Adults That Don't Drive

[AnarchyCamp]

You don't have to drive.

This. It's not exactly a natural thing.
Oh and I drive but have known people who don't. As long as they aren't always bumming rides from me then what do I care?

 

[cwingwvwc]

My sister is 34 and never learned to drive. She says she gets too anxious. I think it is because she would rather have her husband drive her everywhere. He really has never had to have a full time job because he is from a wealthy family so it isn't a huge problem. I imagine it will become an issue as my nephews get older. I also have a friend (23 years old) with Asperger's who hasn't got his license. He is terrified of getting into an accident.

 

[BJ@LW&WW]

I think a lot of adults who don't drive would probably be terrible drivers anyway, so don't no one go encouraging them.

 

[mofunky]

Where I live, you don't have to be able to drive because the public transit system can take you pretty much everywhere. It's not really a necessity for young adults.

 

[Gambledub]

im going on 24 and dont drive (i can though, but im average at parallel parking & hill starts), where im from you get your licence in 3 stages i have the first one but never got round to getting the next two. from where i live my university, favourite nightclubs, work & bjj practice are all within 15 mins walk. theres also no free parking around these places and almost no free parking where i live. so i dont see the point paying for petrol, parking, registration, warrant of fitness, licence fees & car repairs, i would rather spend the money on something else.

 

[Gervinho]

im going on 24 and dont drive (i can though, but im average at parallel parking & hill starts), where im from you get your licence in 3 stages i have the first one but never got round to getting the next two. from where i live my university, favourite nightclubs, work & bjj practice are all within 15 mins walk. theres also no free parking around these places and almost no free parking where i live. so i dont see the point paying for petrol, parking, registration, warrant of fitness, licence fees & car repairs, i would rather spend the money on something else.

Im 30 and I was in similar position. I eventually got mine when i was 25 as more and more people thought I was weird for not having one. at that time I had no need for it or the finance for a car and everything that comes with it. Even now I dont drive, but its good to have just in case I need to use my mums or brothers car

 

[Pugilistic]

It's absolutely unnecessary where I live because you can go anywhere in the city with mass transit. If you want to go out into the boonies that's a bit different but that's rare. Driving is hell here anyway since people are fucking idiots.

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

I live in West London and have the Heathrow Connect take me to and from work and buses or the underground for the local area and inner London.

I do want to get my motorbike licence this year however. I wish to see more of the UK and of Europe...but the car would be a big financial issue on my wage...

 

[5crew]

I'm 27, I don't have a DL and don't intend to get one. Couple of reasons for it actually.

1. I have a pretty short temper, I imagine it will get worse if I'm on the wheels

2. I'm a route retard, I cannot for my life recognise places even if I visited them multiple time
2a. My friend said, everything is fixed with a GPS, I say yeah, then I point out number 1 again.

3. It's ridiculously expensive to get a car in my country. Cheapest should be 16k and on top of that we need to purchase a COE, 60k, which is basically just a paper so you can OWN a car. So I need a minimum of 76k, USD, to have a crappy car. And I meant really CRAPPY one at the lowest possible cost of 76k.

4. For people that noticed, I'm from Singapore, it's a tiny country. We could get end to end within 2hrs top. Public Transport is EVERYwhere.

If I use the 76k, I could take a cab ride 3 times a day, for 2000 days.

 

[Lethal_Striker]

If you live in urban areas like NY, Chicago, London and so on with really good public transportation options it's way easier then having to hunt down a parking space there and even if you did find a parking space you would be paying a fortune in parking fees. But otherwise unless you live within walking/bicycling distance of your work its kind of sad not to have your license.

Myself I drive to work and anywhere that's more then a quarter mile from my house but I live within walking distance of the supermarket and a lot of other businesses so a lot of times if I'm just going to the store to get a few things I'll walk.

 

[AgentOrange24]

A lot of older women don't know how, or don't like to drive.

My grandmother knew how, but hated driving for example. Never seen her drive more than a handful of times in my life.

 

[dissolved]

I am not talking bout City Folks where parking is too much of a hassle or Poor Folks that can't pay for a car but normal people in that just don't drive.


I got a sister in-law who has a 26yr old boyfriend who does not drive cause he doesn't have a DL. I have asked them both why and they dance around the question but its is strange as hell to for a adult that doesn't drive. Its seem to be a Major strain on their life. She has to drive dude around all the time,she has 2 cars and ask me to help move one of the cars to her new place today. So now they have come pick me up, drive me over their old Apt. to pick up the car, drive it to their new place and then bring me back home. Its just seem like a big pain in the ass to not be able to drive at all. I have never not had a DL. I have gone with a car for a few weeks but always had access to a working car since forever. So its is very strange to me for a Adult to not be able to drive.

So are there any adults here that don't drive. Does it impact your daily life. Why haven't you got a DL.

Very interesting . . .

I work with a young guy (24), who was hired at my place of work about a year ago. We get paid very well. He came out and told us his coworkers that he had a DUI for which most sort of honored him for the honesty even though having a clean driving record is one of the criteria for working at this company. He did know a senior exec's daughter (he was in college with her) and that's how he got the job.

