To think that people are weird about non-drivers?

[HennyPennyHorror]

I don't want to learn to drive. I'm mid-40s and just don't want to. Never have.

I catch trains and buses and ride a bike. It's never been an issue for me. My DH works for himself and so he's always been the one to take DC to their friend's parties etc.

He likes doing it...if he didn't I suppose I'd need to reconsider.

People look at me like I'm weird because I don't want to drive. You also see it here. A sort of irritation regarding those who can't drive.

The thought scares me frankly and I'm aware that I'd only be adding to pollution. I never ask anyone for a lift. I just get on with it.

What responsibility? To make the planet even worse, responsible for pollution, or responsible for not being a lazy arse who can't be arsed to walk.
I see parents who live within a 10 min walk driving to school, selfish fuckers.

I was just being honest, clearly some non-drivers arent stupid, but that is my automatic assumption, which is what the Op asked.

@RomanyQueen

It was funny watching the drivers squirming when petrol was rationed years ago and given to essential users only.

When was that then? I don't remember it. When/where did it happen? Certainly never happened where I live.

So where was it?

People who can't/don't drive are right up there with dogs and fat people on the list of stuff that MN hates.

Cray

google will tell you, look at 60's 7o's and 80's lots of shortages and rationing to essential users, not a trip to school, then work, or to visit your auntie. .

@Coffeeonthesofa well then you would presumably be in the part of the circle of non drivers that doesn't intersect with the other categories ... that's how Venn diagrams work ...

@RomanyQueen

I remember the fuel strikes about 20 years back, but it's nonsense that petrol was given to 'essential' users only! Where the hell are you getting that from? Yeah, some supermarkets/petrol stations restricted what you could put in your tank, to £15-20, but no-one was told they couldn't have fuel, unless they were an 'essential user!'

As I said, don't spout the 'look at google' bull. If you are claiming something, then post a link to back it up. Because in MY lifetime, (Born late 1960s) I have never known a fuel strike that said 'only essential users can have petrol!'

Crazy

I have never known a fuel strike that said 'only essential users can have petrol!'

So because you never heard of it happening, it didn't. Right.......?
I'm not linking as it ain't me that disbelieves, do your own research

GreigLaidlawsbarofsoap Why don't you try substituting 'non drivers' with other lifestyle choices, or even protected characteristics, in the 'Venn diagram' presentation, and then see how it sounds - it's a very offensive way of presenting an opinion.

There are overlaps in every sphere of human existence.

@crazyasafox

I remember the fuel shortages around 2000/1. Had to queue for ages and could only put £20 in. I don’t recall anyone restricting fuel to essential users though?

IMO the Venn diagram anology is bollocks. In my experience it's the other way round. I've never driven a car - admittedly I live in London so excellent transport links, and I've always been a big walker.

Car drivers can be such bloody babies. The minute their car breaks down/goes in to the garage/whatever reason they're without it, they have palpitations about how they're going to get anywhere without it. Including to the shops, that are 5 minutes away. It's like unless they've got a heap of metal to call their own, they're stranded. If that's how they are in normal every day life I'd hate to be stranded on a desert island with them!

Now I only know some car drivers like that, not all of them. Just like not all of us non car drivers are helpless.

As for being put off a potential partner if they didn't drive as it's a life skill, well actually not learning to drive and living without a car is a good life skill to have too. Relying on shanks's pony makes you pretty independent!

When some tory bastard said if you were still getting the bus age 35 you were a failure, I'd argue that actually you were pretty savvy, not spending thousands of pounds a year on a heap of metal, petrol, tax, MOT, parking permits and parking meters. Not to mention the benefit for the environment.

So put that in your Venn diagram and smoke it!

“When was that then? I don't remember it. When/where did it happen? Certainly never happened where I live.

So where was it?”

It was entirely made up.

I've just Googled the fuel shortages of 2000, out of interest. Fuel deliveries were restricted to essential services and apparently some supermarkets had to ration food because food deliveries weren't getting through - perhaps that's what the poster who mentioned it was thinking of.

I am exactly the same as you OP. I don't drive and have never felt the urge to at all. Spent most of my adult life in a big city with great public transport so had no need and now we have moved to a town I still don't feel the need! When DC were little I was a master at fitting a whole weekly shop under the buggy!

I walk everywhere I can whatever the weather (there's no bad weather, only bad clothing ).

Caused a little bit of friction as a teen/young adult going on nights out when friends would want to drive (to save money) and obviously I never drove, I got round it by paying for a taxi for us all every fourth night out (there were four of us).

We have a family car and DH can drive but he commutes on the train to work so we very rarely use the car anyway!

I average about 12,000 steps a day on my Fitbit which is a bonus! If anything happened to DH (or we spilt etc) then I would inevitably have to learn.

