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

[Mary Anne]

I really think that people that don't live in Metro areas have a hard time getting around the fact that some people live very happily without ever getting a license. We do and I bet we save a ton of money over a lifetime never having a car payment, paying for gas and insurance. Pays for my Disney obsession

 

[kaligal]

My grandmother didn't drive, but that was more because my grandpa didn't think women should drive. He wasn't big on women...or black people, gay people, foreign people, rich people, welfare recipients, republicans, etc. After he died, she did drive cars, but just to do it. She never got a license.

I know a woman from Asia who doesn't drive. Says no women in her former country drove. She is very big on keeping the traditions of her country of origin. Her husband and friends drive her around. But her daughter is 13 and will be driving in a few years. She wants her daughter to be 100% American. I think it is all very sweet.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I really think that people that don't live in Metro areas have a hard time getting around the fact that some people live very happily without ever getting a license. We do and I bet we save a ton of money over a lifetime never having a car payment, paying for gas and insurance. Pays for my Disney obsession

Well, I don't know how much money you're saving. My experience with the "big city" is that everything else is so expensive that whatever you're saving by not having a car would be MORE than offset in other expenses that are much higher than elsewhere. Certainly, you'd save money compared to others in the city who do own a car, but not so compared to those in outer areas. The hope is that your income would offset those expenses. I could never survive the big city on my income - car or no car

And yes, it's a difficult concept - not so much for the day-to-day in the "big city". My HS girlfriend went to finishing school & college in NYC and had no car there. Even at my college in a small town in MO, many of the kids didn't have cars (all of them did have licenses though). There was no bus to get around town, but 99% of everything we needed was at the dorm & there was always someone with whom you could catch a ride. That said, my friends in Chicago, Denver, KC, & San Francisco all have multiple cars, however - as is the case with everyone I know here in STL. Same goes for my relatives in London, Edinburgh, and Dundee. I get the impression that the "not driving" thing is much more of a Northeastern concept than a "metro area in general" thing.

But, even in big cities, it's not like NOBODY is driving. Those cabs, busses, trucks, and other vehicles don't drive themselves. 2 of my coworkers were in NYC on business 2 weeks ago to meet with a client on a project we're about to kick off & among the people they met was a young kid who had received a pretty substantial promotion primarily because he could drive (he was from Queens).

And it's just a hard thing for me to wrap my head around the idea that one could go their entire life not ever "needing" to be able to drive. For me, it has been a requirement of probably 80% of the jobs I've ever had - be it operating equipment at work, traveling to rural places as part of business travel, or actually driving company vehicles on the road. And my hobbies all revolve around things that couldn't be accomplished w/o at least some driving. Places I've been for vacation, I'd have to skip most of them if I couldn't drive. The idea that you could never, ever go anywhere completely on your own is indeed a tough thing for someone like me to wrap my head around. But hey, if it works for ya, that's more space on the road for the rest of us

 

[momof1princess]

DD15 could very well end up being like sheldon on TBBT. she got her permit 3 weeks ago, and we've been taking her out to drive almost every day after school-the girl is a menace! the first time she got behind the wheel, she almost took out a school building! thank goodness we live out in the country, with mostly back roads. we can let her practice driving close to home without getting into any traffic at all.

for those who don't know what i mean when i say she could end up like sheldon from TBBT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a691Oxj4-4E

 

[cornflake]

And it's just a hard thing for me to wrap my head around the idea that one could go their entire life not ever "needing" to be able to drive. For me, it has been a requirement of probably 80% of the jobs I've ever had - be it operating equipment at work, traveling to rural places as part of business travel, or actually driving company vehicles on the road. And my hobbies all revolve around things that couldn't be accomplished w/o at least some driving. Places I've been for vacation, I'd have to skip most of them if I couldn't drive. The idea that you could never, ever go anywhere completely on your own is indeed a tough thing for someone like me to wrap my head around. But hey, if it works for ya, that's more space on the road for the rest of us

People go places completely on their own all the time. I don't even understand that. I know someone who can't drive just went to Europe for a couple of weeks and it's not even a consideration.

I mean, do you fly your own plane? Then you "can't go completely on your own" in terms of many vacation or other spots either, if you're counting taking any means of transit in which you're not the driver and sole passenger as not being completely on your own.

 

[SC Minnie]

My grandmother didn't drive. They lived in a very rural area too so no walking anywhere. She and my grandfather worked at the same place and on the same shift so that was never an issue. He retired years before she did and still took her to work everyday and picked her up at 4:00. The story was that she tried to drive once when she was young and it didn't go well so she never tried again. I am not sure what she would have done if my grandfather had passed before her.

I couldn't imagine not driving. Here we don't have a lot of public transportation options and walking is not always an options either (not all streets have sidewalks). And taxi's are expensive.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

I choose not to. My husband takes me where I need to go. Part of it is because it scares me (scared of the speed.) Part of it is a traumatic brain injury that I sustained when I was five that causes me issues with depth perception. I COULD still drive but I think I'd worry the whole time. That said, I am the bread-winner in the family (my husband has his own customer leather goods business but it only makes enough to pay for itself, the car payment, and the car insurance) so I do consider my husband taking me places part of his pulling his own weight in the relationship.

 

[SaraJayne]

I choose not to. My husband takes me where I need to go. Part of it is because it scares me (scared of the speed.) Part of it is a traumatic brain injury that I sustained when I was five that causes me issues with depth perception. I COULD still drive but I think I'd worry the whole time. That said, I am the bread-winner in the family (my husband has his own customer leather goods business but it only makes enough to pay for itself, the car payment, and the car insurance) so I do consider my husband taking me places part of his pulling his own weight in the relationship.

