To be p*ssed off that people think I'm odd for being 30 and not driving?

[OracleInaCoracle]

I like public transport. ds loves trains and the bus may take longer, but he sees more of our town than he would in a car.

running a car is bloody expensive.

we should all be reducing our carbon footprint, this is one of my contributions.

we walk, a LOT. ds is very fit and healthy and sees/hears/smells things first hand.

i CHOOSE not to drive, it is not a rite of passage or a necessity, so less of the shock please!

Not owning a car is totally different to not being able to drive. I think it is an important life skill (like swimming) and could save someone's life. The other thing that annoys me is non drivers expecting to be ferried around (lifts to work/nights out etc - cos most given the choice prefer to cadge a lift than get the bus!).

I haven't read the whole thread, just the OP and a few after that (6 pages mate, and I have stuff to do), but just wanted to add that I passed my driving test last year at 46. I'd never needed to drive before and just worked my way around it, then I moved my son to a different school, 15 mins drive away. I had no choice then.

BTW, I absolutely love it and feel as though I've missed out all those years I couldn't drive. It's given me a new lease of life and given me loads more freedom to do things with my ds. But it's each to their own, I suppose. I have health problems and was quite restricted before I could drive.

can eeryone afford to be a 2 car family though?
I don't drive but even if I did I'd need my own car as dh needs his for work
we can't afford to run and maintain 2 cars
so I'd be in the same posotion in the week - no car

UQD - You are a bit lost, aren't you

The difference between a dishwasher and a car is that the latter is something you interact with. You 'ride' it, it moves with you, and the experience is pleasurable.

You may have only seen men obsess about their cars, but I assure you the same is also true of motorcycles, boats, and surf boards, to mention a few.

YANBU imo - for all the reasons you mention.

We have become massively over-reliant on cars, and quite unbelievably tolerant of the negative impact car use has on all our lives.

Aside from the carbon emissions, and the pollution which exacerbates asthma and respiratory illness, there are around 3,000 deaths per year in the UK caused by road traffic accidents. On top of this there are around 270,000 injuries per year ranging from whiplash to paralysis and brain damage.

If 10 people die in a train crash there is an outcry and a massive public enquiry, but we seem happy to collectively turn a blind eye to the horrific death toll on the roads.

Anyone who has chosen not to contribute to this situation should be congratulated, not treated with contempt.

I can drive, and own a car, but I do it as little as possible. Not for high-minded ecological reasons (although I use that as an excuse sometimes) but because I'm a really nervous driver - I just don't enjoy it at all. And I live in London so do have the option of public transport.

I don't think it's remotely unreasonable not to drive but (and I'm not saying this is what you or the other non-drivers round here do) it is unreasonable to rely on other people driving and giving you lifts or always visting you rather than you going to them - without appreciating it. I had a friend who did this for years and it drove us mad. he was a lazy sod who was emphatically not independent in his travelling. and he had no appreciation that driving can be be a pita and sometimes you don't want to go out of your way to pick someone (who barely says thanks) up. he thought that driving was no more effort than sitting in an arm chair.

rant over. as I said I'm not saying this is what any one here does...

I didn't drive till I was 30 and felt the same as you.

Now I can drive I do beleive it is one of lifes skills taht most folk should have if they are able.

My sister didn't pass her test until she was 48 and prefers to use public transport or walk even now. In fact, it occurs to me that of four siblings, I'm the only one who drives regularly. Db2 doesn't drive, dsis prefers not to drive and db1 prefers his motorbike. And when I'm in expat mode I have a driver so only drive during school hols.

Giving lifts to others should be regarded as a goo thing, what with the price of fuel etc, although having to make special trips isn't really on. But it has to be said, non-drivers have a pretty good record when it comes to killing others on the roads. Db1's MIL killed herself* in her car.

So, although I drive and am glad I have that skill I dont think it's the be-all-and-end-all for everyone.

I never wanted to learn to drive but finally did so at the age of 26, mainly because I love hill walking and wanted to be able to drive to remote places.

it took me seven attempts to pass and finally I can drive. However, I never use the car - I walk everywhere, even if it takes hours, and get the bus or train if I have things to carry. People think I am weird that I CAN drive and yet don't but I much prefer not to. I hate being enclosed in the car.

Having said that, I do love the choice of being able to drive. It really has transformed my life as I can go off to the countryside whenever I like, go to really out of the way places that would take all day to get to on public transport and really enjoy my independence.