Are there still adults out there who don't/can't drive?

jpm4

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

A lot of people are going to get a rude awakening when they can't keep up the lifestyle they chose because they need a car.

I regard it as lunacy to choose to depend on car travel for basic living.

Eh, when is this rude awakening going to happen? Humans depend on lots of things we don't really need: microwaves, Iphones, TVs, fake tan, whatever. You don't need em but they make life more pleasant for some.

inkwell

AgileMyth wrote: »

You took 30 lessons?:eek:
How bad were you?

In most European Countries 30 is mandatory and some people would need more I think..

I could drive after about 10, but to be able to drive and to be safe -thats different.

How many did you get??? If I would have my Dad or somebody who has license here, I could practise, but I didnt..

Dyr

I think the obsession with driving at the earliest age humanely possibe is more of a culchie thing. Presumably so they can get the f**k out of the bog as soon as possible.

I'm 26, and got my driver's licence in June this year. I cycle pretty much everywhere, or walk, or get the bus. I don't use the car for getting to work, just for convenience to be honest - am doing up the garden at the moment so for these type of things it's handy. But that's all it is, it's just handy to have a car.

If I lost my job I'd adapt back to not having one easily enough I'd imagine as I'm not dependent on it. Wouldn't be easy but it'd be possible.

And really, the only reason I did my test was because of additional requirements being put on learners in the future - getting it out of the way basically.

Paparazzo

I live in dublin, (just inside the M50) but even where I live having a car makes life soooo much easier. I definitely consider it vital. Especially with friends and relations scattered around the city and in commuter towns, means visiting them doesn't require hours of travelling.
And a baby is on the way, so a car is even more important.

cassid

Only got driving after my second baby, really hard with a toddler and a new baby. I did loads of lessons years ago and had no real interest in driving as used public transport or the hubby brought me any where I needed to go.

The thing that put me off was gears, was rubbish at remembering how to use them, it just never came natural to me, I swear my feet were doing different things to my head, I swear to used to coast and hope for the best :eek: roundabouts and hill starts put the fear of God into me.

Then I discovered an automatic, and my attitude to driving changed forever. The fear is gone and I love driving now, drive every day, so useful with little children especially with crap weather.

bucketybuck

inkwell wrote: »

In most European Countries 30 is mandatory

Cite?

Or is that pulled from your ass?

(For the record, I had three whole lessons before taking my test, in NI)

languagenerd

I'm 19 and don't drive - dunno if that properly counts as an ''adult'' though
I just don't really need to drive at the moment cause I live very near the Luas and I go to college in Dublin city centre: if I lived in a smaller town I'd probably have had to learn by now...

I just don't think I'd make a good driver - I'm far too nervous a person!

bucketybuck

inkwell wrote: »

In most European Countries 30 is mandatory and some people would need more I think.

Five minutes on google shows that you did just pull that from your ass. Some examples;
Germany

http://www.expatica.com/de/essentials_moving_to/essentials/how-to-get-a-driving-license-in-germany-34198_9937.html

Christine Timmer's typical student requires two to six lessons

Spain is similar to the UK in that there is no set amount of lessons, it is up to the instructor.

http://www.getspain.net/motoring_177068.html

Once you have finished your theory classes and your instructor deems you ready to take your examination you will have to pay the exam fee.

Hell, in Sweden you don't need to take any lessons at all

http://sites.google.com/site/mystayinsweden/driving

You don’t have to attend a driving school, but doing so is highly recommended since getting a Swedish driving license is a very complicated procedure. You are not required to take any courses at a driving school as long as you have someone who can be your "private instructor"

What is it with people just making **** up, do you think we are stupid?

Sephiroth_dude

25 learning atm

Eriu79

I live in the midlands and can not drive.

Firetrap

It's something that everyone should be able to do, even if they don't ever own a car. It's easy to talk about not needing to drive when you're 22 and living beside the Luas. I've got friends who had to learn in their 30s and circumstances forced them into it e.g. kids, work, sick parents or children. By leaving the learning how to drive until circumstances have changed, you're immediately putting pressure on yourself. I don't know what the driving test waiting times are like now but you have to go do a load of driving lessons, you can't legally drive around unaccompanied and often the test date can't come soon enough. Better to learn in your own time when you're younger and not under pressure.

softmee

bucketybuck wrote: »

Cite?

Or is that pulled from your ass?

