Does anyone else not really enjoy driving?

[ThatLovingNavyLion]

I do it out of necessity, because despite living in a major city the same journey would take me 1h10 on public transport vs 30 minutes in a car (i still do it some days) on the 2 days a week I use public transport, I feel a sense of relief and that I can have a break.
When driving I leave an hour earlier than I need to so I can avoid rush hour. Tomorrow I have to drive an hour at 5pm in Friday rush hour and I'm dreading it, but the public transport option would take nearly 2 hours and I can't be late.
I drive automatic which helps, but I just don't get the 'amazing, wow, love this' that people seem to. I think driving on a quiet stretch of country road is different to stop start traffic in rush hour.

I am sick of being tailgated even though I try to ignore them and stick to the speed limit. Everyone has a dashcam now, which is good for protection but I feel anxious that I'll unknowingly make a mistake and someone will report me (even though I don't speed or do anything dangerous)

I find ring roads and multi lane situations incredibly stressful and confusing. I passed with 2 minors but my test was on a Sunday first thing in the morning in a village.
People say just keep going, keep doing it and it'll get easier, but I just feel dread every time I get in the car and I haven't driven on snow or ice yet. Anyone else?

I absolutely love driving, have done so since I was a teenager. I am a good driver and now drive a big automatic that I love but still drive the smaller manual cars in the family too. I too have friends that don't drive on motorways... Madness as far as I'm concerned but each to their own. It's my key to freedom and had enabled me to be the author of my own destiny. The idea of relying on someone else to drive.me.anywhere scares the hell.out of me.and I live in a place where there is no public transport.

You could be writing about me! I hate driving despite everyone saying that I would love it once I got used to it. I’ve switched to an automatic too but find it makes no difference.
i often use public transport over my car and also feel a sense of relief if i can get out of having to drive anywhere!

Also I would never go in a driverless car... Not ever...

I've always loved driving & regularly drove 100 miles to visit family. Drove to work daily during Covid (only 8 miles) and loved how quiet the roads were then. Since Covid I have noticed a marked decrease in driving standards and massive increase in aggressive driving and tailgating. I live in Wales and the blanket 20mph limit has only made things worse. I now sometimes wish I didn't have to drive but public transport is so poor in my rural area I have no choice. I'm dreading a 5 hour drive in Sept already but it's to see friends for the first time in 10 years so I will cope!

I have a very nice car to try and overcome the tedium. How can changing gear be considered interesting?

I love driving! Confidence is all: if you dither about you’ll get cut up and tailgated, sadly.

also sadly , how you’re treated on the road depends on what car you’re driving: I regularly drive three different cars and am obviously regarded differently in each despite driving the same

I know what you mean. I like pootling around town or to a nearby town. I haven’t yet done a dual carriageway (not long got back to driving after 20 yrs off as lived in a big city) and was saying to my husband I’m nervous about joining them in case no one lets me in. Anyway next day we joined one and case in point - no one moved into the fast lane go let him in! He had to basically force his way in before he ran out of joining slip road. I’ve have hated that! He always moves over to allow people to join or slows down to let them in or whatever.

I don’t enjoy driving at all. I’m fine doing it around our local area as it’s mostly mid-size country roads or dual carriageways which are easy. I just like knowing what I’m doing, and so many lanes and roundabouts don’t follow the usual “rules” that I get stressed.

But I absolutely won’t drive in cities. And if I’m going anywhere new, I have to google map it in advance so I know what I’m doing. And I hate anything that involves a slip road.

I passed my test very recently in my 40’s. It took me years to pluck up the courage. I’ve never enjoyed being in a car but everyone said I would feel differently if I could drive.
I was so happy to pass but oh my goodness, I hate driving so much. It’s so stressful. It feels like nobody drives as you learn to, it’s so unpredictable.
I’ve been so disappointed with how I feel about it, rather than feeling like I have more freedom I feel like it’s a massive millstone around my neck because everyone expects me to drive and love it.
I used to just jump on a train, bus or get a taxi and not give it a second thought. Now I have to plan my route and spend every minute of it on high alert feeling like I’m someone’s careless mistake away from death then wherever I am it’s always in the back of my mind that I have to drive home again.

I don’t enjoy driving and never really have.

My main problem, apart from being uncomfortable after about half an hour, is the amount of absolute twats I share the roads with. People hogging the middle/fast lane on the motorway, using their phone and driving, not indicating, not clearing the snow from their car in the winter, not using lights when they need to, assuming they have the right of way, generally not paying attention… it all annoys me. It’s a crying shame we don’t have mandatory retests every few years.

I have driven different vehicles including mostly cars. Don't like driving on my own. It's lonely, boring and I'm a people person. I wish this cat liked coming in the car, when we had a budgie he liked it. The dog and one cat we had trouble getting them out as they were first in when door was opened. People are also good as long as they chat and don't fall asleep.

