one of our cars up to a lake about three hours away to stay with a friend. Now, I have no idea what he did with this car but it’s come back with all these new issues that it didn’t have before he took it. He swears up and down he hasn’t noticed any issues and I’m not prepared to hassle him about it.
To me, there are signs that brakes need repair. Of course, I am no car expert though. All I know is that since he took the car the braking feels less smooth. My husband says that we should get a quote for the repair and get our son to pay as a means to teach him responsibility. I don’t think that’s necessary. He’s a responsible kid and I’m sure the brakes aren’t in this state because he was being reckless. No doubt that’s me speaking as a mother. This might very well be naive of me but sometimes it’s safe to say that ignorance is bliss.
The brakes will be checked during our next car service. Midvale has a mechanic that we have been relying on for the last ten years or so. He’s really reliable and can always successfully pinpoint the problem. Maybe he might be able to tell us what kind of driving my son was doing to destroy the brakes this badly? My guess is that he had been driving at quick speeds and slamming on the brakes rather than easing them gently at red lights.