(For the record, I had three whole lessons before taking my test, in NI)

Yes and for sure you were never driving before - three hours and you passed the test right? Genius! :rolleyes:

kevez

My brother is nearly 34 and has never had a car he has driven all right but but was never insured or anthing and the time he has driven it was my car and it was into a wall and completly wrecked it he has always got lifts into work still lives at home and has never had to pay a bill in his life has about 50k in his account and still wont buy a car :mad: :mad:

bucketybuck

softmee wrote: »

Yes and for sure you were never driving before - three hours and you passed the test right? Genius! :rolleyes:

Try reading before bringing out the old rollseyes smilies. Its right there in my post, I had three LESSONS. I never said I had never driven before, hell, I grew up at a garage, I was driving since I was knee high.

Inkwell said 30 LESSONS were mandatory, I called him on his bull****. You didnt even understand the words.

johnners2981

Rockery Woman wrote: »

Cars are expensive, Im paying €400 per month to the Credit Union for mine, add almost €400 per annum for road tax, about the same for motor insurance!

You're paying 400 on insurance? Wait til next year when male and female drivers get charged the same. Won't be any cheaper for males just more expensive for females, only insurance companies will win

johnners2981

softmee wrote: »

Yes and for sure you were never driving before - three hours and you passed the test right? Genius! :rolleyes:

I also only had 3 lessons and passed first time, just cause you didn't doesn't mean more talented individuals can't :rolleyes:

softmee

bucketybuck wrote: »

Try reading before bringing out the old rollseyes smilies. Its right there in my post, I had three LESSONS. I never said I had never driven before, hell, I grew up at a garage, I was driving since I was knee high.

Inkwell said 30 LESSONS were mandatory, I called him on his bull****. You didnt even understand the words.

He said 30 is mandatory in SOME Countries and I know this is the way it is in Poland for example.
I've had 26 and I never drove before that at all. Not everyone grows up in a garage -feel sorry for you though, it must been hard. :pac:

softmee

johnners2981 wrote: »

I also only had 3 lessons and passed first time, just cause you didn't doesn't mean more talented individuals can't :rolleyes:

But you've had opportunity to drive before that right??? I didnt - my father died when I was young and my mum couldnt afford car, so stop talking nonsense! :mad:

bucketybuck

softmee wrote: »

He said 30 is mandatory in SOME Countries

Once again, try reading for comprehension. (All bolding mine)

inkwell wrote: »

In most European Countries 30 is mandatory and some people would need more I think

Secondly,

and I know this is the way it is in Poland for example.

At risk of repeating myself, cite? Because I sure as hell cannot see where it says you need 30 lessons before taking your test?

softmee

bucketybuck wrote: »

At risk of repeating myself, cite? Because I sure as hell cannot see where it says you need 30 lessons before taking your test?

http://www.naukajazdy.pl/driving_licence_poland/how_to_get_driving_licence.html

"Theoretical training for a given category may not be less than:

30 hours for categories A, A1, B, B1, T
20 hours for categories C, C+E, D, D+E, C1, C1+E, D1, D1+E, B+E


Practical training may not be less than:

15 hours for categories B+E,
20 hours for categories A, A1, C1, C1+E, D1+E, T,
25 hours for categories C+E or D+E,
30 hours for categories B, B1, C, D1,
60 hours for category D. "

johnners2981

softmee wrote: »

But you've had opportunity to drive before that right??? I didnt - my father died when I was young and my mum couldnt afford car, so stop talking nonsense! :mad:

I'm not talking nonsense, I'm a very talented individual

bucketybuck

softmee wrote: »

http://www.naukajazdy.pl/driving_licence_poland/how_to_get_driving_licence.html

"Theoretical training for a given category may not be less than:

30 hours for categories A, A1, B, B1, T
20 hours for categories C, C+E, D, D+E, C1, C1+E, D1, D1+E, B+E


Practical training may not be less than:

15 hours for categories B+E,
20 hours for categories A, A1, C1, C1+E, D1+E, T,
25 hours for categories C+E or D+E,
30 hours for categories B, B1, C, D1,
60 hours for category D. "

Fair enough, Poland requires 30 hours of lessons. Do we have any other examples, perhaps get up to most of Europe as was claimed?

softmee

bucketybuck wrote: »

Fair enough, Poland requires 30 hours of lessons. Do we have any other examples, perhaps get up to most of Europe as was claimed?

