Do you drive?

[Chillhouse]

I do not drive. I can't get around it. I simply do not like driving. I don't like the fact that I could kill someone on my way to work. I don't like poluting the air with fumes. I don't like the price of gas.

Is this wrong of me? So many people tell me I'm wasting my life because I don't drive. That's about the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Instead of driving, I bike anywhere I need to go. It keeps me healthy and it's free. Yet everyone around me drives and are trying to get me to drive.

My parents tell me on a weekly basis to get my license, and I tell them I don't want to. Sometimes they get angry at me because I refuse to get a license, and I don't know why. What's that about? Is driving so important that every member of our society must own a car and drive? WTF?

When I was 16 I made a minimal effort to get a license. I went to driving school, had in car lessons, and found out I didn't like driving. At all. When my parents explained to me that I would be driving the big, hulking, manual, shift stick truck, I asked why I couldn't use our automatic car instead. They said because if you learn to drive a manual, than you can drive anything. But if you learn to drive automatic, and you only drive automatic cars, then why do you need to learn manual? Most vehicles don't even come with the option for manual anymore. Even pick-up trucks. I didn't want to drive the truck because it's 15 years old, stalls constantly, breaks down for no reason, and is all-around frustrating. I figured I had enough stress in my life. Plus it's manual.

So now I don't drive, but I'm also completely independant. I can run errands, get to work, get to school, go wherever I want. All without a car. And I'm completely happy. Winter makes this difficult, but there's always public transit.

And yet people still continue to tell me to quit whining and get my friggen license already.

These are strange times indeed.

 

[Pojo]

I think you should at least get your license...Even if you don't drive after you do, it's good to have one in a case of an emergency...If you take a driving class for you license, the car will most likely be automatic...But I agree with your parent's that it's good to learn manual...Myself, I can drive, and I like driving...I couldn't bike to places that I go to driving...

 

[Takkun]

Eh, even sports cars and large trucks now usually have a manual model.
I got mine because we have minimal public transit. We have a bus stop about 5 miles from our house, but my school/ work are only about 4 miles away, and it's closer than the bus stop.

It is pretty uncommon for someone to not get their license, so your parents probably thought you were afraid to drive of some other reason.

 

[ForeverSmall]

Dumbass parents...

I have a stick shift as well. I already am so emotionally fragile I cannot handle it. I am still really bad at driving after six months. After telling my mom about the whole infantillism thing she does not bug me about much anymore, but my dad does not know. I have been pushed into driving a lot of times when I was not ready. Honestly I do not know if I will be able to get my license at 16.

 

[Korey]

I drive, manual, 2000 integra... ballllllllin

 

[Takkun]

I didn't get mine till I was 17 and a half. My b/f during high school drove me around. *shrug*

 

[Pojo]

I didn't get mine till I was 17 and a half. My b/f during high school drove me around. *shrug*

Yeah, I got mine late too...I had my permit for the longest time...

 

[Crassi]

Well, I used to drive a motorcycle. At least until I crushed my ribcage, then it came to an end.

 

[Peachy]

I have to agree with what others have said here: Try to get your license soon. It's just a permission to drive - not an obligation! The longer you wait, the less time, money and incentive you'll have to ever get your license. The license may come in useful later in life, and even if it'S just for a job you may get at some point in the future.

Oh, and to reverse one of your arguments: Automatic transmission in cars costs you a nice $2,000 (or more) extra in Europe! Stick-shift is standard around here!

Peachy

 

[Millenniumfalsehood]

I like driving my car, but when I move out I'll reserve it for long trips only and use a bike for transit. I'll be needing the money for models and diapers, not to mention the essential stuff like bills, groceries, and utilities. Still, I do like my car a lot. It's a 93' Buick Park Avenue and even though I get a lot of teasing for driving an "Old people car" I absolutely love the way it handles and how incredibly smooth the ride is. It's so smooth that when I was driving from Wichita KS, about 45 minutes away, I was doing over 110 mph and I didn't ever realize it! I thought I was doing, at most, 75-80 mph. But in the end I'll probably let it be a hangar queen and ride a bike instead.

Btw, I am also one of the crowd who can't see the appeal for driving a stick. Sure it's usually got better acceleration and power(from what I'm told, anyway), but I still don't see the point when an automatic will get you from point A to point B just fine.

