To think for women born in the '50s, driving is a class thing?

[DaggersDrawn]

Of my friends who's mums are 40s/50s born - I've noticed that every one who's mums don't drive are working class. Those whose mums drive are uni educated/ middle class - bar a few exceptions.

AIBU to be surprised at this in the Year of Our Lord 2023?

My DM drove, my grandmother's drove/drive, and at least two of my great-grandmothers drove. One was in service, became the nanny and was given the job of chauffeur when the kids grew up. Im talking Interwar years there.

A mixture of WC and slightly bohemian MC. DH's family is similar. His grandmothers leant to drive when they were land girls or Wrens.

The only woman in my family who doesn't drive is one of my aunts, because although she learnt, her husband wouldn't let her drive "his" car.

My Mum drove and the majority (but not all) of my friends' Mums could drive. 30s/40s born. All working class. Mainly one car families and generally if both parents were in the car, the Dad drove. I suspect some women just got out of the habit of driving.
Those who couldn't drive were SAHMs so guess there wasn't the money for lessons/the need to drive.

"for women born in the '50s"

Some of us are still in the workplace and haven't reached state pension age yet. We are not creatures from when dinosaurs roamed the Earth; we even drive to work and out to sites.

I think this is very much anecdata OP! My mam was born in the 50s, extremely working class, she drives and has always driven. Her older sister born ‘46 drove. Her aunt born ‘26 drove.

I'm still working

Look at stats. The proportion of women driving has increased every decade.

Driving is and always was, expensive and money is a significant barrier, that's more likely to be the reason poorer women don't drive. What else could it possibly be? Working class women are too stupid or helpless learn?
I think there's a very strong argument for teaching children to drive in school. Driving is a skill needed for so many jobs (not just talking about driving jobs) and being unable to afford to learn disadvantages poorer children and prevents them acquiring an extremely valuable life skill.

Oh, but why look at stats when anecdotes are so much more compelling? 😂

Agreed, @Kendodd, it would have a place on the school curriculum.

I was born in the fifties into a working class family. My parents never owned a car because they could not afford one. I learned to drive after I became a teacher because I could pay for lessons and a (cheap) car.

Don’t think so. My grandma, born in 1930s drove. She was WC. Many of her friends also drove. My MIL, born in the 1940s doesn’t drive due to anxiety not class.

My mum was born in the 30s, she was a dinner lady and dad a decorator. I didn’t go to university.

my mum drove, she didn’t learn until she was 40 admittedly, but learn she did.

Agree, like Driving Ed in American schools (as far as my knowledge based on TV sitcoms informs me...). Having driving lessons as part of the curriculum, even if only as an optional course, would make a huge difference in opportunities for poorer people.

I don't know anyone who can't drive, male or female. I'm in my 40s.

Most younger people I know can’t drive. My DDs in their 20s can’t, and neither can the vast majority of their friends. Others who can’t are men in their 50s/60s from working class backgrounds (even if they went to university) who have always lived in cities.

My MIL learned and had to drive ambulances during WW2. Refused to stop crashing driving her Mondeo until she died in 2005, at 85. Def working class but delusions of grandeur

My mum (wc,born 1943) drove until her bottle went (her words)a few years ago. Her mum didn't drive.

My mum was born in 1943 and has had a license since she was 19 and drives all the time.

Came from a very working class background.

My mum learned to drive when she was in her 30's- She is 83 now. Definitely working class. Most of her friends drive.
In the 1970's my mum and her friends all had caravans. We all used to go away in the 6 weeks holiday as a big gang. All the women were more than capable of towing and setting up the caravan. All of them were also from working class backgrounds.
There are very few women from the 40s and 50s that I know that haven't driven. Some have given up driving in recent years though.

Don't know if it's working class, but definitely a generation thing. Apparently my grandad refused to speak to my mum for ages because she learnt to drive and passed her test, apparently 'women' shouldn't drive m. She was born in 1949

My dear MIL was as working class as they come. Born in the 1930s but learned to drive in the 1950s. I learned to drive when I was 35, my ex couldn't drive so I drove him everywhere. My DH used to drive us both all the time - seems to think it is his job - but he was born in the 50s. He couldn't drive for a while a couple of years ago and I found it really nerve-wracking getting back behind the wheel so he now 'allows' me to do it sometimes 😁

Neither of my Granny’s drove (both born mid 1930’s) and working class. But one lived in London and didn’t really see a need, the other a little village & had everything within walking distance so never learnt - neither did my Grandad! Both Grans worked as well.

All my Mums sisters learnt to drive as did my dads, all WC but none of them strictly SAHP all worked in some ways - shift work/evening work etc so needed transport.

My Aunt, born in the 40s only learned to drive when she was 50 as she suddenly had extra caring responsibilities. Her husband died unexpectedly then 5 years later… she would have been utterly lost without her car. That’s why I encourage every woman to keep up the skill evrn if the husband‘prefers driving’ and all the excuses you see on MN!

My mum is wc and born in 30s, she has driven since her 20s. In fact all the women of that generation, in my family, drove. Even my nana (born 1910s). All wc.

My other Nan, and my grandad from that side never learned to drive. So they went everywhere in the bus or train.

I think ‘50s is a bit late for this as a sweeping generalisation - I was born in the late 50s, my sisters a bit earlier, and we did all learn to drive. But I think it probably also depends a bit on where you live - we were pretty rural/small town and not being able to drive would make life pretty impossible.

I was born in 1956 and learnt to drive at 17, as did all of my friends. In my group of friends who age from around 60 to 90 there is not one who does not drive.

Not sure about working class - we have all worked for our living, just did different things - we have business owners, admin staff, solicitors, nurses, teachers, accountants, plumbers, joiners and civil servants in the group.

Some of my friends have not reached retirement age and they, shock horror, actually drive to work.

I was born in 1950, talking about it to my DHKs,grew up in a village. The only people who had cars,were the midwife and Dr, same with phones. Late DF born 1935, push bike,then motor bike,first car when I was 10. Late DM, aunt, MIL,neighbour,all passed test, never drove again. All working class. DM had an inheritance when I was 30, paid for me to have lessons. Seems to me to have gone the same way now. Youngest DS, youngest DD boyfriend, oldest DGS, have never driven. They are 30s. Oldest DD has a lot of friends male/female who have never learnt to drive. DH first wife,55,, has never learnt,I have a friend also 55, who has never learnt.