I don't know about other countries, but think about the fact there is no such a thing like provisional license -learners permit in Poland. So you can only drive driving school car with driving instructor before you get license.

blorg

kevez wrote: »

My brother is nearly 34 and has never had a car he has driven all right but but was never insured or anthing and the time he has driven it was my car and it was into a wall and completly wrecked it he has always got lifts into work still lives at home and has never had to pay a bill in his life has about 50k in his account and still wont buy a car :mad: :mad:

I saved a ton of money myself working for ten years without the expense of a car. I'd be more concerned about the living at home, but if your parents are OK with it...

OP asked about adults that don't drive, as "owning a car is damn near a necessity." Us non-drivers replied explaining how we chose not to have a car and how we didn't find it necessary. For some reason this has been met with rank incredulity and defensiveness from drivers. I think is telling, as no-one has been criticising people who do drive, just explaining that we don't find it necessary. It's a choice. If for you the expense of a car is worth the money, good for you (and I can certainly visualise situations where it would be.) But to suggest non-drivers are "retarded", childish, naive, cowardly, highly irresponsible, unequipped for life and unable to care for their dependents and poor dying parents is just plain offensive. It displays a shocking lack of empathy and a complete inability to imagine how other people may live differently to you, even in this most trivial of ways. God help you if you ever have to deal with people from a fundamentally different culture. People can have different priorities to you and not need nor want to waste their money on a car they don't need. Personal choice. Get over it.

Badly Drunk Boy

I hate the way motorists are trying their best to kill our planet...

bnt

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

I hate the way motorists are trying their best to kill our planet...

Oh, the planet will be fine ... it's the people that are screwed.

I don't think that most of the drivers here have seen just how bad it can get when cars take over a city. I haven't been to LA, but I have been to Houston, and the urban sprawl is terrifying to behold. The Greater Houston area is about 1/3 the size of Ireland, with about the same population (~6M), criss-crossed with freeways. Imagine Leinster with over twice as many people, and several times as many cars on the road. Few people live in the city itself: commuting by car is the norm. Yet traffic jams are not common (I'm told), because the road system is so much "better" ... by which they mean "bigger". Many 4-lane freeways, including their "north circular", and one that goes straight past the city centre. The sheer volume of car traffic, is scary - and they're not small cars, either.

Shenshen

Malari wrote: »

No, just for the test, I meant. Yeah, I had my parents' car. I guess most people would have a family member with a car, I think that was the way everyone I know learned to drive. But my point was that you don't actually need to own a car to pass a test.

Well, then, what did you learn to drive in?
Or did you just show up for the test one day and passed?

Shenshen

bucketybuck wrote: »

Cite?

Or is that pulled from your ass?

(For the record, I had three whole lessons before taking my test, in NI)

Germany mandates 14 theoretical and 12 practical lessons, plus however many practical lessons you may need.
You are NOT allowed to drive a car without an instructor until you have your full license, so any practice has to be done as lesson.

mada999

Noel Gallagher cannot drive and he owns a few cars..... he say's he's going to learn soon though...

Malari

Shenshen wrote: »

Well, then, what did you learn to drive in?
Or did you just show up for the test one day and passed?

Like I said, I had my parents' car (only ever with my dad in it) for use to learn, but that's not the point. I was refuting you when you said that you needed to own a car to pass a test. If you don't have a car, you can still use an instructor's car to learn and borrow a car to do the test.

Shenshen

Malari wrote: »

Like I said, I had my parents' car (only ever with my dad in it) for use to learn, but that's not the point. I was refuting you when you said that you needed to own a car to pass a test. If you don't have a car, you can still use an instructor's car to learn and borrow a car to do the test.

I never said you need to own a car, so thanks for refuting a point I didn't make.

I said it's expensive because you need to either own a car or pay for an instructor.


If you're lucky enough to have someone in your family with a car, good for you. Not everybody does.

thejuggler

I don't drive at present and I'm in my mid 30's

I used to drive for a period in my mid 20s but never felt confident so between that and the cost I gave up on it.
If you live in an urban area there is usually sufficient public transport to get where you need to go.
Having acar is conveneint but it's a costly convenience that you need to get value out of to make it worthwhile.

thejuggler

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Cooking and swimming are both basic lifeskills that should be taught to everybody. They still are not. Driving is a lifestyle choice along with ability to operate a DVD player or a computer, not a basic lifeskill.

I don't see how swimming is more of a basic lifeskill than driving is. Both are completely optional activities and people can quite happily pass through life without knowing either. I would agree about cooking though.