 

[Takkun]

I like driving my car, but when I move out I'll reserve it for long trips only and use a bike for transit. I'll be needing the money for models and diapers, not to mention the essential stuff like bills, groceries, and utilities. Still, I do like my car a lot. It's a 93' Buick Park Avenue and even though I get a lot of teasing for driving an "Old people car" I absolutely love the way it handles and how incredibly smooth the ride is. It's so smooth that when I was driving from Wichita KS, about 45 minutes away, I was doing over 110 mph and I didn't ever realize it! I thought I was doing, at most, 75-80 mph. But in the end I'll probably let it be a hangar queen and ride a bike instead.

Btw, I am also one of the crowd who can't see the appeal for driving a stick. Sure it's usually got better acceleration and power(from what I'm told, anyway), but I still don't see the point when an automatic will get you from point A to point B just fine.

Manual gets better gas mileage if you know how to drive it. I just don't care to drive with only one hand. Seems dangerous to me. :dunno:

 

[Charlie]

If it's not manual, it's not real driving!
I'm just biased, since most cars here are manual. Actually I thought automatic cars were for old people etc.

Anyway, driving is a life skill! I think you should get a licence, even if you don't use it... It's a good thing to have.

I have recently got my driving licence, even though I'm about to start University where I probably won't drive at all, so that's 3+ years where I won't drive (no parking spaces, expensive being a student anyway, let alone having to buy a car and pay for petrol and insurance). The reason I got my licence is pretty much what Peachy said, I had the time/money/incentive to get one now, and who knows when a licence might come in useful. A wide number of jobs become available with a licence! Plus you might start to want to drive later in life.

So I hate to be another person who is whining for you to get a licence but... Get one! Screw the fact that it can be dangerous, and screw the fact that it's polluting. Driving is awesome!

 

[Kip]

My parents wouldn't let me get my license until I was 17. Well, 17 came and went and I was perfectly content with bumming rides off of my parents. Then, I got a job and it became the biggest pain in the ass to wait for my parents or whoever to pick me up and drop me off at work. So, I enrolled in a driving school. I took $300 out of a savings account(I have two), and got the most expensive driving package they offered, which was three lessons.

Each were two hours, one day a week and I would get to use their car for the driving test. So, on October 31st, I got back from a driving lesson and it was lunch time. So, we ordered pizza and I convinced my mom to let me drive her Saturn Vue to pick it up.

So, I make it there and almost all the way back. I'm pulling in the driveway and I guess I was going to fast. My mom yells at me to stop and I confuse the gas and the brake. I punch the gas and ran into the side of the garage. And I haven't driven since then, other than to take the last driving lesson that I paid for and the driving test in order to get my license. My license sits in my wallet with the rest of my other cards. Pictures of the damage below. It cost $1,000 to fix the garage, which I had to pay for, and I think $2,000 to fix the SUV, which my parents paid for.

Car Damage

Garage Damage

 

[Millenniumfalsehood]

Ooohhh. That sucks!

The worst accident I've had was I was parked too close to a concrete pillar which was just barely an inch shorter than my car. I didn't see it, and as I was turning I side-swiped it. I ended up fixing most of the damage myself because I figured why should I pay for something I already know how to do?

 

[Jeremiah]

I have to agree with what others have said here: Try to get your license soon. It's just a permission to drive - not an obligation! The longer you wait, the less time, money and incentive you'll have to ever get your license. The license may come in useful later in life, and even if it'S just for a job you may get at some point in the future.

Oh, and to reverse one of your arguments: Automatic transmission in cars costs you a nice $2,000 (or more) extra in Europe! Stick-shift is standard around here!

Peachy

:wts6Ar:

Your reasons to not get a license and to not learn to drive a manual are understandable. However, you may want to consider the following information. Having both skills gives you more options in life.

