Mom Installs GPS Tracker in Unlicensed Teen's Car & It backfires!

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Mar 19, 2023 12:00 AM EDT

This Mom thought outlining the tires with chalk and installing a GPS tracker would stop her unlicensed teenage daughter from taking out her car when her parents weren't home. Rookie mistake.

 

This thread, which was posted on Reddit's r/AmITheA**hole subreddit by u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862, basically shows how this mother has no idea how to discipline her daughter at this point. First, they should never have bought her a car before the daughter officially got her license (what rich nonsense is that?). 

 

We understand that the intent was to make her feel comfortable in a vehicle before taking the driving test, but just make her comfortable in your car then. Buying a 15-year-old something and then subsequently restricting its use is way more complicated than just waiting till after the kid has earned her own car. 

 

And while we're on this subject, why restrict its use but not take the keys from her? You might as well give her a bottle of Vodka and say "but don't drink it." She's a teenager. She's going to drink it, Mom.

 

The moral of the story here is that coming up with elaborate ways to "track" your daughter's inability to follow the rules is more challenging than just doing a better job of establishing ground rules and making them feel as high stakes as they are. 

 

We've seen plenty of rebellious teenagers acting out recently. For more, check out this story where a stepdaughter lashed out and threw her phone out the window. Keep scrolling below for the original post and for the best comments!

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  • 01
    Font - r/AmItheA hole Posted by u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862 19 hours ago AITA for installing a GPS tracker in my 15 year old daughter's car? A hole Update/answers to questions at bottom of post I have a daughter who is 15 years old and recently got her instruction/learner's permit after she took a summer driver's ed course and passed the written exam. In my state, the learner's permit has a driving restriction in that the child must have a licensed adult (21 or older) in the front passenger seat with t
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 02
    Font - The problem is that she has been driving this car by herself without our permission or even informing us. Sometimes we leave our daughter home alone for a few hours so that we can go to the store or on a date, etc. and she has been secretly driving when we are not home (she has her own key and we have the spare). I found out after noticing the discrepancy in the miles on her car. We scolded her and told her that it was illegal for her to drive on her own, and we started outlining the tire
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 03
    Font - We then secretly pretended to leave and waited until we noticed that the car's location changed. I immediately called my daughter and yelled at her telling her that she needed to come home now. She came back and we got into a huge screaming fight that ended up in tears. She screamed that I was a controlling mother and was invading her privacy, and that this was her car since we bought it for her so we had no right to secretly install the tracker without her permission. I talked to someone
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 04
    Font - Edit: I do plan to remove this tracker once she gets her license. It is only while she has her learner's permit Edit 2 (Update): We drove the car to a local Walmart because I saw they're pretty friendly with truckers and vandwellers so I figured that they wouldn't mind a car left overnight. We don't have anyone who lives near by that we can keep the car at. I called an auto locksmith and they said that the earliest they can come out is tomorrow afternoon so we're waiting on that. There's
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 05
    Font - Why did you buy her a car in the first place? I wanted her to be able to practice driving for her license in a car that would be familiar even after she got her license. That way she would feel more confident since she knows the car, where everything is, etc. Driving is scary so I wanted it to be a really smooth transition from her learner's to her license. This is also why we didn't think to sell the car either since we wanted to keep it for this reason.. I told my husband about selling
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 06
    Font - Why haven't you taken the key? I have told her to give it back to me but she refuses and even when I searched her room, I was unable to find it Why haven't you done anything to punish her? I already told her she was grounded long ago and she does not get to use a smartphone. She still has a flip phone (I don't want to completely take away a phone because I still want her to be able to contact me in case of emergency) but has unrestricted access to her laptop because her homework is posted
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 07
    Font - Why did you think the chalk/tracker would work? Honestly, just because it would've worked on me when I was a teen. I didn't like upsetting my parents so I never did things like this before and small minor punishments really quickly put me in my place growing up whenever I did misbehave. I thought the tracker was more serious than the chalk because it meant that I would find out she took the car almost immediately before she got too far 1.4k Comments + Award Share
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 08
    Font - Optimal-Survey2989 19 hr. ago Take the keys from her.....it's really that simple. 7.3k Reply Share Fred2718 18 hr. ago Partipant [1] She won't give up the key? Put a Club on the steering wheel. Disable the engine. Take off a wheel. What's wrong with you? 5.0k Reply Share
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 09
    Font - MeanSeaworthiness995 15 hr. ago S Parta ipant [1] Literally at this point I would just sell it. This kid clearly does not deserve to be gifted a car. 5.9k Reply Share Hoistedonyrownpetard 15 hr. ago 2 S Literally at this point I would just sell it. Best answer right here. Sell the car. She might able to pass the test but she is not mature or trustworthy enough to follow your extremely reasonable rules or obey the law.
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 10
    Font - thecatinthemask A hole Aficionado [16] 14 hr. ago Yep, she's breaking the law before she even has her license. Why would anyone think she's going to suddenly become a responsible driver after getting it. 1.3k Reply Share
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 11
    Font - Fluid Association292 - 7 hr. ago Her entitlement is what makes me mad. It's not her car. It was bought for her use. Unless she paid for it, the insurance, maintenance and gas IT DOES NOT BELONG TO HER. Same as her room. She is so disrespectful not to even give you the key. Who is in charge here? Fyi. Keep the tracker in the car. She lies to much to not be trusted and it's your liability if she gets in a wreck to the point you could lose your home if someonr sues you for more than insuranc
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 12
    Font - bmonti21 14 hr. ago There are trackers out there that will disable a car completely where you can't even turn it on. I know this bc my partner works for the company that invented them.
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 13
    Font - Physical Ad5135 - 14 hr. ago I agree best case job take the car and sell it. But if you are unwilling to do this If you see that she is out driving you should call the police to have them stop her and ticket her. In my state this will mean she is not eligible to get her license on time. Make sure she knows you will be doing this and it may stop her.
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 14
    Font - Death Rose1892 - 12 hr. ago No no. Don't tell her. Let her get the ticket lose the license and make her really see the punishment for her actions because she has gone waaaay too far. Then immediately sell the car.
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862
  • 15
    Font - GO Streetof Chimes 12 hr. ago Achole Enthusiast [8] Yep. Next time she takes car, report it as stolen, give location of tracker. Ticket and delay of license. Consequences of actions. OP needs to toughen up.
    via u/Dry_Tumbleweed_862

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