DR. WALLACE: I worry about being driven by two of my friends. It's not because they are fundamentally bad drivers; it's that they don't always pay attention to the road, and they're constantly talking and texting on their cellphones, even when driving!

I've warned them many times that this is dangerous, but they just laugh and tell me they can "handle it."

I'm seriously considering not getting in the car with them at all anymore, but I'd like to know if there's a way I can get their attention beyond nagging at them. — I Feel Unsafe in Their Vehicles, via email

I FEEL UNSAFE IN THEIR VEHICLES: My first comment is to tell you to not accept a single ride from the two of them going forward. Not one single ride.

Only if they change their behavior, and perhaps allow you to hold their cellphones in the backseat, should you ever consider being a passenger in one of their vehicles again.

Have them visit the Casey Feldman Foundation website to learn about her story. She is sadly one of thousands of unfortunate victims of distracted driving.

You should also spend time researching the website EndDD.org, and once you learn more about this topic, send links to your friends via text or email to encourage them to read about it.

Your friends are needlessly risking their lives, their passengers' lives and the lives of the public, including all occupants of vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists and even animals near a public roadway.

It's beyond selfish and ridiculous to drive a motor vehicle in a distracted manner, especially these days. A group of people in a car could easily assign a driver who will vow to be safe at all times — including refraining from speaking or texting on a phone or watching videos.

I DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS TRIP OF A LIFETIME!

DR. WALLACE: I live in Utah, and a group of my closest friends is planning a trip to visit Southern California and stay for a week on Catalina Island, off of the coast of Los Angeles.

My parents said they would let me go, but they were upfront that they don't have the money to give me to pay for my expenses on this trip. It's coming up in three weeks, so I'm heartbroken because even if I got a part-time job, I couldn't earn money fast enough to afford it. I feel sick to my stomach that I'll be the only girl out of our entire group that doesn't get to go.

My brother told me to take $2 and buy a lotto ticket in case I win in the next two weeks, but I know that's not a great idea, since the odds are extremely low. What else can I do, especially since I don't have time to work anywhere near enough hours to earn the money I would need? — Don't Want To Miss This Opportunity, via email

DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY: If it were feasible, I'd recommend that you ask your parents to loan you the money and then have them give you a reasonable period of time to work this summer and eventually repay them. However, since your parents were so upfront with you about the family financial situation, it would not be in good taste for you to press them to loan money to you that they may not have available.

Therefore, I recommend you ask another family member for a loan, e.g., an aunt, uncle, grandparent or even older cousin. Be sure to tell anyone you speak to that you're not looking for charity but a loan for this trip, and you'll pay the funds back in full as quickly as you can via jobs you'll be working later in the summer.

If you're fortunate enough to find a suitable benefactor, you should begin making payments within the first few weeks of returning from your trip, starting with your very first paycheck.

And if there are no relatives available to help you, perhaps you can tactfully approach one of the other parents of one of your friends who may be willing to help you out with a bridge loan.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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