I am not sure what interests you have in *B/DL stuff, but having the option of using a vehicle may come in handy. The last state that I lived only had one place within 200 miles that sold any good diapers. That place was a wholesale paper products distributer. The diaper picture on my profile happened because they only sold by the case with a $100 dollar minimum. I went there to get some night time diapers, pull-ups, and Tena Flex. The Flex came in 2 sizes and 2 absorbency levels. Therefore, I had to buy 3 cases to figure out which one was best. Try hauling a case of diapers on a bicycle. We would enjoy seeing pictures of that. :thumbup:

Manual transmissions are more economical, cost effective, and are only available on certain types of vehicles. It is true that most cars have an automatic transmission, but some vehicles have a manual transmission as the cheaper option. Cars that are either economical or sporty have manual transmissions. Finding a Geo Metro or Corvette with an automatic is much more difficult than finding an automatic Buick. Older trucks were almost exclusively manual because the buyer did not want to spend the extra $2000 to get less power and fuel economy. Automatic transmissions routinely only send 70% of the engine's power to the wheels, the other 30% is wasted as heat. Manual transmissions are much closer to 95% and produce little heat. Being able to drive your parent's truck could come in handy. Most likely, it is able to more everything you own in only a trip or two.

I enjoy driving and got my license as soon as possible. The closest grocery store was over 10 miles away. Riding my bike there was not a viable option. My mother stalled my father and I's efforts to get my driver license. Mom decided to allow me to get my permit when I was almost 16. The logic used was I could chauffeur her around because she hates to drive. She quickly enjoyed having me drive her around. By the time that I was 16, both parents thought I could drive well. Mom refused to allow me to get my license because she was afraid to allow me the freedom to drive by myself. She finally agreed to allow it when my permit was about to expire. The cost of a permit for one year was the same as a license for 4 years. Her tight money policies convinced her it was a good idea. Soon after I got my driver license, her worst fear occurred: I quite being her chauffeur. :laugh: My younger brother was the one that used his freedom. He packed up and moved out in October of his Junior year at the age of 16, only 2 weeks after I moved away.

Until I moved away from home, my bike was ridden about as much as I drove my car. A vehicle will transport much larger quantities of diapers further distances without effort. After moving out of state, my bike stopped being a viable means of transportation because of distances and weather. South Dakota is only friendly to bicyclists for about one month of the year. The rest of the year had too much snow and ice to rely on a bicycle. Riding several miles each way quickly overpowered my deodorant. Here in Florida, I drive 22 miles for work each day and moving closer is not a viable option.

 

[Icey]

I do & I love it!! Driving is one of my favorite things to do!! I get in my car (2002 Honda Accord EX coupe) & put on some good music, turn it up & go!! I am relaxed in my car!! I don't worry about gas prices or anything but the road!! There are days I take the long way, just to be able to drive my car more!!

I sometimes just go out on a long drive to clear my head or forget about troubles, so I have been doing that alot lately!!

 

[Mingus]

Having a license is useful. Get it. And do learn to drive manual--if you can drive big cars and drive a manual transmission, you can drive almost anything. I can drive pretty big cars (I learned on an 89 Lincoln Town Car--that thing was a boat--and I've driven an ancient minivan), but I can't drive a stick.

Having said which, I got my license on the late side for my area (suburbs, everyone drives because public transit is useless), and I had a near miss with a semi on the interstate six months after I got my license with the whole family in the car. Which was terrifying. Take a defensive driving course if you're nervous, they help a lot. I took one after my accident, and it made me feel more confident and able to handle adverse situations. Finally, drive on the slow side if you're more comfortable that way (not too slow, but not as fast as all the lunatics on the roads)--it's a lot more relaxing.

 

[LuvsGurl]

I was the same way about driving when I first started. I recall at one point in drivers Ed the teacher pointed out that when you are at the wheel of a car you are in charge of a quarter to half ton weapon. Though once I started to drive on a daily basis the fear subsided and I understood that being responcible and being overly cautions are two different things. The only way to get over the dislike and for some fear of being behind the wheel is to do so on a regular basis. Confidence is the key. You will gain this a lot faster then you think.

 

[Kip]

Confidence is the key.

Of which I have none, which is why I don't drive. Also, my dad wants to teach me how to drive using his 2001 Ford F-150 Supercrew, which is freaking huge and I refuse to drive it.

 

[ballucanb]

Don't worry Kip one day you will drive again, you just had an unfortunate accident, going from one type of a car to the next can be confuseing, all the brake and gas pedals are located in slightly different places, so it was an easy mistake to make.

Or you may have had the seat up too far, the car damage dosen't look that bad most of the scratches can be buffed out with an exception of the deeper ones and if they were touched up with the right color wouldn't be as noticable.

The garage though is a different story, but nothing that can't be repaired, so you had your fender bender up front, I had to wait 37 years before I had my first, but I didn't stop me from driveing, you need to get back in the car, and just be more careful, with your foot placement.