Is it really horrendous that I'm 25 and can't drive?

black-saturn

I've never owned a car either and neither has my boyfriend. I'm also in a long distance relationship and travel 180 miles every week and still manage without a car.

Bambywamby

Who cares if you drive or not?

If you aint bothered about driving, nobody else should be.

Also regarding what Skintchick said

"All the non-drivers I've ever known have expected the drivers they know to cart them around for free, and so they aren;t my mates any more as i found it unacceptable to be expected (not even asked!) to be a free taxi."

It's not non drivers that are some rude breed that are presumptious...its poor mannered people. I don't think all non drivers are like that at all.
If your non driving friends were ALL like that, it's a good job they are exfriends now.
However I find more rude, selfish b*ggers behind a steering wheel than in the passenger seat.

LookingAhead

Just wanted to echo that it's definitely not horrendous!

It might be deemed 'novel' in this day & age that you don't drive but so what? Environmentally, fitness wise & financially you are better off.

It's not about what works for everyone else or what annoying experiences have happened to them whilst out of their tin box....it's what works for you and how you cope with the day.

If you can cope without a car and don't feel the need to get one...keep it that way.

Good luck to you!

lfc-news

skintchick wrote: »

My only question would be how do you manage without a car?

I live in the City Centre!

Gemmzie

I think it depends totally on where you live. I drive passed at nearly 19 which is considered really late here because you can't get anywhere without a car.

Most people I know who drive, have happily gone off to uni without a car but at home here it's a necessity.

Headintheclouds_3

Hi there

I wouldn't worry about it - I passed my test when I was 17 (lived in a small village, couldn't wait to escape), owned an old banger very briefly when I was in my early 20s which I promptly got rid of when I moved to a big city, and since then have driven on average once a year when I hire a car to visit relatives.

I'm the only person in my building who doesn't own a car but, in all honesty, there's no way I could afford one at this moment.

If you are happy not driving then ignore your peers and stick with public transport. Good on you!

Rachie_B

I passed my test last january at the ripe old age of 26 yrs 11 months lol

It was my 3rd attempt

people used to say "oooh you wont know yourself once you can drive" etc and its true !!

just to be able to go wherever i want with the kids in the holidays etc, rather than rely on hubby being home or getting public transport etc is fab !

we have 2 cars but hubbys is a company car

We live 2 hrs from our hometown and that was hard being in a new place with a new baby and no transport

but its great to be able to jump on the M4 and go to visit family,even if hubby is working

and now my son is in fulltime school i have gone back to work,without a car i wouldnt have the opportunity to do what i am doing now so its been really important for me

i only wish id done it earlier ,but better late than never lol

Ebany

I'm another one who passed their test when they were young, but haven't really used it. My mum gets worried I will forget how to drive, but it all comes flooding back on the rare occasions I get behind a wheel. One thing I will say is that while we get be easily walking places or getting buses, in our case we are paying for this in the extra rent for a central home - but then, we could live further out and get buses in with no problems, we just don't like buses much. I work 5 mins walk from home, 10 mins from the centre of town and 10 mins from a Tescos, an Asda and a Sainburys. Now I tend to hire a car to visit family, but it can be done just as easily by train.

This is mostloy cause I hate driving though, I have no trust in anyone else on the road not to suddenly drive infront of me and it makes me paranoid. Most of my family drive like nutters and I've spent too long on the road with them, so I think everyone else drives like they do.

To those who say 'oh no, it would be impossible for me, look how awkward it would be for me to get to work/shops/grannys/whatever' - if you had never had a car, you probably either wouldn't live where you are or work where you do, because it would be so awkward. Whether this would have put you in a better or worse situation is hard to say, as it would be such a massive difference to your life. When I was job hunting I told then I would only consider anything in the city centre - I see many jobs in surrounding areas, and who knows what things would be like if I worked there, but as it is I have a job I love close to home. Perhaps if I hated it then a daily bus commute would be more appealing!

I do think that I would like to have a car once we start a family though, but even then I don't see it being vital, it would just be nice.

honey_gem

I guess its up to the individual if they learn to drive or not. especially in busy cities its not always practical to drive.

Up until I was 24 I was not interested in driving in the slightest. My brother on the other hand was desperate to learn to drive and did so the minute he turned 17.

I was happy travelling on the bus for school then college, my part time job was in the city centre where it is quite difficult to park and when I did finally start working it was a 4 minute walk from home!

With my hobby I travel around the UK from Glasgow, Berwick, Newcastle Carlisle and further down south if I can afford it for a long weekend. I had a huge falling out with a (now ex) friend who I used to go everywhere with and when my dad wasn't travelling was struggling to get to the places I wanted to go. On top of that another friend passed her driving test at 28 years old, it was then I decided to learn to drive. It was the 1st time I had ever been really interested in doing it. It took me 17 months £1500+ and 2 failed tests before I finally passed. It is the best thing I have ever spent money on!

When I first passed I was driving my dads car, he got a new car nearly 2 years ago so i bought my car then. I could travel to work by bus now but it would add at least half an hour each way to my journey, I take my granmother food shopping once a week (she is nearly 87) and my mum is registered disabled and I take her to work every morning and collect her when I can as she can't walk all that far. Having the car means I can do these things to help out.

floyd

I didn't think about taking lessons until I was 25ish. Never really saw the need as I lived on a good bus route, worked on a good bus route, liked a drink when I went out so thought I was better off without as I couldn't afford a car anyway.
Then something changed, OH and I bought a house that needed tons doing to it, rubble needed shifting, flat pack furniture needed buying, stuff needed taking to the tip so how else is there to do mucky stuff like that? Council won't take it, man with a van costs a fortune and OH works mainly nights so by the time he had got up, the shops and tip were shut.
Now I really don't know how I ever got anything done without a car of my own. I certainly couldn't work late (as new work is in a very dodgy area) without a car as the bus stop is half a mile away. I couldn't carry large things on the bus as some drivers refuse to carry things if they block the aisles and our garden would be full of an old bathroom suite, old wardrobes, and about 50 feet in length of privet hedges.