You don't have to live in the deepest countryside to need a car!

nickyhutch

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Guess I'll just have to go down the jobcentre, introduce myself (as I'm not on the dole) and tell them that everyone says I have to have a car, so they have to give me a free driving licence and car, then.

You may be able to hear the laughter from where you are.......

I don't think anyone's saying you have to have a car to do a job. People are saying that in their current circumstances, they need their cars to do the jobs that they're already doing. If I had a job at our village post office, I wouldn't need a car because it's a 2 minute walk away. If I was job hunting, I'd be taking into account how I'd get to a new place of work - I'm not, though; I have a job, and I need a car to get to do it.

I'd also want a car to have lovely days out at the weekend, to travel for weekends away, to drive down to France for my holiday in summer........

Humphrey10

nickyhutch wrote: »

I'd also want a car to have lovely days out at the weekend, to travel for weekends away, to drive down to France for my holiday in summer........

What a lovely thing to say to someone who can't drive. How kind and thoughtful you are.

peachyprice

Humphrey10 wrote: »

What a lovely thing to say to someone who can't drive. How kind and thoughtful you are.

What a silly immature comment to make!

So no-one is allowed to mention something nice they do with their car because you can't drive anymore? A touch of the green-eyed monster there I think.

Apricot

Humphrey10 wrote: »

What a lovely thing to say to someone who can't drive. How kind and thoughtful you are.

I thought you didn't feel hard done by not having a car?

Humphrey10

peachyprice wrote: »

What a silly immature comment to make!

So no-one is allowed to mention something nice they do with their car because you can't drive anymore? A touch of the green-eyed monster there I think.

What? nickyhutch was replying to JoJo's post, not mine. JoJo mentioned not having a driving licence, and in response nickyhutch posted what I quoted, which I didn't think was a very nice response.

Personally I can't see why someone would want to drive on holiday or to France, I've always gone as a foot passenger to France and it's a bit hard to take a car on an aeroplane if you are going further, but each to their own. Trains have always sufficed for me for travel in this country.

To be honest, I am so pleased I don't have to drive at the moment. I find it so boring. On a train I can work, read, listen to music, watch films, play games. It's relaxing, and safe. In a car I'm limited to the radio or CDs, every second spent driving is wasted time, and is stressful, and dangerous.
Sadly this reprieve from driving will probably only last six months, I'm sure after that I will get constant nagging from family again to take them on lifts, to drive to their houses, to drive to days out with them, etc.

Edit: Apricot, as I said, the post I was commenting on wasn't directed at me.

thorsoak

Humphrey10 wrote: »

No-one needs a car. Some people choose to live in places where they need a car, or do jobs that need cars, but they don't need to live there or do those jobs, they choose to.

I am about to move jobs. The new job is within driving distance of here, but not practical on public transport (3 changes, 90 mins+), so I was intending to drive. I had a car until recently. I now do not, and the DVLA say I cannot drive for 6 months.

Now instead of whining about it or sitting at home on benefits, I'm just going to move somewhere where I can easily commute to the new job.

I know a family with children without cars (some them can drive and hire cars/vans for eg moving house but not day to day), they cope fine - they choose to live in places they don't need cars. I imagine big cities like London are full of people who don't own cars, in fact I don't think any of the people I know who live in London have cars. Cars really aren't vital.

With respect, HXumphrey, this would not be a feasible nor particularly MSE route that the majority of people could take! One cannot expect to sell a house (which may be quite cheap) in a rural area to move to a more expensive one near where one works in less than say five months. And what about schooling for children? Again - move from an area with good schools to an area with not so good schools?

And what about the poor saps who work in out of town shopping conurbations? Where do you suggest they live? In caravans in the car parks???

I'm retired now - and have chosen to live now in an area within easy reach of a bus route (and - until Dave takes it away, a bus pass :j) so a car is no longer a necessity. But when I was at work, I would not have been able so to do living where we did - and where we had lived whilst children were at school/college.

It isn't all cut and dried - and it seems a shame that some people take the high moral tone on this situation.

Apricot

Humphrey10 wrote: »

Edit: Apricot, as I said, the post I was commenting on wasn't directed at me.

Ok I misunderstood but still. It cost me a lot of money to take driving lessons, take theory & practical test and it still costs me money now for insurance, tax, petrol, maintenance on my car. I choose to swallow those costs so that I have a car (not only for commuting) but also to be able to go away for the weekend and have days out.

No offence to anyone who doesn't drive but I don't see why I should have to mind what I say about what I do with my car. I paid for myself to learn to drive out of my wages age 18 - if others chose to spend their wages on more frivolous things then that's their fault IMO.

I could survive without a car but I don't have to. I can afford my car, I enjoy driving and it makes my life more convenient.

NEH

Humphrey10 wrote: »

What? nickyhutch was replying to JoJo's post, not mine. JoJo mentioned not having a driving licence, and in response nickyhutch posted what I quoted, which I didn't think was a very nice response.

Personally I can't see why someone would want to drive on holiday or to France, I've always gone as a foot passenger to France and it's a bit hard to take a car on an aeroplane if you are going further, but each to their own. Trains have always sufficed for me for travel in this country.

To be honest, I am so pleased I don't have to drive at the moment. I find it so boring. On a train I can work, read, listen to music, watch films, play games. It's relaxing, and safe. In a car I'm limited to the radio or CDs, every second spent driving is wasted time, and is stressful, and dangerous.
Sadly this reprieve from driving will probably only last six months, I'm sure after that I will get constant nagging from family again to take them on lifts, to drive to their houses, to drive to days out with them, etc.

Edit: Apricot, as I said, the post I was commenting on wasn't directed at me.

You must have lovely trains then that aren't overcrowded....

Sometimes yes you can be lucky that you can get a seat and enjoy all those activities you mention but more often than not where I am you're fighting to get a seat unless you book weeks in advance and even then you'll probably have to turf someone out...

As for the one car campaign it isnt' always feasible as others have said....

nickyhutch

Humphrey10 wrote: »

What a lovely thing to say to someone who can't drive. How kind and thoughtful you are.

So becuase you can't drive, I can't mention nice things I do with my car? Because you can't drive, you can't have nice days out?

nickyhutch

Humphrey10 wrote: »

Personally I can't see why someone would want to drive on holiday or to France, I've always gone as a foot passenger to France and it's a bit hard to take a car on an aeroplane if you are going further, but each to their own. Trains have always sufficed for me for travel in this country. Whether you can see why I would like to drive through France or not is, frankly, not something that I consider when booking my holiday. I want to drive through France because I'm going to the south coast (ferry not much use) and because I'd like to see a lot of France on my way down - broadening my horizons, educating myself etc. Each to their own, as you say.

To be honest, I am so pleased I don't have to drive at the moment. I find it so boring. I don't - each to their own. On a train I can work, read, listen to music, watch films, play games. It's relaxing, and safe. In a car I'm limited to the radio or CDs, conversation with my DH and kids, seeing the amazing scenery, visiting out of the way towns, villages and places of interest every second spent driving is wasted time, and is stressful, not to me and dangerous not necessarily.

Sadly this reprieve from driving will probably only last six months, I'm sure after that I will get constant nagging from family again to take them on lifts, to drive to their houses, to drive to days out with them, etc. Just say no!

Edit: Apricot, as I said, the post I was commenting on wasn't directed at me but you saw fit to pip in, didn't you?.

THere's really no need for this aggro - we choose to live our lives differently, that's all - I don't criticise yours and you have no right to have a pop at mine.