I hate public transport so much . Can't drive.

[Freeeeeeedom]

I'm so fed up with it. They are over packed, often smelly from people. On almost every journey there's a strong smell of weed. Always running late or missing out buses. A journey that takes 15 min by car takes 50 min by bus with changes .

I wish so much that i could drive . I failed my driving test in an automatic over 8+ times . I did have one lesson about 5 years ago but I almost ran over someone. I'm just not safe on the roads. So it's not meant to be . Im so pissed off with myself.

It might be worth trying with a new instructor OP and taking it at your own pace! My BIL failed his test a few times and wrote off driving for years as just not for him, but the same as you he found public transport to be slow, unreliable and irritating. He started lessons again last year from scratch, with an instructor who was very patient and took it all at his own pace and passed his test a few weeks ago. It is doable with the right instructor and time x

Have you tried different instructors? You can only learn from experience - if you’ve only driven once in 5 years then of course mistakes easily happen. The job of a good instructor is to catch them before they happen and learn where you’re going wrong, they shouldn’t allow you to nearly run someone over in the first place..!

I’m the same…I have ASD and can’t drive (other people with ASD can drive but I’m unfortunately not one of them), and I also have sensory issues with the loudness, the smells, the bus is often late, and so on. The worst is it often smells of wee. It’s even worse when it’s cold and rainy so all of the windows are shut and the smell of old wee is just overpowering.

I feel like it's to late I'm in my late 40s now . This all happen 15/20 years ago. Apart from the 1 of lessons about 5 years ago. And if I almost run someone over does that not say it all

@Freeeeeeedom yep totally agree with you.
Wanted to chuck someone's phone out the bus window today. I don't want to listen to your shrieky programme. GET SOME HEADPHONES.
Biggest regret of my life was not learning to drive.

It’s never too late! What that says is that you had an instructor who was not taking things at your pace. For the first few lessons, especially with no experience at all in 10 years and no confidence, you really shouldn’t even be in a situation where you could run anyone over. My first lessons (and everyone I know) your instructor should be picking you up and driving you to an empty industrial estate or car park and literally spending the entire lesson just teaching you stop, start, stop, start, break, driving a few metres etc. I wasn’t on an actual road where there were other cars or people for 2/3 lessons at least, I was also very nervous and to be honest didn’t initially want to learn to drive (although very glad I did now). You just need an instructor who can strip it right back to basics and progress at YOUR pace.

I think there are some people that shouldn't drive, and if you've failed your driving test more than 8 times it's very responsible to accept that you're one of them.

Totally agree with you wrt public transport. It's generally unreliable and disgusting. As with so much in this country, I wonder why we don't look at other countries that seem to do it to a much better standard and copy what they do.

Yeah I agree . I'm just pissed of about it . I think I notice it more because public transport is getting worse rather than better.

I don't know what it is but when I'm in a driving seat in my head feels like everything is speeding/going fast . Then my body action matches what's in my head.

If you passed your driving test you'd have to buy a car + insurance + mot + tax + fuel + maintenance.

Now save that money and use it to take taxis instead of public transport some of the time. Get a taxi app like Uber or Bolt.

@Jk987 I have actually taken to using Uber when I really just can't bare the thought of public transport. Unfortunately I can't do it regularly due to costs (for example £15 Uber vs £1.75 bus).
But I shouldn't have to do that. People just need to stop being so bloody anti social on public transport.

If you had a car it would cost money, recently passed driver insurance, and everything else.

Could you treat yourself to a taxi home say on a friday, or there on a Monday morning?

That would cost around 40.00 a day for uber /bolt

It seems ridiculous that we have such a patchy public transport system generally, when we’re being asked to consider the environment and less use of cars.

People are always going to do what is most convenient and most cost effective, for obvious reasons. If we’re expected to use public transport more, it should be clea, reliable and relatively comfortable.

I don't drive either. But I rarely use public transport, but I got a bus the other day and there was...

A guy at the main bus station talking on his phone about how hot a young lady with pink hair and telling his friend he wouldn't take a picture of her 🤢

Someone smoking upstairs on the bus.

The woman in front of me had really tight braids and kept itching the back of her head sending dandruff falling into my lap 🤢🤢🤢

And the bus smelled like piss

How far do you typically commute. Could you use a bike, go earlier or later to avoid the worst of it?

Totally agree, I think public transport can be a bit of a postcode lottery. Where we are it can be really unreliable, lots of cancelled buses/trains which means obviously the one that eventually turns up has 3 buses worth of people on there, and there are some places nearby where there’s only 1 bus in and out which comes literally once an hour so it’s not great if you live there (my parents live in a village like this but both drive so not an issue for them).

But I have a friend who moved down South who is always saying she’d never bother buying a car although she can drive because the public transport where she is, is amazing!

I was thinking about that to. If the buses smell really bad. Are skipped or late . No one will want to use them. But also drivers don't have control over people sticking weed getting in the bus.

That means people will choose to drive.

The other day there was a group of Italian men quizzing everyone near them on whether or not they voted for Brexit. The bus is so weird sometimes.

Have you thought about moving into a town so you can walk everywhere instead?

Do an intensive driving course over a month.

Get a bike.

Get a moped.

Get an electrical bike.

Loads of options.

Move near a park and ride, usually only car owners use them.

I can't do them things . I have children to get to school one has special needs . And I would probably die at the end of my road on a bike . I have no road sence unless I'm walking.

Is the bus your only option? I use a combination of folding bike and train. Which is less grim than the bus & I don't get motion sickness. I take something to while away the journey.. book, knitting or sketchbook normally.

I am in a town . I actually live in London. Not central. It seems like public transport it good . It is if you can get on any bus going in that direction. But if there's only a certain route going to the place you need. and they its either late or don't come at all caused you to miss your links plus as I said in my op the stink of them etc .

I think you could learn with a different instructor. My mum passed at around 40 on her 8th attempt (two lots of lessons spaced over 20 years). I passed on my 4th attempt at 36. My instructor taught a lady who was 70! Call some driving schools and ask if they have someone who works with older drivers/people who are struggling to pass.

My motivation was wanting to drive to work. My journey from south to west London was a nightmare on public transport (and this was 20 years ago). The car journey on an average day took the same time as public transport on a good day, but having my own space was the best bit!