To not want to learn to drive

[ThisUsernameIsAvailable]

I'm 33 and I have 4 children and my husband drives.

I have never wanted to learn to drive, my family have offered to buy my provisional, to teach me etc but I really don't want to, I've never had any interest in learning to drive.
I ride my bike if I want to go somewhere local, I have a trailer for shopping, if oh is working I use public transport if it's not riding distance (more than 15 miles or I need to get there quickly)

For some reason everyone thinks I need to learn to drive next year, I've had 4 offers of provisional license for Christmas/birthday

gilly- of course people " manage" without cars, Not that long ago few people had cars.
I would have "managed" to bring up my own children without a car, but I wanted more for them than that.
I am able to give them many more life experiences and opportunities having a car than not.

To me that's an important difference.

user

Most definitely, my point is that most people don't need cars, they want, which is fair enough.

I can't see that wanting the best for your children has anything to do with being able to drive. I can't see how being able to drive gives your children more life experiences and opportunities than if you can't drive.

Of course it gives more opportunities.
We are able to go places that buses don't but more importantly it saves a great deal of time in a day.

For example- my daughter dances at a high level, To achieve this she dances most days for hours after school. The dance school is in the next town- would take her a mile walk and two buses. And nearly two hours to get there, by which time some of her classes would be finished.
I can pick her up by car and she can be there in 15 to 20 minutes.

She has the opportunity to dance at this level because I have a car.

Driving means that we all have more hours in the day, freeing up valuable time to explore more opportunities.

People aren't talking about not having a car though, and I mentioned not being able to drive as the OP was also talking about not being able to drive.
The odd occasion I couldn't take the dc somewhere dh would take them.
It was a very rare occurrence though as he worked away a lot.
We walked to dancing and music lessons, or got a bus, train, taxi etc.

Probably depends where you live too. Where i live they'd miss out on stuff the transport system didn't reach, but in big cities you could probably get to most places fairly easily.

I do regret not learning to drive. When I turned 17 I couldn't wait to start learning. However I gave up after a little prang in my mum and dads car cos I didn't turn the steering wheel back quick enough and scraped in to a hedge. It shook my confidence and I thought I must be stupid to not even be able to do such a simple manoeuvre. I should have kept going but I never. Now it is so expensive to learn and driving costs now are so dear. I do think it has limited my life particularly with regards to the jobs market.

We walked to dancing and music lessons, or got a bus, train, taxi etc

Nut I'm trying to explain that I would find that restricts my family's opportunities.

My DD could not walk train or bus to 18 hours of dance lessons a week, and taxis would cost far far more than it would to run a car.

Colonel

That was my point really, for some people it isn't necessary. I can see how for some it is.
Maybe we were fortunate to be able to access everything we needed without having to own 2 cars.
I spent many years, about 25 up till now taking dc to various places. Sometimes we'd get a train and end up at the place earlier than others who'd been stuck in traffic and then searching for a parking place.
I agree though travelling into major towns and cities can be far easier than living rurally or in an area with poor public transport.

Can't drive, had lessons but I'm not someone who is safe to be on the road - very little confidence. People say to me that I'll build up confidence but I know myself. I understand my limits. My husband can only drive motorbikes. We have one child (who will remain an only). Occasionally we get a lift somewhere from family but that's very occasionally. We just use public transport (which is brilliant where we are - Edinburgh) or walk everywhere, get shopping delivered. It's not hard when it's what you have to do. I've never felt limited. If we need to go somewhere fast we get a taxi. We also live across from a hospital.

I think gilly's dd plays music at a high level and got into a top music school so it hasn't stopped her pursuing her interest at a high level.

I have two children and don't drive. I did have a foreign licence but after the death of 5 friends within 18 months in separate car accidents I didn't renew my licence and never exchanged it for a British one. I lost my nerve it has to be said. I'm very lucky that I live in London with a husband who drives when necessary ( rugby matches, late night pick ups etc) and given that I work full time and he doesn't it's a fair trade off. My children have benefitted by being able, at a very young age, to negotiate Public transport in London and beyond, unfazed, by themselves - of course with grandparents, parents meeting at the other end and being kept in the loop by mobile. They are confident and independent young people.
We are all fit as we walk and cycle far distances.
I myself use uber when unable to go by pt, or my husband drives. We save on a second car.
Okay - so those are the positives. The negatives, as people have pointed out, are that there are times when my husband or a kind friend isn't available and I have to miss out on trips that need a car. I can also only carry so much on pt. And there is a certain level of freedom to be had that I miss out on occasionally.
I fully intend to start driving lessons again BUT IN MY OWN TIME. The last thing I need, given my fear at being behind the wheel is people criticising me, taking the mick out of me or trying to force me.
I know I can do it, just need gentle support and encouragement.
By the way, my carbon footprint, meantime is wonderfully low!
Good luck ThisUSerNameISAvailable....x

It totally depends where you live and what you want to do. We used to be a 2 car family and couldn't have managed without 2 cars. We have moved and I've sold my car. I have city car club which I use about once every 2 months. Now we have moved there are about 4 cinemas, 3 swimming pools within 40 minutes walk. That's without getting on the bus. We don't spend enough to merit supermarket delivery but there are 2 supermarkets within 10 minutes walk. Where we used to live there were 2 buses a day. The other day I went to the bus stop that's 30 seconds from my front door and without checking a timetable, and I was pissed off because the tracker said I had to wait 7 minutes. That is really long for me now! I love that Ds won't rely on us for lifts when he is older. We manage swimming, breakdance and boys' brigade without a car.

You may find like the freedom of driving, I don't enjoy commutes and would rather walk or cycle to work or to the shops any day and whatever the weather. But I like road trips, particularly abroad, hiring a car on holiday and seeing more of the place you are visiting is great and sharing driving duties is polite, each person gets a turn at looking at the view, or navigating. I think driving is a great skill to add to your list. Go on, stop stalling! 🚘