I will drive anywhere, including Europe, USA, NZ etc, but don't tow a caravan anymore (had an incident but not crash and no damage).

I don't hate it but there are so many bad drivers on the roads nowadays that it really drives me to despair. I am guessing it is mostly down to phone use whilst driving, and to a lesser extent, elderly drivers who really should not be behind the wheel anymore.

I’m a decent driver, and a confident one but I just find it massively boring, and would much rather ride my bike or get the train. However, my local rail operator is Northern, who are useless.

This is exactly me! It’s like now I know how to drive I realise how many truly terrible and aggressive drivers there are on the road. absolutely hate it and I so wanted to
love it

I passed late and largely did it due to social pressure sadly. Everyone acts like it's some sort of magic carpet 'just jump in the car and you're there' and it's really not. You still have to plan and pay for parking and so on, and hearing 'as long as you drive safely' doesn't matter because you can't guarantee that other drivers will do the same.

I absolutely hate it but I have no choice with where we live and what I do for a living. When we go away or out anywhere, DH does it all.

I don’t hate driving, but it’s not my idea of fun.

I’m lucky that I live and have always worked in London, so driving to work has never been an option (silly commute times, no parking etc). Much prefer the tube!

I will always choose a train journey over the car for long journeys outside of London if I can, too, More relaxing to have a nap or read than drive on the motorway!

My car is for ‘needs must’ journeys only - ferrying teenagers and elderly parents, doing shopping etc.

I am the same, but now I can’t drive due to medical issues I miss not having a car for those awkward journeys that would be 10 mins in a car but involve a bus and a mile walk without! in these cases I get an Uber (am in London). I barely ever drove on a motorway although I found A roads ok.
I always looked at driving as a necessary evil! I really needed it when DC were small. Now they’re adults they rarely need to be driven and and neither can drive (DS took test twice pre-uni and failed so needs lessons again).
DH drives and likes driving thankfully 🙏 even wgen I drove he always did the weekend driving unless he particularly wanted to drink of an evening and I’d drive home.

It’s traffic that annoys me & having to constantly be aware because people don’t bother indicating, looking before they pull etc. It’s not relaxing

I had the most grumpy/rude uber driver this week.
i got in the car all cheerful ‘Hi, how are you?’ - nothing. Thankfully the ride was only 10 mins - got out the other end ‘Thanks, bye’ - nothing.
i don’t believe he had no English, even to say hi and bye. I could do that in multiple languages ffs (and only have a smattering of French!).
I’m not keen on Ubers and only get them if there’s no other option and/or it’s late at night.

I don’t like it but have to do it for work. I actually hate narrow country lanes and parking

I don't like it, I have never really liked it, DH fortunately enjoys it so always drives when we go out, he even seems to enjoy towing the caravan which would be my worst nightmare. I have a lack of spatial awareness so find manoeuvring and parking difficult, even in my small car.

I've been driving for nearly 34 years and even so I still fantasise about how nice it would be to be really rich, just so I could have a driver for long journeys and unfamiliar routes.

I actually like driving around locally, jumping in my little car and zipping around with my tunes blaring. But I dread driving anywhere unfamiliar, I worry about it in advance despite researching and planning the route carefully, and can't shake off the "that was awful" feeling for some time after.

I had to collect my son from uni in Birmingham a few weeks ago. Husband usually does it but couldn't so i had to (and driving Husbands bigger car). Motorway and then driving through a big busy unfamiliar city. I swear it took 24 hours to feel "normal" again afterwards. It sounds totally ridiculous and people who love driving can't understand it. I have real difficulty with directions and understanding road layouts. Even with the sat nav I struggle to translate what it's saying into what I'm seeing in front of me. Add in heavy traffic and aggressive/unpredictable drivers and it's even worse.

Motorway driving (unless in short bursts) freaks me out too. Its so boring and so stressful at the same time. I'm acutely aware of how fast it is and if someone makes a single mistake it could be curtains for a whole load of us.

I have ADHD and at my last review with my consultant he was asking about if I struggled with maths and I said yes. He said dyscalcula is a common comorbidity and people who have it often also struggle with directions and spatial awareness and i thought yes yes yes, that's me!

I can control the car perfectly well though and overall I'm really happy that I can drive. It's very freeing.

I don't enjoy driving and it's not a regular necessity where I live. I'm 5 mins walk from a central (zone 2) tube station and it's rarely quicker or easier to drive and park. Bus journeys are slow though and I never use the bus if the tube is an option, but I like being able to get things done on my phone/read on a long bus journey.

I generally just drive for journeys where I'm transporting/buying big items, or trips out of London or the outer zones, just once a month or so.

I adore driving, I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever not driven anywhere and enjoyed with the exception of maybe driving through the centre of London, Paris or Rome.

Everyone is different though!