Non drivers - anyone else struggling ?

[trapped20]

I’ve never learnt to drive as simply never had the money to afford lessons, let alone a car . I live in a village in Scotland, about 10 miles from a supermarket . Normally fine as can use buses for everything, or there were plenty of delivery slots !

We have a very small local shop about 1 mile away which will take an order about once a week for basic food, and a small pharmacy - doesn’t stock much stuff except medication, but nothing else .

Normally we have twice hourly buses from 5am ish until 11pm - now there’s 6 a day and only a very limited number can use them. No railway up here .

I’m a student so would be trying to get a summer job, but with so limited transport I can’t - I couldn’t get to town before 10.30am and couldn’t get home after 6pm . Even less chance at weekends .

Starting to struggle a lot seeing everyone else able to go to the supermarket, garden centre, B&Q, pharmacy, bloody McDonald’s, or off to a park for a walk or something - we are completely stuck .

Even the GP surgery is 5 miles away - taxi said they would do runs for emergencies only to GP, and hospital is providing their own transport apparently if you need to get there for something and don’t drive .

What’s worse is everyone who was doing deliveries, is now stopping slowly and asking you to do click and collect - which is obviously not possible . So we are stuck with what’s online - which for eg toiletries, is getting harder and harder to get .

Bus company are still saying they don’t want anyone travelling - ‘you should only be leaving your house for exceptional reasons such as essential groceries or if a keyworker’ but even if you did that could be stuck for hours either waiting on a bus, or waiting for one that has space for folk to go on ..

What happens in the months to come ? They’ve said this social distancing will be with us a long time yet - so I guess for the foreseeable future we need to accept we’ll be stuck in this village?

I think we’re the forgotten segment to be honest, most will be slowly returning to normal - if they run a vehicle.

I’m in a tourist village, and if tourism begins in July then they really ought to have something sorted, transport-wise by then, as local workers, shoppers and tourists will be cramming for the trains and buses.

I don’t even see how they can reinstate tourism is the 2 metre thing still applies. Whilst self catering may be Fine in theory, imagine the queues for shops these paces.

It simply can’t go on indefinitely like this.

I'm not struggling, but everything I need is more or less in walking distance. The supermarket is a 30 minute walk, it does mean I have to make two trips a week as I can only carry so much.

I'm not struggling too much at present due to not having a car but I think our sense of injustice will creep up as time goes on and more restrictions are relaxed. I feel for you so much as I'm in a much more privileged situation - lots of local shops in walking distance and WFH etc and lots of parks in walking distance that weve been taking toddler DD to. However she is now pretty bored of them and we can't go to visit DH's wider families as we would normally get buses and/or taxis, we can't take DD to other parks or the beach like my friends are doing with their kids, people are talking about reopening of things like the zoo and stuff in future which we originally wanted to do for DDs 2nd birthday, but we won't be able to if we arent able to get the train, etc. It is frustrating but then I realise we are so lucky compared to those of you in rural areas, I'm so sorry for how hard it must be! Good point about the tourism and transport etc I'd not thought of that before! My DH can drive but he doesn't need to for work and our insurance would be horrific due to his age and not long passed etc so there's no point in financially struggling for a car that wouldn't get used more often than two days a week.

Not sure they can do much, but might be worth contacting your local council/MP to see if they have any ideas.

Our bus services have been doubled this week. Again, maybe worth contacting the bus company to see if they anticipate any increase, if so, at least you would know that's in the offing.

I haven't got a car so I'm shopping on my bike, this means more trips as I can only buy 2-3 days worth at a time. Fortunately I'm not far from the shops, about 15 mins. Farm shops, the butcher and others deliver and I get bulk toiletries, household chemicals, cleaning products etc delivered from amazon on subscription anyway.

I bought a bicycle and big panniers. Shop with that.

Just get on a bus. The rule is use public transport if you have to. You do have to.

• Could a neighbour/friend//family member do a shop for you and drop it at your door? Or they collect an order for you?

• Take the bus

• There are more and more delivery slots being made available, although some are in 2-3 weeks time. Sometimes they open the slots throughout the day, at 10pm or midnight. Have you tried ALL supermarkets for a slot? Tesco, asda, Iceland, Sainsburys, morrisons, Ocado, M&S?

Again, maybe worth contacting the bus company to see if they anticipate any increase, if so, at least you would know that's in the offing.

That's probably a good idea as services are supposed to be increasing.

Otherwise -on-line services - amazon sell many household items and some food - some of our family have got prime for that reason. There are pharmacies on-line Chemist direct though my parents have found many companies including local pharmacies will still deliver even after making some noises they'd be stopping.

