Do you know someone who doesn't drive by choice?

[Ephany]

My grandma. She'd rather walk. Sometimes she walks 10-15 miles daily for the fun of it. I'm not sure how she managed it with 6 small kids, but somehow she did. They live in a medium sized city though, can't imagine it where we live. It's miles to the closest grocery store and very little public transportation.

 

[bigbabyblues]

My grandma never had or wanted a drivers license. She got married at the age of 16, and my grandpa offered to teach her, but she never wanted to. Her mother drove, but she never did.

 

[marmalade]

I know people who shouldn't be driving, does that count?

 

[Goofy'slady]

I don't drive. Oh, I wanted to when I was a teen (around 15ish) but as I got older I just became more and more afraid. Now I don't drive at all and I'm 34. I do however, live in an area that has public transportation to get me to work. I ride what is called the Light Rail, the station is right up the road from my house and it drops me off right in front of the hospital I work for. Even if I did have my license I prolly wouldn't drive to work...to much of a headache and the expense of parking down town is to much. There is a major grocery store right around the corner from my home and across the street from that same Light Rail I catch back and forth from home, so if I need to grab something from the store on my way home then it's not much of a hassle at all. There are also other convinent shops in that shopping center as well.

It's funny though because while I don't drive I am a car owner. When my mum died last year from breast cancer she left and gifted me her car fully paid for and all in hopes that it would motivate me to drive. So far it has not. My fiance drives it and therefore takes me just about every where I need to go. If he is at work or at reserves on the weekends (he's in the Army) than I either catch the light rail where I need to go, or a cab if I'm going some where it doesn't go. Even my hair stylist is accessable via the light rail. The major mall is only 10min and a short cab ride away and that mall has everything including a 24 theater movies, casino, and major restaurants and all.

So for me there are very few times where not driving is a pain in the butt, but trust me there are times.

 

[Jedana]

My MIL.

She never learned to drive. Has everyone else drive her around.

 

[Minnesota!]

Me

My grandma never did, either. Neither does my uncle - but he lives in NYC so that's not so uncommon there!

 

[PrincessBelle39]

I have a friend in her 40's that has never held a drivers licence. She did sit the test once back when she was 18 but didn't pass. Public transport here is not great unless you live in the city. Its not regular and a trip downtown can take hours because of the waits involved. She is also about a 45 minute drive from her closest family. This was fine while she was married, but has now separated from her husband and is basically housebound.

 

[spacemountainmom]

My cousin. She is 50 years old and is a SAHM. They live in a fairly rural area with no public transportation and her dh had to drive her everywhere. Her kids loved it since dad bought each of them a car when they turned 16. It was a lifesaver to him to not have to drive them and her around. Their youngest is a senior in HS and will be leaving home soon. I guess her hubby will go back to driving her.

Personally, I can't imagine it. We're currently a two car house with three drivers and it just bugs me to be stuck home without a vehicle.

 

[worm761]

My best friend never got her license in high school and at 37 she still doesn't have one.

I don't have one either. I used to drive but never liked it. It was more a necessary evil than anything else. I am a SAHM now so don't need to drive to work. I developed anxiety over driving. It is really bad and that makes me a danger to not only myself but everyone else on the road around me. We do have public transportation here but I have no clue how it works. I can walk to a Walmart, Walgreens, Burger King, Publix and Winn Dixie. I could walk to the mall or Target but it would take a really long time and I don't think the 2 year old would like it. I schedule all appointments around DH's schedule or he takes a half day for it. His leave is very flexible and if he doesn't have a class in session then he is happy for a reason to not sit in the office bored.

 

[Skip2MyLou]

My Grandmother. She is in her 90's and has never drove. My grandfather drove her where she needed to go, and when he passed away my aunt moved in & drove her. She had 10 children, so there was always someone to take her to do errands.

My MIL also does not drive. She is in her early 50's. She said she was in a bad accident with DH & his sister when they were little & my FIL refused to "let" her drive after that. She tends to exaggerate slightly so I have no idea if that story is true. DH & his sister have no memory of this accident. However, she is a very nervous passenger. Her brother lives with her now (FIL passed away last year) so he drives her wherever she needs to go. If he is busy, then DH, SIL, or myself will take her.

I can't imagine not driving. I've been on bedrest since July & it drives me nuts to be stuck in the house all day long. I get one "outing" a week & I feel like I live for those days.

 

[PigletsPal2]

I don't drive by choice. I can do, and have done, in an emergency, but at my age and with a medical condition, I don't feel like my reflexes are quick enough to react in an emergency situation. I do keep my license valid. Also, the roads are filled with crazy people who speed and/or don't pay a bit of attention to other drivers.

I am, however, an excellent back-seat driver.

Queen Colleen

 

[Peanut Giggleface]

My uncle never got his license. He was learning when he was 15 and an animal or something ran in front of his car. It scared him and never got behind the wheel again. Very sad!! It affected his ability to date and get married. He eventually did around the age of 40ish. His wife wanted children so they ended up having 4. He was never able to drive her to the hospital when she went into labor. They called my mom and I was there so I remember how embarrassed he looked when we showed up to get her. You would think he would overcome his fear for his wife and children, but he never did. They're in their 60s now and he still doesn't drive.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I can only think of one person that I've ever known who didn't drive (I imagine some of the little old ladies from when I was a little kid might have been in that category, but they were all born in the 1800's, so I'll give them a pass ).

