Question for non-drivers

[Miss Chicken]

a) are you a non-driver through choice?

b) If you have never learnt to drive, so you think you ever will?

c) Do you find being a non-driver inconvenient?

My answers

a) Yes. I was never really interested in cars as a child or teenager. When I was 17 I was in a car accident and after that I decided I never wanted the responsibility of driving in case I hurt someone.

b) No. However my mother used to say that and she learnt to drive at the age of 72 when my father became too ill to drive.

c) Not particularly. When I see how much it costs my friends to keep their cars on the road I am rather grateful I don't drive.

As a teenager my father rarely drove us around so we always caught buses and I have always found public trnasport to be adequate. Very occasionally I catch a taxi.

 

[ITL]

a) Well, sort of. I failed the test three times (I'm useless at judging traffic and tend to exist in a world of my own when behind the wheel), so I gave up as a bad job.

b) If I can ever afford it again I might give it another go.

c) For traveling, yes of course. Financially, not so much.

 

[Pingfah]

a) are you a non-driver through choice?

Yes, I have never needed a car. I have no kids or family or need to transport anything particularly large regularly.

b) If you have never learnt to drive, so you think you ever will?

I can drive, I just choose not to.

c) Do you find being a non-driver inconvenient?

Not at all, I have a really fast motorbike

 

[Philo]

Hah, I just posted a picture of my driver's license in the picture thread!

Anyway, very few of my friends have their licenses. They all grew up in the city and live in the city now, so they've never really felt the need. I never really needed one either, living with my mom in the city (we didn't even have a car for several years -- I used to use my bicycle to buy our groceries), but I got one because I used to visit my dad out in the country during the summers, so it was extremely attractive and useful out there. Plus, I just love driving. Nothing will beat the first time I ever listened to music while driving in the car by myself. I remember that I took the car down one of the back gravel roads and drove extremely slowly just to prolong the experience.

Later on, when my mom got ill and I was taking care of her, having a license was extremely useful, because she was in and out of the hospital all of the time. I loved that car of ours. A faithful 93 Toyota Tercel with over 300,000km on it that we called Rosie. It was basically my first car, since I was the only one using it.

 

[Starseeker]

a) are you a non-driver through choice?
Yes. I used to drive, but then I moved to a city with decent public transit, so I let my license expire.

b) If you have never learnt to drive, so you think you ever will?
I learned to drive, passed the first of two driving tests.

c) Do you find being a non-driver inconvenient?
At times. My parents don't live in my city, and I can't find a form of transit to visit my parents that will allow me to bring my dog, so it's less than convenient. On the other hand, I would go broke trying to support a car in this city.

 

[Philo]

Yeah, speaking of which, I would hate to have a car in this city! It's simply not worth the cost or hassle. You can walk some places faster than you can drive them.

 

[Holdfast]

I'll provide proxy answers for my late mother since she never got her license:

She tried learning for a while, but never really got the hang of it. I don't think she actually took the test ever, just decided driving wasn't for her. She was happy enough getting taxis, buses or letting my dad drive her places.... but I know that I as a kid found it pretty inconvenient not to be able to get her to give me a lift to places when dad wasn't around. Still, we ended up having an account with one of the local minicab firms, but it was a pain having to ring and then wait around rather than just being able to hop in the car & drive.

I got my own license ASAP after turning 17 and boy, was I delighted to have the freedom and spontaneity that driving allows for.

 

[judge alba]

a) are you a non-driver through choice?

kind of i'm prone to blackouts so thruogh choice i dont drive

b) If you have never learnt to drive, so you think you ever will?

doubt it i use my little elctric bicycle for short trips up to six miles then ublic transport for further distances

c) Do you find being a non-driver inconvenient?

nope!

 

[TheGodBen]

I only learned to drive last year. I used to cycle and claimed that I didn't want to drive out of consideration for the environment, but the truth is that I had no pressing need to drive and was too lazy to bother with all the testing involved. It's not easy to get licence in this country, sometimes I think the economy here is propped up by the shear amount of people employed by the bureaucracy of the licensing system.

