Driving and cars

[Peachandwatermelon]

Traffic seems to really be ramping up everywhere now, even in places where it used to be quieter. I'm starting to hate driving around particularly school runs when it's even busier. I have to drive to school and back as dc didn't get a place at catchment school and where they are is too far to walk.

I'm finding it really stressful. So many cars up my rear end all the time, no patience. One bashed into me the other day. Didn't do much damage but really shook me up and just feel my anxiety is through the roof. Could be peri menopause (early 40s) but that's a whole other thread. Wish I could go back in time to quieter, simpler times but I know every time in history had it's own problems, I just don't think I like modern life so much 😕 😔

Yes I do wonder what the future holds for car drivers. There are just so many cars on the road now. Something will definitely have to change!

It won’t change the government are working in the assumption of approx 25% less car miles by 2050. That’s not much really. Cars will still be the way we get around and you can tell this how they are pushing Evs and not really doing that much with greener forms of transport. We just don’t have the infrastructure and there is very little desire in any aged 40 plus to not drive and use public transport.

I'm really sorry you had a bump from another driver and I can certainly see that driving can be really stressful, so I sympathise that you're feeling anxious. I don't drive, but even as a passenger when DP drives I get wound up by terrible driving from people around us.

I'm going to (gently) say that technically YABU, simply because you are part of the excessive traffic you're complaining about. It's not like your car represents an acceptable level of traffic and everyone else's cars represent traffic 'ramping up'. But I really do appreciate that you may not have many/any other options, though. I'm really fortunate with public transport where I live, but it is so appalling in some parts of the country and it must be hard to manage in a lot areas if you don't drive.

The presence of cars really does make any town or city just a bit more shit, I always think. Pretty much everywhere I've ever been would be nicer without cars. But of course I realise people do need them.

Is cycling an option and/or public transport

Can you find somewhere a 5/10 minute walk away from school and park there to avoid the chaos?

I always find it bonkers when traffic complains about traffic

True!

@KreedKafer I totally agree, I am part of the problem and ideally I would like to give up my car if I'm honest and share with my hubby. It would have to involve a big sacrifice to my child and a school move. They are really happy at their school and a move now age 9 is probably not a great idea for them. So it's hard to know what to do for the best.

If there was any sort of decent nationwide public transport system, there would be fewer cars on the road. There is no decent system, so people have to use cars. More and more cars, more and more deliveries, causing more and more congestion, poor parking and aggressive driving.

I don’t know what part of the country there’s good public transport, because, certainly, the trains rarely run and that doesn’t seem as though it will change any time soon. I heard of someone who left home at 5am to get to work and took nearly four hours to get home and that was near London.

No unfortunately 😪

Yes this is an option and think I'm going to start doing it more.

This.

last week ds had a 9am appointment at a hospital half an hour drive away. Out of interest I looked at public transport options and we would have had to leave the house by 5.20am to make it just in time if everything ran on time.

Yes I've noticed that there seem to be so many cars around. Where is everyone going?

And no, I'm not one of them, I am usually walking or cycling if the weather is ok! I've not taken my car out since last week!

The people who live near the school will thank you. If you are 5/10 mins away from the school there will only be you and maybe one or two others and three won't be enough of you to annoy the neighbours there!

It doesn't get away from the wider problem of so much traffic though. I find it so difficult just to cross a road at the moment!

However, a lot more people could walk or cycle, they just choose not to.

I can sympathise - the school run in a car is awful. We live too far away to walk but cycle if the weather permits. In winter I drive and park a 5 min walk away. This is so much safer and beneficial for the kids to get a short walk in before starting school.

I wonder if the situation is worse now because more people work from home post Covid? It seems there are a lot more parked cars on the streets during the day, making it a constant give way headache with obstructive views, and narrow gaps to navigate at busy times such as the school run. Whereas before, these cars would have been parked up all day in a car park somewhere? These people are also much more likely to nip out during the day in the car adding to local traffic.

Another issue is all the big SUVs, they take up a whole lot more room than really is necessary.

Yeah that's a good point. I'm sure it's contributed.

I despise driving now, I used to enjoy it and the freedom it brought, but now just hate it. Its not just traffic as such as I am contributing to it, but there's so much shit, selfish, impatient and reckless driving now, not sure why but it seems so much worse since lockdown. I'd love to be able to sell the car and rely on public transport but its seriously shit here, to get to work would take me 1.5 hours with multiple changes vs a 20 minute drive, its wild. I love cycling but the provision here of cycle paths is woefully low and roads are too dangerous now.

I agree, I hadn't thought of that.

Agree that SUVs take up too much room, too.