[Bungleau]

Folks, I hear an assumption that once her piece of paper is gone, she'll magically be unable to drive a vehicle again. She won't, and she will be driving. It's a sad commentary on today's world that belongs in Current Events, I suspect.

Out here, we've had three newsworthy cases over the past year of unlicensed drivers getting into accidents and killing people. Quote one of them: "Well, I had to get to my job..." What? Your feet don't work? You don't have friends? If it's difficult, then maybe when you've got the privilege back, you'll appreciate it more.

However, in your shoes, Larry, I'd file the insurance claim. The fact that she may lose her license is not your problem, even though her dad asked to buy you off. It's not his problem, either; it's hers, and no one else's. Any arguments to the contrary are enabling her as a victim of the world, and depriving her of the opportunity to be responsible for her life.

If you do accept a payoff for this, will she be a better driver? Will she not have any more accidents? Or the next time she hits someone, will it not be just you in the car, but MaryBeth too? How was the spot where she would have been sitting?

As a dad, I'm sorry to pull out the heavy artillery like that, but it's a serious issue. Would she be able to buy her way out of this if MaryBeth were in the hospital?

Driving is a privilege, not a right. Period. This girl sounds like she doesn't know how to handle this privilege, and sad to say, she's not the only one who gets affected by it.

Steering a ton of plastic, steel, and combustible fluids is not something to be taken lightly. The penalty for failure can be death... the driver's, or someone else's. You may be able to change that.

She mucked up. She should pay the price. Pure and simple.