I finally decided to learn because my girlfriend was sick of having to drive if we ever decided to go anywhere fun. So I did my theory test for her, I got my provisional licence for her, and in an ironic twist of fate we broke up on the same day that I drove a car for the first time.

It was a good thing though because a month later I started working at a company 50km away, and since public transport in this country is crap I ended up buying a car and driving there every day. It saved me an hour a day and I think it worked out cheaper as well. Now I love driving, and I finally understand the things that the presenters say on Top Gear.

 

[Lindley]

I drive plenty these days, but I was never really in a hurry to get the license when I was younger. Just didn't particularly care.

 

[Alpha Romeo]

I never understood the whole: " I dont want thr responsibility of driving because I might hurt someone" argument. Seems like a cop out. If you're careful and remotely responsible you'll be fine.

I wanted my license badly as a kid. Got my permit the day I turned 16 and my license the day I turned 16.5. Been driving ever since.

Just recently got my permit to drive trucks over 26,000 lbs. I'll go for that license before the spring.

 

[Captain Shaw]

a) are you a non-driver through choice?
No i just know if i ever got behind a wheal of a car it would not end well.

b) If you have never learnt to drive, so you think you ever will?
No i am just to stupid to be able to keep the car in a straight line.

c) Do you find being a non-driver inconvenient?

Yes all ways waiting for buses means you can not just decide to go some where plus there a lot places i just can't get to epically now i am looking for a job.

 

[Hermiod]

a) are you a non-driver through choice?

Yes. I probably could learn but I don't really want to.

b) If you have never learnt to drive, so you think you ever will?

I doubt I will. Driving doesn't appeal to me at all.

c) Do you find being a non-driver inconvenient?

No, not really. I don't go out very much and the places I do go to are easily accessible via public transport.

 

[Pingfah]

^ You live in London don't you?

That's the most pointless place to own a car in the country.

 

[cultcross]

Is it just the time of day, or are there a disproportionate number of British posters who are non-drivers?

 

[Hermiod]

^ You live in London don't you?

That's the most pointless place to own a car in the country.

I live in "Greater" London (i.e. Essex). If I want to go in to my local town centre, which I very rarely do, I have to get a bus or it's a twenty minute walk. I have a Tube station a short walk away.

I agree, it's pointless running a car in central London. There would be nowhere to park if I did want to drive to work every day. The only people who can park where I work are those who come in on motorbikes.

 

[melancholymecha]

I never wanted to drive but eventually had to out of neccessity.

 

[thestrangequark]

a) are you a non-driver through choice?

Yes. The public transportation in NYC is sufficient to get me around during the winter, and in the summer I bike. I also like to walk a lot. Walking at least 8 miles most days, and biking twice that daily in the summer, keeps me fit, and I enjoy it. Every so often, schlepping heavier items is tiring, but I still prefer it.

b) If you have never learnt to drive, so you think you ever will?

I doubt it, but you never know. I'd prefer to remain in cities where driving is unnecessary.

c) Do you find being a non-driver inconvenient?

On rare occasions, like when I'm lugging 20 pounds of self-hardening clay to the Bronx to make fossils with my students, but I think owning a car would be more inconvenient.quote]

 

[captcalhoun]

1. not exactly. i simply can't afford to learn or run a car.

2. if i ever make a ton of money off my book(s), i will learn.

3. yes. the bus service in my area is a fucking joke. i'd love to be able to drive, for myself and for my OAP parents.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I never understood the whole: " I dont want thr responsibility of driving because I might hurt someone" argument. Seems like a cop out. If you're careful and remotely responsible you'll be fine.

I am the sort of person who would feel guilty if people in my car were hurt even if the accident was not technically my fault. Even the most careful of drivers cannot always avoid the idiot driver or the child that runs onto the road.