Those with teenagers who drive or whose friends drive....

[bigbluebus]

when they call to pick up a friend or their friends pick them up, does the driver get out of the car and knock on the friend's door to announce their arrival or do they sit in the car and text their friend.

When I was this age, we always used to call for friends and go and knock on the door for them when we arrived, even though friend knew what time we were due to arrive.( but then I am old and we didn't have mobile phones) Now, I see teenagers pulling up outside their friend's houses in the car and just sitting and waiting - anything from 5 - 15 mins for friend to come out. I wondered, do said teenagers just text to say they are waiting and stay in car for friend to come out regardless of whether the friend is ready immediately or not or do the teenagers just wait in the car expecting the resident to look out of the window and see that they have arrived and come out or have teenagers that have passed their driving tests lost the use of their legs now so they don't get out and knock or is it considered impolite now to knock - as if you are chasing the friend to hurry up?

Have just observed this with the neighbours teenagers, whose friends seem to sit in their cars in the middle of the road just waiting for an age and wondered how it works now?

[ItsJustPaint]

Yep.

Phones all they way !

[Sparklingbrook]

My teens aren't driving age yet, but when I pick them up from their friend's houses I sit in the car and text 'I am outside'.

[insancerre]

Text or message
Dds friends often sit outside our house in their cars while she takes an age to get ready
I have complained many a time about the engine noise and the music
They do the same thing when she comes home. They sit for bloody ages outside the house before she comes in. Sometimes she doesn't come in, and they drive off somewhere else

[bigbluebus]

Is it because they find parents more embarrassing than we did, do you think or just because they are too idle to get out of the car

[DramaAlpaca]

Depends on the friends. If it's a friend who's been to our house a lot & knows us well they'll come in. Friends who aren't so familiar with us will text from the car & wait there.

[Mitzi50]

There is no signal in our village so anyone collecting DC has to ring on the doorbell.

DD likes to chat to most of her friends' mums so she likes to go in anyway when she's picking up. DS would prefer to avoid parents unless he's known them for a long time.

[circular]

DD1 usually texts. I think a lot of it is down to not being able to park nearby, or may have to wait across a neighbours drive. So unless she is going into the house, can't be bothered to find a parking space further away.
If I pick up from parties when she doesn't take the car, always text.
IBoth DH and I still knock on the door when picking up DD2 (12) from friends.
Wondering now what DD1 does when she picks up DD2.

[glittertits]

The 'I'm outside' text is a teenage standard now!

[bigbluebus]

I can understand you texting when picking up your DD from a party circular. Having your parents knock and collect would be uncool I suspect and chances are no one would hear the knock/doorbell for the music.

In our road, parking isn't an issue really yet they still choose to stop in the middle of the road and wait, often with the engine running - but then they probably aren't paying for the fuel

[Sparklingbrook]

Mine are preceded with ' I am on my way be ready' then get there and send 'I am outside' followed often by 'Where are you get out here'.

[BackforGood]

Text.
ds's friend do it when they are coming round either to call for him or to stay in our house for a bit (watch the match / play the x-box) as does his girlfriend - nobody ever knocks our door, they stand on the doorstep and text him. It's weird.

Mind, I've been under strict instructions to text from the car if I've picked them up from a party - it would be tooooooo embarrassing for anyone to actually see your Mum

[circular]

But I do get seen. Much of the time DD leaves the party with 3 or 4 others that need a lift. Usually at least one I have not met before.
Does check beforehand its OK.
And now that she's driving, gives lifts much further off our route than I ever did.

[NorahDentressangle]

Saves having to make conversation with friend's DPs or being quizzed by them