Now, beyond that, the guy told everyone that his DUI expired in Sept. and that he'd have his license back then. But, 5 months later, the guy doesn't have a car and isn't driving himself anywhere yet. I pick him up and drop him off every day. It's not a huge inconvenience to me, but it is a small one.

SO, either he told us the whole truth and there's more to the story or he told us a half-truth/partial truth/lie. I mean, the guy would get approved for a 100K+ car and most young guys like that probably would do that (maybe not the full amount but you know what I mean). If he didn't want debt, he could easily have paid for a decent vehicle long ago in cash.

Makes no sense. So I know what you're saying TS. There has to be more to the story.

Maybe the guy I work with hit someone, got sued with his DUI. Maybe it wasn't a DUI. Maybe he was driving with expired insurance. Maybe his insurance is so high now he can't afford to . . . But that's not even true, because with the money he makes that's pretty much impossible.

Like I said, there's got to be more to the story. And it sucks. We're friends . . . mostly we golf together and then through work. But we're not huge buddies particularly with the age gap.

I never mention it due to me knowing there's got to be more to the story and he's too embarrased to come out with it. I wouldn't be surprised if one day confesses the situation to me. If it is him just dragging his heels . . . Then really lame. And the young guy has a girlfriend who always makes the trek from another city to see him and then drives him around. The whole thing makes no sense unless there's a really good reason for it. I don't want to be his taxi for another year.

*edit*

Forgot to mention that this young guy I work with has talked steadily for the last 5 months about what car he'd like, or he's looking at . . . If I'm being honest, it sounds to me like talk; like he's just trying to sound to my coworkers that he's actively transitioning from non-driver to driver. As usual I call BS in my mind. Until he's behind the wheel of his own vehicle and gettig himself around, its a lame-ass situation. Unless he's incapable of driving due to a handicap he's not letting anyone know about (as an early poster said).

 

[dissolved]

One thing people who don't drive are side-stepping in here . . .

Properly buying groceries is dang near impossible without a car. Sure you can cram two or three grocery bags full and haul them on the train or bus. OR, maybe once every month you could get a taxi and load up with the bulk of your groceries then. I know when I do a proper grocery shopping (as a single person living alone), I'll often come back with 6 or 8 bags full. I honestly would find it much more difficult for this aspect alone.

THEN, the other aspect, is being more town-bound to your location. I can take off any time to the mountains an hour and a half away in one direction, or a beautiful lake with a great beach 45 minutes in a different direction. I live about midpoint between two larger centres and depending on what's going on I can choose to go to either location at the drop of a hat. For all of the above transit would be pretty much impossible let alone much more inconvenient.

Having your own vehicle adds an amazing amount of flexibility and freedom that non-drivers have no idea about. It makes no sense - except for the gentleman from Singapore or if you literally are physically unable to drive.

 

[Explosion Man]

I don't have a full license but I have driven and do drive occasionally but for the most part I don't drive.

The main reason I don't drive is because I don't have to, I like walking because I can listen to music and let my mind wander, when I drive I have to focus and I feel a little drained when I reach the destination. I realise that this changes when you get better at driving but at this point I'm fine with walking or taking the bus.

In the future I will get my full license and drive more because it's extremely limiting but at the end of the day the main reason I don't drive is because I'm not good at it, I don't like it and it's not a necessity.

 

[Scott Lawlor]

I find it's becoming more common, which I can't understand.

I like having the freedom of wanting something and being able to get in my car and go get it. No pestering people for a drive, walking for an hour or busing with annoying people.

 

[IIIIIIII]

If you're an adult and you don't drive you better be in NY!

or san francisco, lol. i don't drive, but do have a license, etc. it's a pain in the ass to have a car in this city.

 

[DizzyYeahYeah]

Where I live, trains are packed during the peak hours and so are buses to a lesser extent.

Some bus drivers, drive like maniacs.
I'm only 6'1 and the seat distances are too close to sit comfortable.
Buses are late sometimes. I was on two buses, separate occasions and they both broke down and the engines were on fire.
Fairs are expensive, even with a smartrider card. But parking tickets are fucking ridiculous, on a whole other level.

If I lived closer to a supermarket, I would be fine not owning a car, would still keep my license though. I did pay 100's of dollars for it.

 

[jefferz]

I own a truck but where I live here in town I hardly every drive it and ride a bicycle everywhere instead. I can get to work on it, am near grocery stores and can walk to them even.

People and co-workers always ask "well what's wrong with your truck?" Like something is wrong with me bike riding all day everyday. Even in this recent cold weather. I like it and I like not having to buy gas.

Ya, 24 degrees for an average low is so cold

 

[BAM]

at the moment I don't. I live and work in the city and parking is ridiculous. The public transport is pretty decent and I save a lot of money. I still maintain a full license, but I don't drive. I'm a little nervous at the moment, never driven on the left hand side before and never done things like roundabouts before.

But I'll probably get back on the horse in a few months, got too much shit to do.

 

[Night Owl]

I got my license when I was 16. I couldn't imagine being without a vehicle.