Originally Posted by
tarwheel
I commute 30 miles round trip on a mix of neighborhood streets with a few busy roads. I've been doing this for 6 years and nearly 23,000 miles and never been hit by a car or had a serious mishap. However, I am very safety conscious, wear bright clothes and always run my lights. I am also a defensive rider, meaning that I always assume that drivers don't see me and try to anticipate when they might pull out in front of me or turn into me. That has saved me from getting hit on a number of occasions.
You mean like Joey bike does?
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
I agree that making and managing money at the OP's age is a VERY important lesson for his future.
I had a paper route at 14. (delivered on bike, of course) Maybe you could look into doing that. I know newspapers aren't as popular as they once were, but I still see adults in cars delivering them in my neighborhood. No reason you couldn't do it on your bike.
Again I say,
Don't give up! If you figure out a way to do this you have started to grow up instead.