Most high school students in modern America own some kind of automobile, and many are on the verge of getting a license. Car culture is a major aspect of high school life, but some are not so engrossed in the lifestyle of car enthusiasts. I interviewed a small sample of students from Eastmont High School, Wenatchee High School, and Wenatchee Valley College. The questions are as follows:

• Do You Own a Car
• Do You Drive Yourself to School
• Do You Listen to Music in Your Car
• Do You Text and Drive
• Would You Say You Are Confident in your Driving Ability
• Do You Drive Outside of School Often
• Is Your Car Used
• Is Your Car an Important Aspect of your Life or Just for Getting Around
• Have You or Anyone You Know Ever Gotten a Ticket
• Have You or Anyone You Know Ever Gotten Into an Accident

My first interviewee, Diego Bravo from Eastmont High School, drives his sister’s car for transportation use only. He listens to Jamiroquai’s “Cosmic Girl” while driving to his job at KFC/A&W. On a scale of one to ten, he believes his driving confidence is a seven. He considers his car to be just for getting around, contrary to the general consensus. He does not know anyone who has gotten a ticket before, but he has gotten into an accident one time.

For my next interview, I talked to Robert “Bobby” Hyatt, a student at Wenatchee High School. He owns a used 2004 Ford Taurus. When asked what kind of music he listens to in his car, he responded, “[A] variety of genres. Rock, chill songs.” He rarely texts and drives and says he is “80-90%” confident in his driving ability. Outside of school, he regularly drives to work. He says his car is important to him because its first car; though, he is not completely satisfied with its performance. He does not know anyone who has gotten into an accident, but he does know people who have gotten tickets for speeding and running a red light.

Representing Wenatchee Valley College, Taydon Fasching owns a used 2015 Dodge Journey. He drives himself to the college every day, and, when asked if he listens to music while he’s driving, he answered enthusiastically, “Yes!” He says he only texts via Siri while driving.  He is “fairly” confident in his driving ability, and often drives outside of going to college. His car is a hand-me-down from his mom, and is an important aspect of his life. He received a $150 traffic ticket for running a red light, and he knows someone who got into an accident recently.

Despite the prominence of car culture across different schools, each individual still has their own view on their own car life. People’s experiences with their cars are very different, which leads to very different opinions on the importance of cars. So while some value their car over all else, others just see it as a way of getting from point A to point B.