Shenshen

thejuggler wrote: »

I don't see how swimming is more of a basic lifeskill than driving is. Both are completely optional activities and people can quite happily pass through life without knowing either. I would agree about cooking though.

I don't see how there's a higher risk of actually getting killed if you don't drive... if anything it would be the opposite, I'd imagine.
Being able to swim can save your life. Unless you make sure to never go near any rivers, lakes or the sea, of course.

Cooking is a lifestyle choice, as being able to cook has the potential to keep you healthy and will save you money.

JJJJNR

Considering 70% of the earth is water, there could be a chance you could end up in it at some stage.. Swimming is essential.

Malari

Shenshen wrote: »

I never said you need to own a car, so thanks for refuting a point I didn't make.

I said it's expensive because you need to either own a car or pay for an instructor.

Fair enough, but it sounded like you made a distinction between buying a car and paying an instructor and I was just saying you don't need to buy one.

Shenshen wrote: »

How do you get one without a car, especially in this country?

The main reason I don't drive is because I simply don't have the money to waste on either buying a car, or paying an instructor.

Shenshen wrote: »

If you're lucky enough to have someone in your family with a car, good for you. Not everybody does.

And I never said that either. I was addressing that exact point. Not everyone does, but it's possible to pass a test without anyway. I know one person who has done so. What's with the "congratulations" and "good for you" like I'm boasting? I'm just having a discussion!

Shenshen

Malari wrote: »

And I never said that either. I was addressing that exact point. Not everyone does, but it's possible to pass a test without anyway. I know one person who has done so. What's with the "congratulations" and "good for you" like I'm boasting? I'm just having a discussion!

A lot of people here have explained so far that nobody in their family or circle of friends owns a car. I have explained on more than one occasion that I happen to be one of them.
You keep stating that getting a driving license isn't expensive because you can borrow a car, and yes, by now that does sound a little like boasting.

Malari

Shenshen wrote: »

A lot of people here have explained so far that nobody in their family or circle of friends owns a car. I have explained on more than one occasion that I happen to be one of them.
You keep stating that getting a driving license isn't expensive because you can borrow a car, and yes, by now that does sound a little like boasting.

I'm not arguing expensive, I'm arguing possible!

Kintarō Hattori

I can't. Growing up my folks never had a car. My father was able to walk to work. Getting to town wasn't a problem as we lived on a busy bus route. I was the youngest in the family and my brothers and sister bought cars but only after they'd emigrated.

So I'm afraid there was no history of cars in our family. As an adult I was lucky enough to get a job in the city centre and so I've been able to walk to work for years. I bought a house recently which is 35km from work but the town has excellent public transport.

I do feel at a disadvantage and will take lessons in the near future as not driving can be very inconvenient.

CiaranC

thejuggler wrote: »

I don't see how swimming is more of a basic lifeskill than driving is.

Ill remember that next time I fall into the driving seat of a moving vehicle

Mike 1972

JJJJNR wrote: »

Considering 70% of the earth is water, there could be a chance you could end up in it at some stage..

Even if you live in the Sahara desert and dont drive ?

mada999 wrote: »

Noel Gallagher cannot drive and he owns a few cars..... he say's he's going to learn soon though...

If the media legends about his penchant for intoxicating substances are anyways true perhaps hes better off leaving the driving to someone else ?

filmbuffboy

I am 28 and cant drive. I have no interest in learning. I live, and have always lived in the city centre. I dont plan on living anywhere else other than a city.

It really bothers me when people look at me like I am a freak because I cant drive. They equate it with laziness when it is nothing of the sort for me personally. I am not a lazy person. I work damned hard at college and get straight A's. I just dont see the need to know how to drive when I plan on living in an urban area.

Many of my friends and even some family members have asked me in the past how it is that I have so many nice things, such as a nice tv, large music and movie collection/ book collection/ clothers. and how it is I can travel so much.

The simple answer is because I dont own a car and I dont smoke or drink heavily, therefore I have a lot of spare cash for living life rather than throwing all my money down the drain on petrol and car tax & insurance.

Thats just my two cents anyways. IM sure having a car gives a lot of freedom to hop in and go whereever you want whenever you want, but so does having lots of free dosh in your pocket from not spending thousands on insurance etc annually!!!

AudreyHepburn

I'm only learning now at 25. I haven't needed to up to this point and more importantly I didn't feel ready to do so.

I have many friends who don't either for these reasons.

Not really all that strange to be honest.