To think it's ridiculous how people go to pieces when they don't have their car

I agree with your post to an extent OP. I feel people lose a valuable life skill by not using lublic transport. Growing up, we didn’t have a car when I was between 14 and 22 years old, until I passed my driving test. I lived in a semi-rural area with poor transport links, and at the time, I hated it. However, looking back, I’m incredibly grateful for the experience because it made me a confident user of public transport. I became independent early on, having to plan how I would get around. My friends, on the other hand, wouldn’t even take the train home from university for the weekend—they’d get picked up by their parents. To this day, they panic if using public transport.

I do drive now and admit that, in many cases, having a car is much more convenient. However, living in a city, there are times when it’s far easier to take the bus than deal with parking, and I’m more than happy to use public transport when it's the better option.

That said, I fully appreciate that some people genuinely need and rely on cars, whether they live in rural areas, have disabilities, neurodivergence, or a whole host of other valid reasons.

Although I'm always amazed at the number of 17 yr olds getting licence on MN considering most aren't able to be left on their own due to some issue.
Incidentally, I have 3 DC all in their 30s, 1 learnt to drive a couple of years ago, the other 2 don't drive.

I understand OP. I've never learned to drive as I live in a city with fantastic public transport but I'm seen as a victim of life by some friends who feel really sorry for me for some reason!

I have my car, due to roadworks ironically putting in cycle lanes it's now taking much longer, I'm considering an electric bike. Buses take twice as long, go opposite direction, 45 mins, get another bus 25 mins, then a third to get to work another 30 mins.

I cycle five miles to work and back every day (or take the bus when the weather is truly awful), and my coworker had four month's notice that she would be without a car for ONE DAY and literally called me that morning and asked what bus to take from her house in another town. When I told her to google it, she called our boss, burst into tears, asked HIM for a lift then told everyone it was too stressful and she needed to work from home. 😂😂

People who have cars tend to have commitments further afield.

I have a car and a 5yo. If I lost my car he wouldn't be able to go to his clubs, I'd struggle to get him to school in time to get to work, etc.

If I didn't have a car I would have limited myself to clubs, a school and a workplace that were in walking/bus distance in a reasonable time.

If you have a car, you tend to plan your life around the fact that you... have a car...

DS cannot use public transport because he wouldn't cope with it. For us a car is essential for him to have any quality of life.

Losing access to a car you regularly use is different to never having had one.

I learnt to drive fairly late on and spent a good chunk of my adult life reliant on public transport. I managed fine at the time, but now I’m used to having a car I just the thought of going back to researching routes, multiple legs of journeys, delays, etc. is tiring. The colleague in the first example was in a completely different situation to you - I’d be clueless about how to get myself to work this morning without a car. Unlike someone who has a routine down pat.

Well 'people' might, if they come into the category of many of us on the thread who cant do our jobs or get kids to school without our own cars.

"People" don't . The specific individuals you know do.

I would say it depends entirely where you live. In my case (lives rurally) my only option would be a taxi which are few and far between in the town I live in. I could bike but then it wouldn't be appropriate to arrive at work and then effectively get dressed for the day. Also the annual school bus pass for my eldest child is just over £650 for the year. There is no daily option.

I’d be screwed without my car. It’s a 40 minute drive from home to work. There are no buses going from my town to the city where I work. There are trains, but the station is 4 miles from my house and my house isn’t on or near a bus route, so it would be a walk of over an hour. On an early shift I start at 0700, but the first train leaving my town is at 0710. On a late shift I finish at 0100, but the last train home is at 2000. On a night shift, I don’t start til 2300 which is hours after the last train to work. In addition, the return train fare is just under a tenner. I have an electric car and can make it to and from work 5 times for around £6 of electricity.

I would find it extremely difficult to manage without my car, as much as I’d love to need it less.

Order one for next day delivery of course!

I have a car, but it's generally my last choice rather than first choice of transport. I cycle to work, either cycle or take the bus into the town centre, and take the train to the bigger city 10 miles away. But wherever I've lived I've always prioritised having a decent public transport connection. I wouldn't live somewhere that doesn't at least have a half decent bus service because I don't want to be completely reliant on my car as my only means of transport.

Also, I work in the environmental field. There are 50 employees in my department but only 1 who commutes by car. So there's huge understanding for those whose journeys are disrupted by public transport. If there are planned rail works we move all meetings online for example to make it easier for people to wfh.

Says someone that gets taxi’s and catches buses. You rely on other people that CAN drive to get you places.
Or am I misunderstanding you, and you get though life without motorised transport ?

Well I don't ask anyone for lifts when my car isn't working, but it's a big deal when it's not because although I spent years using public transport and completely capable of getting myself around that way my body can't physically cope anymore and walking to then having, more often then not, to stand up on the bus, means I can't do anything the next day at all. It's not an option for some people. I was marvelling at how reliant I am on a car now when I've only driven for a decade and used to go everywhere by public transport, but it's something that can be very necessary to have any quality of life if you're disabled or ill. I would be essentially house bound without it and a lot sicker.

I agree plenty of people have lived sheltered lives and don't necessarily have much interest in trying new things. It is normal to need a bit of time to adjust to a new situation though!

I live 0.9 miles from work, it takes 10-15 minutes to walk. My colleague lives on the road behind and drives. The public transport here is excellent, so I didn't have a car at all for 10 years.

Actually I do understand your point, I can't drive, and I am far from a fully functioning adult lol but I am not allowed a license due to medical issues. I have had conversations with other Scout leaders at training and events that start with "oh how are you getting home" to which my answer is always "the same way I got here". Rain literally makes some of them insane, they seem convinced that rain will cause me and the kids to melt.

Camp drives me nuts because the Explorer leaders don't understand why I have no desire to speak to parents I don't know to ask them to take my child somewhere. We used a taxi for a local camp, we used a train and a bus for another one.

Although certain adults in our life could probably benefit from the "travel training" my oldest received during his college course. It was on the life skills checklist, to be able to travel independently including purchasing tickets and requesting the correct stop (although he has a card he can hand the driver to request a reminder at the correct stop). He can manage most journeys with Google Maps assistance, or one of us accompanying him, new journeys are harder.

Omg 😄 🤦‍♀️

"I can't go on the bus, it triggers my allergies"

When did we as a nation become such a bunch of wet blankets?

Public transport is full of allergy triggers. It isn’t a safe option for everyone.

"you people" - your imaginary homogeneous mass. You do realize that MN is virtually Luddite compared to everything else? Maybe you do.

At least you're being driven somewhere