If you choose not to drive you are a pain in the arse

[Ophir]

Always lifts, always expecting basically chauffeured

I had to give up driving for medical reasons and I absolutely hate it. It's had a devastating impact on my life, and posts like this make me feel even more shit about it, especially because my illness is invisible and difficult to explain.

I have every sympathy for this, my post literally says people who choose not to drive though.

I am dreading the day that I’m no longer able to drive through age or medically, you never know what’s for you so I don’t take it for granted, nor do I judge people in your situation

Most places in the UK aren't like that.

I can drive, have been able to for many years but I can't afford to run a car at the moment Vs my transport needs, live somewhere with v good transport and I don't really need a car much, it's annoying for the rare times you do and I actually miss driving, I get lifts if genuinely offered etc but wouldn't ask/expect

I'd say the same, certainly my first boyfriend was an entitled sod in virtually every way, not just expecting me to ferry him around because he couldn't be bothered to learn to drive. It's 40+ years ago, and he was one of "those" who pretended he'd fallen out with his parents and got himself a council flat (that he didn't actually need), just because he could and knew how to play the game. Then miraculously, when he got a job, and found he'd have to pay rent for the council flat, he miraculously made up with his parents and returned living at home for free. Funny that! He was entitled in lots of other ways too, we'd typically have 3 drinks on a night out and he'd let me buy the first, so he bought the second and left me to buy the third - every single night out - so I ended up paying twice as many as he did. And let's not get on to him being selfish when it came to intimacy. Needless to say, he soon found himself ditched.

Most big cities are. We don't all live rurally.

Most people in the UK don't live in big cities.

I've chosen not to drive. That doesn't mean that I ask people for lifts. The only person in my family who drives is my brother and he'll give me a lift a few times a year - and he'll always offer. I don't ask. My brother didn't pass his driving test till he was 37. At that point in time he lived a ten minute walk away from work. So there's no one I would have been asking for lifts anyway. My mum doesn't drive either

In fact one time he offered to run me home from a gig - around 20 miles and I said no don't do it and he insisted (weather was terrible). When I graduated last year I made my own way in on the bus to the venue as he was working in the morning, didn't take a day off and went home for a short sleep. I certainly don't expect him to ferry me around

He's giving me a lift home from football next week because it's an 8pm kick off. I wasn't going to to - I sometimes offer my season out to his pal - but he said I'll drive you home.

I appreciate it. He offers both my mum and myself lifts if we get them - I don't ask him

My big regret is not going down the automatic route. It was frowned on back then, looked on as not proper driving, and only the bigger cars seemed to be automatic. I had terrible trouble with gears, just couldn’t get the hang of when to use them. Different and better attitude to automatics today.

Yeah, soon all cars will be automatic, won’t they?

Location is key. Country living - pain in the arse not to drive. City living - makes no difference.

I’ve never understood the need for airport drop off and pickups like you’re a baby. Get the train or a taxi or don’t go

They’re definitely more common now than when I had my first driving lesson back in 1981. People could be quite scathing about automatics then so I went with a manual before permanently losing my confidence. Too late now, I really don’t need a car and can’t afford one anyway.

Ok, you want to make a point.

If you wanted to meet them, you'd plan something mutually convenient.

I build up my dump stuff in the garage (no car taking up space 😂) then get someone every couple of years to take it away.

Not everyone can drive even if they wanted to, e.g. some medical conditions don't allow you to drive. I think most non-drivers take responsibility for their own transport, without inconveniencing others. However, I do know someone like op is talking about and she's a pain, always expecting to be picked up from home. She calls a mutual friend her chauffeur! If she asks me for a lift, these days I suggest a taxi.

If you choose not to drive but independently get yourself to where you want to or need to go - no, not a pain at all. If however you expect others to inconvenience themselves to drive you around, you are a totally selfish pain.

That seems spectacularly entitled to expect lifts to airports.

Well she’s got CF written through her like a stick of rock. I bet she’s insufferable in other areas too.

Funnily enough, she's a cf in other ways as well!

I agree. Theoretically we could get trains to Manchester airport.

However, the reality is that they are too unreliable with too many cancellations. So, if we fly from Manchester we book a taxi both ways. It's a three figure sum, but by the time you factor in the cost of parking and the fuel and depreciation it doesn't make a lot of difference.

I wouldn't dream of asking someone to take us. It's a horrible drive, and even more so at the moment with the roadworks at Mottram.

Getting rid of your car to use Uber instead is not making any difference to the environment!?!

I live in a town not a city. Parts of it are well connected by public transport and others aren't so much

It figures. Feeling entitled to having a chauffeur at your disposal is just one manifestation of a CF. All CF’s are entitled but not all non-drivers are CFs.

Not true, really. (a) the vehicles used by uber drivers will use fuel much more efficiently. The first 5 miles done by a cold engine are the least efficient - many private car drivers very rarely get to peak efficiency. (b) you would definitely (unless you have infinite money) think much more carefully about whether a journey is really necessary if you have to pay uber rates and wait for it to turn up, compared to just getting in the car that's sitting on the drive.