Not Learning To Drive

a non driver here , always got about on a Bike , Bus , or my Chauffeur drove me places …

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Eliza,I won’t be able to give up my bus travels, I have met some lovely people and thoroughly enjoy chatting with them,:grin:

yes me too , been all over England on Coach’s never held me back not driving.

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Been driving for 32 years. Was late comer to driving. Had always lived close to work, or near public transport. However as the wife was pregnant and she said she wasn’t going to drive herself to the hospital (which I thought was unreasonable :joy:) I had to learn.

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My mother was very late in passing her test, I think she went about 6 times, she was a dangerous driver imo, I could not let her drive me anywhere, she only drove locally.

I remember a few times where she could have been involved in a nasty accident, second time it happened that was it,I couldn’t be driven anywhere by her, so I did all the driving if we went out together.

Have been driving for 41 years, 30 of them was driving vans as my job as a service engineer, been all over driving in every condition imaginable, seen some things too…

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I hold car, motorbike, Bus, coach & trailer & HGV1 licences. I also have passed advanced driving for buses, HGV’s motorcycles & cars. The advanced driving for HGV was high security load related & involved anti hijack training.

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I can’t drive. Had a few lessons but never got any further. I was far too scared. My Dad said to me, ‘you ride horses everywhere, in traffic, stop at lights, manage roundabouts & nothing bothers you, yet you get behind the wheel of a car, a car you are in charge of, not a live creature & you go to pieces, you are weird!’ He was right. :slightly_smiling_face:

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The Portuguese can’t drive. I just happened to notice that when visiting their lovely country. Honk Honk :fu:

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If you don’t drive, you get used to it. I love train journeys and walking, don’t mind the bus and there’s plenty of people who give me lifts. We have our shopping delivered and if all else fails, we’ve got a good local taxi service. If you take into account what it would cost us to run a second car, it easily covers the odd taxi fare.

And the family are unanimous (and scared) about my driving and are all in complete agreement I shouldn’t do it!

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Passed mine in 1967…

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54 years the only accident I had was when a flying duck flew out of its nest and hit my bonnet, I couldn’t stop as was on a dual carriageway but when I did a little while later I had an imprint of the duck on my bonnet :frowning:

I passed my test in a mini at 17 and I now have a mini

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There seems to be a common theme here as I too have been driving for 60 years. During that that time I have never had an accident or been booked for any driving offence including parking (there is a certain element of luck in that achievement)

These days I don’t find speed limits the challenge they once were, cruise control is a brilliant device.

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I drive, when I get behind the wheel, everyone else is of a nervous disposition. :grinning: :biking_man: :walking_man:

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I didn’t pass my test until I was in my 40s, I think it’s probably safer to start young.

I paid for my boys to have lessons as soon as they were old enough and they were both fully licenced up and driving within the year.

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I’ve been driving 35 years.
In that time I have had quite a few bumps caused by my own clumsiness and inability to park well!
I carry on though & try to be more careful.

I love being able to drive or how would I get to the leisure centre for my early morning swim? I wouldn’t fancy going on the bus & returning all wet & bedraggled - or meet friends in my walking group at places that are not on a bus route.
Most important- now Tony has lost his license through Alzheimers I am the driver now & need the car for hospital appointments etc.

I love the independence that driving gives me…

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Its daft I know but if I am reversing into a left hand space I can get it right but if I’m reversing into a right hand space my co ordination doesn’t always get it right somehow I start turning in too tight and end up bumping the pavement

Is it only me ?

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No not just you Susan. I’m the same with parallel parking. I’m fine if I’m pointing down the road, but pointing up the road takes me a couple of goes :grinning:

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I started driving in my early 30s and I dont enjoy it. I just like the independence it gives me and the fact I can get to work and to go see my dad every day.

I dont do motorways or city centres.

Work, dads, supermarket and to meet friends is enough for me , im not a right good passenger on motorways either lol

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I have to be honest and say I doubt I would be much good at parallel parking on either side. I remember doing it but that is about all.

When I lived in Sydney I could zoom any car into a space just bigger than the car but I left Sydney over 40 years ago and can hardly recall parallel parking since. Most country towns have angle parking and all shopping malls are marked spaces which you drive or reverse into.

I do recall when I visited England a few years ago a friend getting her car into and out of a space a few inches bigger than her car, likewise my brother had similar skills. I was very impressed. In NSW you must be at least 1 metre from the next vehicle and you must face the direction of traffic flow (I found it very disconcerting see cars parked facing the direction of travel)