Comments because I don’t drive

and unexpected delays never happen on the road?

Traffic
road works
delays due to an accident etc

ive been a driver since I was 17 it was one of the first things I done at that age.

mainly because I grew up in a village with awful public transport (one bus an hour to the local town and no buses before 8 am or after 6pm) . So for me to get out I had to rely on my parents or taxis.

I totally understand the not driving if you live in a city or area with good public transport but if not then a car is essential. Where I live now again is a village and public transport isn’t great. The local town would take me 30-40 mins on a bus and again no late night or early morning services but only 15 mins in the car so driving is a must. Similar for my commute I would be closer to 1.5-2 hrs (bus and 2 trains plus 30ish min walk) driving I’m 40 mins in rush hour 25 off peak

what bothers me is friends that can’t drive who say the same as you but then accept ‘lifts’ when offered even if they know it’s out the way. Or restrict where we can meet or go since public transport isn’t great and unless I offer to do all the driving then it’s not an option. Same with breaks away etc

what I’m saying is as long as you get public transport and really think about taking the lifts offered etc (not out the way for people and offer petrol money) then it’s really no one’s business

If it’s an uncomplicated 2 hr journey, yes, no problem!
My experience of train travel is of unexpected delays, short notice cancellations, being packed in like sardines and often no reasonable explanation for said delays or cancellations.
Rural buses are often worse because they take an age. Ok if you don’t mind taking an hour and 15 minutes to travel 25 miles.

If I didn’t drive I wouldn’t be able to take myself off to remote beaches, the highlands or anywhere far off the beaten track without relying on others ( not served by bus or train services and unlikely would a taxi go there. Even if they did, they’d be abandoning me in the middle of nowhere with no internet service so for me that wouldn’t be an option)

If you live in a city with good public transport infrastructure like London, not driving is doable. As long as you don’t want to explore outwith.

Well you were happy to tell me how limiting my options were as a non driver!

I've asked several times what drivers plan to do when they can no longer drive - not one has given any ideas yet!

If drivers have chosen their location because they have the freedom of the car what will they do if they can't?

It's not particularly personal to you.

The thread isn't about me, so my personal circumstances are irrelevant.

You do you, but you've limited where you can live because you're dependent on infrastructure, and you're limited in the jobs you can take because public transport might not be available.

I know plenty of people who have a license, but for various reasons chose not to drive. That's fair enough. But to consciously make the choice to not even learn, seem like a "I'm not going to drive, so nur to you" is a bit bizarre to me.

If it’s an uncomplicated 2 hr journey, yes, no problem!
My experience of train travel is of unexpected delays, short notice cancellations, being packed in like sardines and often no reasonable explanation for said delays or cancellations.
Rural buses are often worse because they take an age. Ok if you don’t mind taking an hour and 15 minutes to travel 25 miles.

If I didn’t drive I wouldn’t be able to take myself off to remote beaches, the highlands or anywhere far off the beaten track without relying on others ( not served by bus or train services and unlikely would a taxi go there. Even if they did, they’d be abandoning me in the middle of nowhere with no internet service so for me that wouldn’t be an option)

If you live in a city with good public transport infrastructure like London, not driving is doable. As long as you don’t want to explore outwith.

So what will YOU do if you have to stop driving because of age or infirmity? Got a plan?

Is it really harder to have 2 hrs on train relaxing? I choose it over driving any day.

You do you, but you've limited where you can live because you're dependent on infrastructure, and you're limited in the jobs you can take because public transport might not be available.

I know plenty of people who have a license, but for various reasons chose not to drive. That's fair enough. But to consciously make the choice to not even learn, seem like a "I'm not going to drive, so nur to you" is a bit bizarre to me.

I can drive, and it saves neither time nor effort. Don't have dishwasher .... or airfryer!

Not being able to drive means you have the privilege of living somewhere with excellent public transportation. In many places people don’t have the option to choose not to become drivers.

You have limited yourself to never move somewhere without such infrastructure. It also impacts your ability to travel. This is a fairly significant life choice. It’s fine, people make life choices all the time. It’s just not one most people have an easy time understanding.

She's literally just said: she never asks for lifts.

It wouldn't be for me. This morning I've driven to the gym before work-getting there on a bus would take me around an hour as opposed to 15 minutes. After work I want to nip to the shops, Aldi is my preference and they don't deliver. I have just been on a minibreak with family, stopped off at a market along the way-not possible without a car. I like the freedom of it.

I don't and won't date non-drivers either. I would feel like someone's Mum driving them around, always having to be the one to stay sober at events, always having to be the one to nip out and get things if after sociable hours, always feeling like I have to be available to go somewhere spontaneously.

I have a part-time job that requires a lot of lugging heavy things about to different places too-my life wouldn't be possible without a car. And I WFH in my 'normal' job too.

However, having said this, I absolutely do not judge anyone who chooses to not, and I understand that people's lifestyles are different and some people get along just fine without a car. Other people do tend to look down on adults who don't drive.
I am trying to think of people I know-I don't know many who don't drive, all family do, my nieces learned as soon as they were old enough.

I have a friend who doesn't drive, her partner does, she gets the bus to work always has and she actually will not do long journeys with her partner driving (he's an excellent driver but she doesn't trust him and his driving style makes her anxious). If they visit here, I will pick them up from the train station as long as I am available.

I have another friend who says she has a licence and doesn't drive due to medication. She does however smoke a lot of 'wacky baccy' and probably wouldn't be safe to regardless. She visits me and I do feel a bit odd to be the one always driving us about to places. When I visit her I make a point of not driving us around too. We get taxis a lot of the time if we go anywhere. I don't judge her for it per se, but she lives in the sticks and I find it a bit weird. She has another friend who's more local to her who seems to drive her about a lot.

Lol I don't have one.

I don't need one. There's just me. I wash up once a day using very little hot water.

A dishwasher would make no sense to me, but you do you. I couldn't care less 😂

He can, but he can’t think oh I fancy a trip to the beach and just go. He can’t go fishing without seeing if the larger taxi (one in his area 20 minutes from a UK city) is available to fit his rods in etc. it takes a lot more planning and effort. To get to me (an hour’s drive away) would be 2-3 buses and a train taking 2 hours minimum.

Not driving makes life harder, especially in emergency situations.

If I’m taking time off work to go to a doctors appointment and need more time then so what?

I don’t find it strange people don’t drive if they live in a city centre. I find it unusual if someone CANT drive especially if they have kids and can afford to. Driving generally makes things quicker and easier and it has widened the distance I can work, it has taken me all around the world, it had opened up opportunities to my kids, it has given me wider choice of schools for them, got them to uni quickly and easily and made supporting a terminally ill partner that much easier.

I use public transport frequently too but I think if you are not a driver you don’t realise how much the world opens up to you if you have the option to drive

You don't have kids, that makes it easy. I rarely used a car pre kids but I soon realised how impracticable that was once I was pregnant. Midwife appointments were 6 miles away and buses were very infrequent. Same for health visitor appointments. The nearest dentist is a 30 in drive and not on a bus route. I need the car to get the dcs to sports lessons and matches. When the train is delayed/on strike/broken down (often) I have to drive the dcs to school. I have gone from never being using a car to never not using a car. It's been eye opening. At your stage in life I also claimed not to need a car.

That's probably why people comment. They can see how limiting/frustrating it will be for you long term.

So she manages absolute fine for the rest of her life but you believe this one example of her needing a lift would justify the cost to learn to drive, tests, buying a car, insurance and petrol?