What?!

Holy moly, can you imagine the reaction if a man said that about his wife?

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

What?!

Holy moly, can you imagine the reaction if a man said that about his wife?

Most men who are the bread-winners expect their wives to take care of most of the cooking/cleaning and if they have children, a great deal of the child care. I don't see the difference.

 

[pumba]

me

 

[Gumbo4x4]

People go places completely on their own all the time. I don't even understand that. I know someone who can't drive just went to Europe for a couple of weeks and it's not even a consideration.

I mean, do you fly your own plane? Then you "can't go completely on your own" in terms of many vacation or other spots either, if you're counting taking any means of transit in which you're not the driver and sole passenger as not being completely on your own.

No, I don't fly my own plane. But once I land, I'm able to go anywhere I choose on my own schedule. No cabbies or tour bus required. Most importantly, I'm able to venture far beyond the places the buses, trains, and cabs go. And if I want to just go somewhere that does have public transit, I can choose to see everything in between via my car if I want.

 

[cornflake]

No, I don't fly my own plane. But once I land, I'm able to go anywhere I choose on my own schedule. No cabbies or tour bus required. Most importantly, I'm able to venture far beyond the places the buses, trains, and cabs go. And if I want to just go somewhere that does have public transit, I can choose to see everything in between via my car if I want.

Cabbies go at your schedule, I dunno anyone who does tour buses, there's no place buses, trains or cabs don't go besides like, McMurdo Station, and I don't get the allure of seeing things via a car vs. anyplace else.

I mean... if someone says oh, in rural wherever, in the middle of noplace, there's no public transit and cabs are scarce... is that really someplace anyone is vacationing?

Most places anyone I know vacations, there're plentiful transit options.

The 'my own schedule' thing I think can become a fixation for some people - it's like the idea of taking transit is scary or makes them anxious. A guy I know lived on Long Island and had a car always wanted to drive in to NYC, because then he "wouldn't have to wait" for a train and could leave "on his own schedule," though he routinely ended up stuck in traffic that meant he spent twice as long to get here or home than he would've on the train.

After once coming in and not being able to find parking but like 60 blocks from where he was going and thus ending up on the train AND paying $10 or whatever for the toll and the next time driving in to a Knicks game, driving over a construction thing, blowing a tire and then getting stuck in traffic for 45 minutes before getting out of the City, he finally gave up and took the train in from then on.

 

[CurlyJo224]

I'm 34. I don't drive and I never have.

It started out when Maryland law required everyone under age 21 to have drivers ed, and past that, you just go get your license. Three months before I turned 21, they changed the law. Now EVERYONE has to have drivers ed. I can't afford to spend a couple of hundred dollars and take time off of work to take drivers ed.

But the real reason at this point is that I'm afraid. I have ADD, and I know I can't keep up with all of the things that you need to pay attention to while driving.

My husband drives, and we both work at the same place. I know it's a precarious situation, but I don't know what else to do about it.

 

[codimouse]

My mother doesn't drive. Her father didn't allow her to when she was younger. After HS she went straight to Air Force and didn't need to drive. Then she never learned.
My dad is now very ill and rarely goes out or is able to take mom where she wants to go.
Mom gets mad because we or my DD cannot take her to places when she wants to go.
I told her last week I would pay for driving classes and she refused. I told her I would buy a bus pass and she got upset.
But I am not a chauffeur.

Sandi; sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[beaucoup]

By their choice? No.

Legal system & doctors have made the decision for those I know that don't drive.

 

[SaraJayne]

I mean... if someone says oh, in rural wherever, in the middle of noplace, there's no public transit and cabs are scarce... is that really someplace anyone is vacationing?

I think most of us could name (well, maybe not you) vacation destinations that don't have public transportation and no cabs.

 

[ellone]

I don't any people that don't drive, but I have known people that don't drive on highways/freeways.

 

[kirstenb1]

I think most of us could name (well, maybe not you) vacation destinations that don't have public transportation and no cabs.

Yes, it must be a regional thing, but here in Virginia, we have beaches. Thousands of tourists visit them every summer. And I guarantee you there's no bus routes or subways connecting you to them. Which works out, because most people go to the beach for a week, and the car comes in handy to go to the grocery store, out to dinner, souvenir shops etc.

 

[PatsGirl]

This is a pretty timely post. DD15 just signed up for driver's ed for Feb 2013. She will be eligible for her learner's permit in March and her license in September of next year. When I got the sign-up paperwork I gave it to her and told her to make sure the school got it back in time and that I needed her half of the $$ to pay for it. She says "I'm not going to take driver's ed. I think I'll wait a while before I get my license". Really?

I waited a day or two and then responded like this "I will continue to drive you to the bus stop for school every day but other than that there will be no more taxi rides from me after the day you turn eligible for your license. I work full time (and another part-time job on top of that) and then taxi you around to school events, girl scouts, your friends' houses, and to the mall. If you can figure out a way to get to all those places, don't bother with the license. If you can see the need for it, make sure I have the $350 I need to write that check".

I know that she is afraid but I don't want to let her off the hook. We don't like in an area with any real public transportation. In fact, we are 3 miles from anything at home! I refuse to be held hostage by someone capable and eligible to drive themselves.

So she caved and gave me the $$ to write the check but is mortified that not only am I insisting on her taking the classes but she also has to pay for something she doesn't want to do

 

[cornflake]

Yes, it must be a regional thing, but here in Virginia, we have beaches. Thousands of tourists visit them every summer. And I guarantee you there's no bus routes or subways connecting you to them. Which works out, because most people go to the beach for a week, and the car comes in handy to go to the grocery store, out to dinner, souvenir shops etc.

There are, however, cabs.