@Soboredofcorona
People who say they’ve ‘never needed to drive’..........
Have you never wanted to visit a remote beach? Go on holiday to a rural area? Suddenly go somewhere on a whim?
Yes, you can get to most major UK beaches, for example, on public transport, packed out with millions of dull people, all with the same idea, competing for space and having to listen to their music, smell their cigarette smoke and look at their litter, but you can’t get to a lot of the most beautiful beaches in a place like Dorset, for example, on the bus!
I lived in London and learned to drive, as I knew it would limit my life choices otherwise. I had a period without a car and went to visit a farm that had a lambing event. It would have been a 25 minute car drive. It took over 2 hours waiting at bus stops in the bitter cold! What a waste of time! Not to mention getting back again.
I moved to a rural location and my abusive ex had gone off with the car. I called a taxi company, only to be told they only operated outside of office hours, as there wasn’t enough demand for a full time taxi service........ there were 2 buses a day, but they didn’t stop in my village. I ended up putting a message on my local Facebook group and a kind stranger gave me a lift into town!
I’ve enjoyed road trip holidays where I took off whenever I fancied and detoured to visit interesting places. You can’t stay in a remote Cornish cottage for example and explore the area if you are relying on taxis and buses all the time.
If you don’t drive, other than for medical reasons, I think it shows a very limited interest in life outside your immediate surrounds.
That’s fine if that’s how you choose to live, but lots of people are surprised you don’t choose to be independent, to explore, to be spontaneous and to live your life in as full a way as possible.
100% this.
IMO, not being able to drive is very life limiting. People can deny it til they're blue in the face, but it WILL affect career prospects, and there's so much you can't do. As you say, you can be spontaneous and independent, and live a much more free and impulsive and exciting life.
When I was a young teen (early 1980s,) many women couldn't drive, just maybe 1 in 5. (And most women born before the 1940s couldn't drive.)
From a very early age I wanted to drive, I wanted the freedom and the independence, and to not be reliant on other people to always run me around. And how annoying to have to wait until your 'lift' is ready to leave. Very restrictive. Also, some people say they never get driven by anyone, but frankly, I don't believe that. I don't believe they have NEVER had a lift from someone, ever.
Also, they deny they affect other peoples lives, but as a few others have said, when people have to arrange social events around you, because you can't drive, (ie, have to make sure the place is near a bus route that goes past your house!) it becomes tedious.
As I said, I never wanted to be a non-driver, and I worked hard, and paid for many lessons (about 40 in all,) and took four attempts (over one and a half years,) to past my test. I was a bit anxious and nervous, but eventually I gained confidence, and passed my test. Before long, I was a very confident driver.
It was hard work and expensive, but I paid for it all myself, and sacrificed a lot, to make way for the money to pay for it.
I don't expect a medal; I'm just illustrating how, if someone WANTS to learn to drive, they will find the money. I am willing to bet that the people who go on about the cost of driving lessons, spend money on expensive smartphone contracts, smoking, drinking, gym memberships, clothes, big TVs, expensive tech (well probably at least SOME of the above!) So the 'I can't afford it' excuse doesn't wash with me.
You don't have to get a car, but if there is no health reason, learning to drive is a really important life skill that everybody should have IMO.. To not be arsed (when you will at some point definitely expect lifts and favours from people who CAN drive,) is just selfish and inconsiderate.
In addition, as some posters have said, you are also limiting the life experiences of your children too (if/when you have them.)
My DD would never have had HALF the experiences she had as a child if I couldn't drive. Various clubs, hobby groups, theatre groups etc, and lots of day trips with me, to places the buses never went. And trips to concerts in big cities that we could not have got back from by train as they finished too late, and various cities that took an hour to get to by car, but would have taken 3 hours by public transport.
Also, as some other posters have mentioned, when children came to our house, (whose parents couldn't drive,) the parents ALWAYS expected us to pick their child up AND drop them off. And like fools we did it. I would not do it now!
In addition, the train fares for 2 adults to the town my cousin lives, is nearly £180 return for me and DH. It costs £40 in petrol. It takes 5.5 hours by train. 3.5 hours by car. Madness.
As the poster I quoted said, I have also known many a time when a 20-25 minute car drive is 2 hours by public transport.
I know 2 women who live 10 miles from their workplace (same workplace, but one lives north of it, and the other south...) They work 9am til 4.30pm.
The first one who drives, leaves for work at 8.40am, and the one who gets public transport (2 buses,) has to leave at 7.15am. The first one gets home for 4.50pm to 5pm, and the second one gets home between 6.15pm and 6.30pm. Batshit. An 11 and a half hour day for the non-driver, and a 8 and a half hour day for the one who drives.
As I said, why someone wouldn't at least TRY to learn to drive just baffles me. I also wonder how the people whose partners drive them about everywhere will cope if/when their relationship breaks down!
As for the 'why do you judge people who don't drive' comments from several posters here. Why shouldn't I? It's a free country.