The DMV parking cone has officially become every teenager’s greatest natural enemy.

There is honestly no confidence more fake than the confidence people have five minutes before taking their first driving test. Suddenly everybody is sitting in the car acting calm while internally experiencing the exact same emotional energy as a raccoon trapped inside a washing machine. Your hands are sweating, the instructor looks terrifying for no reason, and somehow you instantly forget every driving rule ever invented the second they say, «Okay, whenever you’re ready.» Absolutely brutal experience for teenagers everywhere. Society really said, «Congrats on turning sixteen, now go control a giant metal machine while a stranger silently judges your every move.»

The funniest part about learning to drive is how dramatic tiny mistakes suddenly feel. Miss one turn signal? Emotional collapse. Tap the brakes too hard? Entire family lineage dishonored. Hit the curb during parallel parking? Congratulations, you will now replay that moment in your head every night before sleeping for the next six months straight. Meanwhile experienced adult drivers are out there eating tacos, changing playlists, and steering with one hand like they are starring in an action movie while new drivers are fighting for psychological survival at every stop sign.

And somehow, despite all the panic, everybody remembers the exact moment they finally got their license. The freedom. The blurry terrible photo. The immediate and dangerous confidence boost afterward. Suddenly you are driving around town with friends, windows down, music way too loud, fully convinced you are the main character of a coming-of-age movie. Honestly, getting your license for the first time is one of the weirdest combinations of terror, excitement, independence, and pure teenage chaos a person can experience.