One of my closest friends since Jr. High is married to a woman who does not drive. She apparently was in 2 accidents while still on her permit (swears neither were her fault & that the police reports indicate as such, anyway....), and never did get her license. She promised once they were married, she'd learn to drive. 22 years later, still no go. They didn't have a washer & dryer when they first married, so even when she wasn't working, he had to drive her to the laundry mat

This is a small town & they live several miles out of town in a rural area. There is NOWHERE they could walk to for any kind of job or service. When they were first married, she had the hardest time holding down a job. She'd call in sick a couple times, then her ride would do the same leaving her no way in & she'd get fired. My buddy would find her a new job & in a few months, same thing. After this happened 4 or 5 times, he got her a job where HE worked so he could make sure she showed up. She actually liked that job & took to it well & even though she was eventually laid off (him too a couple years later), she found work again right away & has been working steady ever since.

So that's pretty much it, aside from my grandmother who gave up driving in her late 80's when she moved to an apartment in town. She was too funny. I'd drive all of 2 miles to pick her up for lunch, she'd pick up the bill, and then try to give me $5 for gas money

 

[jujube]

One of my friends is in her 60s and has never learned to drive. She wasn't scared, she just never wanted to drive. I could never had done that especially after having children. What is they got sick at school or needed to be picked up somewhere. She used to either get rides with a friend to the grocery store or wait until her husband got home from work.
She wears not driving as a badge of honor.

 

[MissMichigan]

I sure do, me. I have my license, got it a little over 2 years ago when I was 22. I'll drive when I really need to, but greatly prefer not to. For example, I live with my DB and he was recently gone for a week for training, so I drove myself to the grocery store and all that. And I drive him home from the bar or a party a lot.

It's not that I don't know how or anything, I'm actually a pretty good driver. I've just had an overwhelming phobia of driving for a very long time, that i'm just now starting to get over. I hope to someday not have the fear anymore, but until then I make do.

 

[Mary Anne]

I am 61 and has never driven once. No desire whatsoever. I live in NYC and there is no need for it. I can walk a few blocks to food stores, butchers, drug stores etc. I have public transportation right outside my door that can take me anywhere. My husband does drive but he too is not a big driver, we have a 12 year old car that we bought brand new that has about 50K miles on it. Rarely do I depend on him to actually drive me anywhere. If I drove it would cost close to 2K a year for just insurance, never mind the cost of a 2nd car. I can understand those of you that live in areas that there is no public transportation not understanding how someone cannot live without driving but for me I chose to live in a big city with excellent public transportation, I have lived very nicely without a drivers license, car insurance bill and cost of probably 3 brand new cars. For the record neither of my parents never drove either.

 

[tvguy]

I am 61 and has never driven once. No desire whatsoever. I live in NYC and there is no need for it. I can walk a few blocks to food stores, butchers, drug stores etc. I have public transportation right outside my door that can take me anywhere. My husband does drive but he too is not a big driver, we have a 12 year old car that we bought brand new that has about 50K miles on it. Rarely do I depend on him to actually drive me anywhere. If I drove it would cost close to 2K a year for just insurance, never mind the cost of a 2nd car. I can understand those of you that live in areas that there is no public transportation not understanding how someone cannot live without driving but for me I chose to live in a big city with excellent public transportation, I have lived very nicely without a drivers license, car insurance bill and cost of probably 3 brand new cars. For the record neither of my parents never drove either.

A former coworker of mine just spent 5 years working in NYC, just transfered with the same company to LA because the cost of public transportation in NYC was killing her financially.
My mom waited until she was 34 to get her license, which was when I was born, just felt with a child, she couldn't not drive anymore. My dad always took her to work and back before that. And before she was married she lived across the street from her work....(she was a nurse and after World War II many hospitals included room and board with jobs).

 

[Mary Anne]

A former coworker of mine just spent 5 years working in NYC, just transfered with the same company to LA because the cost of public transportation in NYC was killing her financially.
My mom waited until she was 34 to get her license, which was when I was born, just felt with a child, she couldn't not drive anymore. My dad always took her to work and back before that. And before she was married she lived across the street from her work....(she was a nurse and after World War II many hospitals included room and board with jobs).

I am going to assume she worked somewhere where she was not in the one of the five boro's and took the either the Metro North or the LI railroad into the city each day. I agree that could be expensive and she probably did need a car where she lived. I was talking about living in one of the 5 boro's, I currently live in Queens and when I worked it cost me $2.25 to go into the city to work. I bought a metro card with pre-tax dollars. That alone saves me over $1500 in taxes each year.

 

[msjprincess]

A former coworker of mine just spent 5 years working in NYC, just transfered with the same company to LA because the cost of public transportation in NYC was killing her financially.
My mom waited until she was 34 to get her license, which was when I was born, just felt with a child, she couldn't not drive anymore. My dad always took her to work and back before that. And before she was married she lived across the street from her work....(she was a nurse and after World War II many hospitals included room and board with jobs).

Did she live and work in NYC? A monthly metrocard is only around $100.

 

[ForAandA]

I am going to assume she worked somewhere where she was not in the one of the five boro's and took the either the Metro North or the LI railroad into the city each day. I agree that could be expensive and she probably did need a car where she lived. I was talking about living in one of the 5 boro's, I currently live in Queens and when I worked it cost me $2.25 to go into the city to work. I bought a metro card with pre-tax dollars. That alone saves me over $1500 in taxes each year.

This is me exactly, and I am 37. Problem is that we moved to Long Island about 2 years ago. Dh now has to drive me to the grocery store, work, etc. He never complains, actually loves to drive. Now I have no choice, I must learn .

People do not seem to comprehend that while living in a major city with decent public transportation, not owning a car is the norm. I could literally do everything with my Metrocard. Parking our one car DH insisted on having was a disaster. We did not have a driveway or garage in Queens, and we would park BLOCKS away from home nightly.

If Long Island had better public transportation I would not learn to drive. period.