to think being able to drive is KEY skill for a woman ( particularly)

[FolornHope]

or not

My sister has never learned to drive and, living in central London, has never felt the need for it particularly because her DH could drive and that took care of holidays, travelling abroad etc.

Her DH has terminal cancer (brain tumour) and is no longer able to drive and DSis told me recently how much she wished she had learned to drive and how anxious she is about the future anyway, and this is just one more worry that she doesn't need.

I know she can manage on public transport blah blah blah but she has to take two buses to the hospice where BIL is,just making an emotionally exhausting journey that bit more tiring, and she will never be able to take my nephew back to the place in France where he has spent all his childhood holidays - and has good memories of his dad - unless she hires a car and driver... She would absolutely agree with the OP - even if you don't think you will ever need to drive, at least get a licence.

I've lost count of the number of times I've gone to catch a bus or train and found some standing dithering at the timetables as they can't understand it (usually youngsters).

So many kids these days get driven everywhere think they're sooooooo cool, until they're forced to use public transport (for whatever reason) and I seem them standing there like twats not being able to work out what time/what number bus they need.

MP - but many old people that need ferrying around wouldn't be "safe" to drive anyhow!

reading a timetable would take ..hmmm 2 inutes to learn how todo

Like otehrs say, dependswhere you live

I livein semiruralWales and amprobabkly going to lose my licence shortly, it will be devastating andmake even the most minor of things complicated- and if ds3 needs collecting from his SNuI will be looking at a 32 bus trip of an hour or a major taxi bill.

Eeeek

not 32,an hour- no idea how I got that wrong!

you can't write off the elderly as being "unsafe to drive"

I have two close friends who have recently retired to Spain. They could afford a rural location with an olive grove. But she can't drive! There is no public transport. She does some volunteer work - but her husband has to drive her to her place of work and pick her up again afterwards! And what happens if her husband is ill? She NEEDS to be able to drive. Not being able to drive is going to lead to a major disaster as far as I can see. And if he DIES, she will have to move back to the UK!!! It's MAD.

driving is definitely a key life skill, so is typing and swimming - typing and driving widen employment opportunities, driving particularly in rural areas

but from personal safety pov think it is v important for (especially young) women not to rely on men to ferry them about, was so depressed the other day when my 10yo chortled at a couple driving past us - woman driving, man passenger - she was amazed that the woman should be driving the man around

why would she think that? where do they get these ideas from?

virgin
if its for speeeding let me knwo and i can give yousome advice

I didnt drive before I moved in with dh... I got by just fine and I was 26 then. To be honest i would have got by for another good few years. At that stage I used the car more for pleasure.. to go see friends nip out for chocolate etc.

Now I have a child there are soo many things I need the car for ..like the nursery run to and from work

I would assume this could appy to men and women so I dont see why it a key skill for women particularly

rememerb red rug woman who lived in the middle of nowhere ( with a red rug) and couldnt drive and her life was TOTALLY controlled by her h

I completely agree with Riven that if you don't have a car, you don't end up being a taxi driver for teenagers.

And I must admit that one of my secret reasons for not having a car of my own is that I didn't want to end up chauffeuring the DSSs...

Thanks but I thinkmy typing should explain why

Speeding would be V V V dodgy for me as my eyes have been borderline for a decade no9w, so each test I am told oculd be the last one- yet anoter one due in January. Glasses to a strength now where I can only wear them short times(for driving) so next step will be it I think.

I work with women who rely on their husbands driving them to and from work which is crap imo.

oh ok
i am so sorry for you

morningpaper - why on earth did they choose a place to live where driving was vital? I've seen couples do that, and of course the partner who can't drive ends up being virtually trapped. These are people who could afford to choose where to live, so why choose somewhere so inconvenient?

I don't drive for other reasons, so I chose to live somewhere where I have access to public transport.

I cannot even begin to contemplate needing to be driven around by a man. I have always been transport-independent.

it restricts your career choices. it restricts your ability to get ot really fantastic remote places (esp. in scotland). on the plus side you are less likely to be attracted ot out of town shopping centres which can only be a good thing.