We're in a city -but grew up in a vaillage with poor transport and one car family and car with working parent - so I can imagine the difficulty.

We've had to stop up late for slots for supermarket - as it's too far to nearest supermarket - but we did manage to get a milkman which helps and local veg box and had morrisons boxes to tide us over.

Haven't had the envy bit yet though - as we're in wales and not supposed to go more than 5 mile yet.

Not struggling. Buses in this part of England are close to normal.

Quite lucky here as not struggling with deliveries etc.
I am starting to struggle seeing / hearing all about how my friends with cars are taking their DC here, there & everywhere.
Single parent who doesn't drive with 3 young children - I'd only just started my lessons back up before all this

It sounds difficult, I would certainly do a regular click and collect for a friend or neighbour in your situation.
I've ordered toiletries from Boots, free delivery when you spend £30 so if you plan ahead and get the toiletries that you need that might help.

Who do you live with?

I’m with my mother at the moment; she can’t drive either due to epilepsy .

I’ve managed a bit with Superdrug to try and get bulk stuff, so eg shampoo I’ve bought 4 bottles instead of 1... same with bodyform, shower gels and stuff . It’s just difficult where you used to get a choice to an extent, and now whenever I go on Boots or Superdrug , a great deal is always out of stock understandably .

I’m managing Tesco with shielding slots (helped by GP to arrange them) and staying up til midnight once a week . I do worry when that stops, we only have three delivering supermarkets (Asda, Morrison’s Tesco) covering about 60 square miles - all in huge demand ... Iceland will deliver but not much fresh food . We haven’t got Ocado, M&as etc etc .

Aye we are under the 5 mile thing too...
Not sure how many folk are actually sticking to that though sadly .

We’ll get there somehow, it’s just so different to what we’re used to . Just miss being able to browse in a supermarket for example !

Will also ring the bus company and see what they’re thinking , presuming they’ll have an open office somewhere !!

Feel for those of you with kids in the same situation , that must be very difficult indeed x

I’m struggling with this as I don’t have any local shops apart from a coop and I can’t get everything I need in there. I shop online when I can but I find it’s costing way more than it would in the shop and the wait is long and delivery can be expensive. I live in London so had good transport and never needed to drive but as a single mum with 4 kids they are only letting 20
People on the bus so I would be taking up a 1/4 of the space of the bus so worried I will get abuse tbh, even if I could get on a bus it will be impossible to get one home as the town centre is always packed. Will be waiting a very very long time.

Starting to struggle a lot seeing everyone else able to go to the supermarket, garden centre, B&Q, pharmacy, bloody McDonald’s, or off to a park for a walk or something - we are completely stuck
Am confused I thought you said you were shielding?

@trapped20

No, GP/SW said Tesco etc were using their own discretion for cetwain cases and said as we have no family nearby, and would have to travel to a supermarket (where my mum would put herself and others at risk if she collapses), said we should ring and check.

Thankfully Tesco in agreement that trying to get to a supermarket would have been totally impractical at first ... I think if I could drive that would have made an enormous difference maybe not so much with Tesco but even if we could just drive to nearest country park for a walk !

OP- After this, would you or others in your situation consider learning to drive? \especially when living more rural than a town centre? Not trying to cause a row, just genuinely interested if thus pandemic would make a different to some people?

Sorry, replied with 1 eye in focus!

No, GP/SW said Tesco etc were using their own discretion for cetwain cases and said as we have no family nearby, and would have to travel to a supermarket (where my mum would put herself and others at risk if she collapses), said we should ring and check.
Ah I see that really good that Tesco’s has the common sense to add you on.
I think the best idea is a bike with panniers if that’s an option.

I am starting to get a bit annoyed with the “don’t use public transport” message. I live in London so normally not having a car is no problem. In fact people are usually encouraged not to drive in London and to get public transport instead. I have local shops so that’s not a problem, but there are other places I would like to get to now that some of the restrictions are being relaxed.

It absolutely sucks; I don't drive for party environmental reasons and it's really unfair seeing things slowly open which you need to drive to. Why can't you walk through a drive through??

@Minesril corporate risks - can you imagine the amount of accidents and subsequent claims? I work in this area and I can't see that ever being allowed, people are too litigious.

I guess that makes sense. Still sucks though, I'd love to take DS for a happy meal. Round here there's been a big increase in littering as well from McDonald's and Costa which just adds to the irony.

I really feel for you OP. I only passed my test last year at the age of 32 and I'm so bloody glad every day that I did. I keep thinking about how isolated I would have felt had I not been able to drive to the supermarket or more recently, to a park. Paying for lessons was the best money I ever spent (now share car with DH.)