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

Not everyone has reliable public transport. I’m very rural and without a car I would be literally stranded.

Yanbu OP and a lot of the comments prove it or miss your point. I agree completely that knowing what public transport is available and how to use it is also a life skill (or just in general having back up plans for your life if something unexpected happens!) but people behave as though it isn’t. Acting as though your life will end without your car if the fact is it will just be inconvenient is not very adult behaviour. At my work people get there in many different ways and the most you’d hear if someone’s car broke down is a ”oh no this was annoying” comment and then they get on with it.

@mickeymoist we were in Tintagel and were told there was a one man band taxi service and we had no chance. We walked.

Navigating a holiday in Cornwall on public transport was fun. Buses every 2 hours and often turned up 45 minutes late. We managed fine though with a few hiccups. I don't drive. I never will unless there's a huge change in my financial situation. I live somewhere with buses and trains that aren't London or city good but they are good enough when I need to use them except for the once an hour bus to swimming lessons that changes its pattern at the time I need it. We still manage though.
People without cars from the start or for long periods know how to get around but people suddenly forced to rely on public transport are completely flummoxed.
I do hate the narrative on mumsnet of non-drivers not being proper grown ups, always expecting lifts or not having an essential life skill.

Or are very expensive or both.

We don't have that where we live - city - but has been an issue visiting some family members in rural locations in recent years when previously it wasn't.

The thing is, @orangesandlemonssaythebellsofstclements, you are going to notice the people who are making a big fuss over being without their cars, but are less likely to notice the people who are just getting on with it, without any fuss.

Taxi, in some areas taxis are becoming rare. We live in a big village, good buses north or south. East - west impossible. I had the chance to go to a meeting in a village to the East. No taxi firms in the area. There is a firm that does Airport trips but not 4 miles local.
Sorry to go off topic.

Most drivers you know have, in your company, both disparaged none drivers and also happened to have a driving emergency where they’ve panicked and not been able to cope with public transport?
I’ve been driving for 21 years and never had an occasion where I’ve lost access to my car and had to use public transport. So even if I disparaged non drivers (I don’t), there has never been an occasion for me to panic about using public transport due to not having access to a car. Seems unusual that most drivers you know have fulfilled both criteria that are the premise for this thread.

It depends on circumstances though. If I suddenly didn't have my car it would cause chaos because I live rurally and can't get a bus to work because there literally is no bus. Then there's kids to get to after school activities and all that stuff.
If I knew I couldn't have a car or drive anymore I would have to consider moving house

Well you get used to having a car in the same you get used to having to get buses.

I leave my house with enough time to get somewhere by car but when I came out to find a flat tyre, then, yes, I was going to be late because I hadn't factored in breakdown time in my journey, why would I? It's not an every day occurrence.

Your work colleague is wrong to say that she'd be late every day though, first day, fine but not every day after that.

One factor is If one has lived in London or similar city with a decent public transport system. One takes a different view.
My BIL has not been on a bus since he was a student. Trains yes, 100miles to London sensible. Will he use a bus to visit a restaurant or come to us for a meal so that he can have a drink - no never! (30 mins)
And he votes LibDem.

I am a petrol-head, it's my generation, but we go out to lunch where we can on the bus.

Actually do get that.

We never got lifts with my parents - but they stopped telling us about family events saying we wouldn't be able to get there or we'd want lifts. Felt like a self fulling prophecy don't tell us so we can't find out if we can and we probably could have got to there easily enough. Even been made an issue round funerals when we juts got taxies inconvenience no-one else - but the drama made was hurtful.

Mostly though just ignore it.

You sound so butthurt OP, are you feeling left out? Did you not get an invite to the farm park?

My MIL took me and DC out in her car x2 weeks ago. Purely because we like spending time together - I actually drive AND use public transport in equal measure.

I’d be damned if I did a full shop without a car though, I get mine delivered.

I have the opposite experience to you in that the people I know who don't drive get very stressed easily. They don't drive because of it and don't have much resilience overall. Of course that's not true of everyone! Just my experience.

I've got no other alternative than my car to get to work. I start at 4am and there's no public transport so for me and my staff it means losing a days wages if our car breaks down.

At my workplace everyone has a free bus pass. I’d say around 20% of people actually use theirs.

Parking costs are astronomical and traffic into the city centre can be dire outside of the bus lanes but they would still prefer to drive.

I use my pass, I don’t drive. The costs are out of reach for me. Yes it would be more convenient but we get around fine on the bus.

I guess it’s a difficult one, because I’ve never met anyone who openly disparages people who can’t drive and yet simultaneously can’t cope when they’re left without a car for some reason. Not that I know of anyway. Not saying they don’t exist, just that it must be quite a niche group and I haven’t come across any of them.

But what's the problem if they do those things? It's one thing having a moan because people judge you for being a non-driver. That does happen and it's normal to feel miffed about it. But why go on to begrudge other people the lifts they get? Ok, your SIL gets lifts and you don't. Unless there is some obvious favouritism going on (have you ever asked your MIL for a lift?) or you're worried about MIL being put upon against her will, then I don't see what the fuss is. Live and let live. Speak out against people making lazy assumptions about your whole life because of your status as a driver/non-driver, but coping adeqautely with being a non-driver doesn't make you morally superior any more than being a driver makes someone else morally superior. Just because you do things one way doesn't mean SIL should make her life more difficult than it needs to be to match.

I agree OP. It is not about people needing a car, it is the rhetoric that driving is a skill that everyone should have and that you have failed somehow if you can't drive when navigating public transport also takes skills.

We've never had a car,been manage to get most places by public transport or if that's not possible we'll get a taxi.

Misread the title and read it as places not pieces