When some tory bastard said if you were still getting the bus age 35 you were a failure

Often attributed (possibly erroneously) to Thatcher - but it was worse than your quote - the age mentioned was 25, not 35!

@RomanyQueen

I'm not linking as it ain't me that disbelieves, do your own research.

Yep, I expected that banal answer. The response of someone who knows they are beaten. Also, there is no point in me trying to research something that never happened!

I knew you wouldn't post any links to your claims, because there aren't any. Because it never happened. Not in YOUR lifetime OR mine.

And 'google it yourself' is a typical answer from someone who is talking crap and making stuff up to try and back up their (feeble) argument, because they can't find the proof, because there isn't any, because they made it up!!!

As you were. Crack on with your catty remarks like

It was funny watching the drivers squirming when petrol was rationed years ago and given to essential users only.

Let's hope there is a petrol strike if YOU ever need a lift or a taxi urgently, and you can't get one. Karma and all that!

@SwimmerGirl40

I remember the fuel shortages around 2000/1. Had to queue for ages and could only put £20 in. I don’t recall anyone restricting fuel to essential users though?

Yep, that's more like it swimmergirl, that is what happened. And you probably don't recall the fuel being restricted to 'essential users' because it never happened.

My Abusive arse of an ex is a non-driver.

He's one of those people who expect the world to give him it on a plate. I doubt he'll ever learn to drive. He's just a leach and with the attitude he's badly done to.

That's why some non-drivers get labelled.

I have only recently passed my test, but like you, got from A-B on my own. Health was the reason I didn't pass sooner. Surgeries inbetween learning. But I didn't give up and finally I'm on the road. Can honestly say it's the best thing I've ever done.
My mum was a late learner too and she loves driving, literally gives out lifts like candy bless her. She's lost now she can't pick me up 🤣

I'm always told I should learn to drive (43 now) however I'm very conscious that I'm very easily distracted... if i see a cow in a field I'm like "ooh look a cow!" .
I think I'm doing other drivers a favour tbf

I have been driving since I was 17, drive every day - and think a lot of these comments slating non-drivers are bonkers. I personally wouldn't want to not be able to drive (I haven't always had a car, but I think having a licence gives you some extra options, eg hiring a car, even if you don't use it much) but I don't see why everyone else should feel like that too! It's completely legitimate for an adult to not want to drive, or to prioritise other things above learning.

The one thing I find a bit irritating in some of the anti-driving/justifying not driving comments - which generally I think make a lot of sense - is the claim that it's always more environmentally friendly. If you're a car free family then clearly yes, it is, but OP for example doesn't live in a car free family, she just doesn't do the driving. It's a bit unfair to wash her hand of all the pollution caused by her DH when she's still benefiting from it! If you're regularly a passenger in a car then that's no more environmentally friendly than regularly driving one.

I judge people on how they treat others not on whether they drive or what their personal situations are 😐

If you're regularly a passenger in a car then that's no more environmentally friendly than regularly driving one.

Arguably it still is, because as the non-driver you are more likely to put yourself to some inconvenience to 'car share' rather than making two separate journeys as you would if you both drove.

E.g. you arrive somewhere an hour early and kill time after your partner has dropped you off on their way to work; or you walk 25 minutes to meet your partner to get a lift home; or your partner might drive two miles to pick you up from work for a five mile journey home - 7 miles, rather than you each driving 5 miles home - 10 miles.

My abusive arsehole of an ex was another non driver. He expected me to drive him and / or his son everywhere - including the 30+ mile round trip in rush hour to pick his son up every other Friday and Sunday.

Another friend I have who doesn't drive also expected a lift everywhere and then threw a bitch fit at me one week when I said I couldn't give her a lift as my car was in the garage. I was happy walking that week, huge faff but doable, whereas she (the non car driver) just couldn't cope that I couldn't drive her.

I personally would never get in a relationship with someone who chose not to drive. DP struggles to drive at times because of his disability but for me personally, that doesn't bother me as it's not through choice if that makes sense.

I would automatically assume, if I met a person who couldn't drive, that they were either lazy or stupid (sorry!)

Seriously that is harsh. You would not consider that perhaps they could not afford to learn to drive, buy a car and pay for insurance? You would not consider that they might have health or other issues that have prevented them from getting to drive? You would not consider that they live somewhere that means that they do not need to drive?

People do not all lead the same lives, just because they have different priorities it does not make them lazy or stupid.

My closest friend doesn’t drive. He has no need to, lives in a city served by good public transport. What a waste of time/money to purposefully learn something you’d have no use for!

Good job it's a well known fact that people's circumstances never change, and life never deals out any surprises.

Good job it's a well known fact that people's circumstances never change, and life never deals out any surprises

It’s almost like people have the foresight to consider other eventualities isn’t it?