Just because I'm Here...

[NateTheChops]

How odd, a pyschiatric nurse referring to someone choosing not to drive a car or get a licence as "insanity".

Irony has always been a big factor in my life.

It boggled my mind to discover suburban parts of the US that actually have no pavements/sidewalks.

That describes about 80% of Vermont. I was surprised that there were sidewalks in some of the more harrowing parts of Salem. But of course if someone gives you directions out there, they'll assume you're driving and if you're walking they just have to tell you how far it is, or how they wouldn't do it if they had the choice.

Nate, I don't know what mental health issues you may have/had,

Read here if you want to get the full story of why I was there.

[Seshat]

Side note: my mention that many disabled and elderly can drive is - well. CAN. Not 'should', definitely not 'must'. Just 'can'. If you want to give it a try.

Also, to notify those of you who are of the 'I wish I could but ...' sort that there are driving instructors out there who specialise in teaching the disabled, the elderly, and people who have other 'but...' criteria.

Anyone who doesn't want to drive? Meh. No problem. Shouldn't have to.

[Marmalady]

In the UK this is not as unusual- public transport is much more widely used

It is? Whereabouts in the UK are you, then?

In the part where I live, 'regular bus service' means 'once a week, on market day, and then you'd better be quick because the return bus leaves less than an hour after the first one gets you into town'. If you want to see trains, they're at the Bressingham Steam Museum. Nice gardens, too.

In this area, if you can't drive, or get a lift from someone, you aren't going anywhere

[sstabeler]

Marmalady, I assume you live somehwere other than the south east? since around London you quite often ahve a choice between what kind of public transport you can get. it's easy to get wherever you want.

[ShadowBall]

Shit, I didn't get my license until last November at the age of 23. And when I was still living in Pittsburgh, I would take the bus bloody everywhere - personally I think it's more practical to pay $5 or so for a round trip bus ticket than a car, insurance, repairs, parts and fuel. But I would only say that in a more urban area as da-burgh or NYC where it's cheaper to take public transportation than to drive.

Sadly, I'm back home now where there's no public bus, no subway, nothing but taxis. Honestly, I'd love one of those motorized scooters since I think they'd be faster than walking, but not as costly as a car...but yeah, try living with a parent who thinks everyone in the whole wide world will rape and murder me so they can steal my stuff and sell it for drug money. I cannot have a vehicle of any kind of my own - not even a regular old bike. Needless to say, cabin fever abounds when I am not employed.

I'd rather not have a car anyway; learning to drive with my mother and her screaming at me for driving the speed limit or not holding the steering wheel just right has made me a rather nervous driver. Just last weekend I was screamed bloody murder at because I accidentally ran over what looked like a shoe box. I do not need screaming on a twisty country road at 40 mph.

But it is by no means "insanity" to not have a driver's license. Yeah, methinks it's not very good practice to tell someone in the psych ward that they are insane. Even if they are (not saying you are), you don't tell them that. And sadly, you can't bitch them out for being morons because they'[ll use that as fodder to keep you there longer.

[Marmalady]

Marmalady, I assume you live somehwere other than the south east? since around London you quite often ahve a choice between what kind of public transport you can get. it's easy to get wherever you want.

I'm in the Broadland area of Norfolk, and in this area the words 'public transport' are greeted by hollow laughter. If you live in or around the city (Norwich, for those who don't know) then it's not too bad - as well as the ordinary buses, there are the minibuses which go on loops around various routes. Out in the sticks, however.....If you see a bus in these parts, it usually means that the driver's got lost.

(What's really sad is that a lot of the villages around me had their own railway stations until Dr Beeching swung the axe - you can still see quite clearly where the lines etc were).

[Seshat]

Honestly, I'd love one of those motorized scooters since I think they'd be faster than walking, but not as costly as a car.

If you mean the mobility scooters, the answer is no: at least, not here. There's a maximum speed for anything which is classed as a 'pedestrian vehicle'. My husband can easily walk faster than that speed, and my wife's 'fast walk' is about the same as my scooter's top speed.

Now, as for me - yeah, much faster than walking. But that's part of why I'm classified as 'disabled'.

However, the 'mini-motorbike' type of scooter is cheaper to run than a car, faster than a walk, and you can't take your mother on it.

[ShadowBall]

No no no, not one of those. I'm not in need of a mobility scooter - I can easily out-walk one of those. I mean one of these:



I guess a moped? Vehicle names are absolutely not one of my strong points. Only thing is I think I need to get a different license to drive one of these, and I don't see myself being able to do that until I get out of my house....so it'll be a long time.

[Seshat]

Yep - that's also called a scooter. (Or a moped, but much less commonly.)

Check with your local licencing authority - sometimes you can use a scooter of up to (X) level of power on a car licence, and only need a motorbike licence for a more powerful vehicle.

[Mishi]

*Grins* Rugz wants one of those, because it would be cheaper than driving a car to and from work. He used to ride, but there is a crazy magpie that attacks everyone in it's territory all year round. Rugz also wants one because it messes with peoples minds when they see a tough-looking bloke proudly riding a moped.

I need to start driving because Jazzy starts school next year. I have my learners permit, I just need to rack up the hours. I'm kind of scared because I don't want to drive like my mother and she's always been so negetive that I don't even want to try. At least all my friends are able to be my trainers now!

@Seshat - My mother is a driver assessor/trainer... be afraid, be very afraid!

[LadyAndreca]

I'd love to have a scooter instead of a car, but in NJ a moped actually has to have pedals (motor-assisted pedaling) or it's classified as a motorcycle. And that kind of defeats the purpose for me. Plus I'd probably get killed by some maniac who isn't paying attention.

[Seshat]

I'm kind of scared because I don't want to drive like my mother and she's always been so negetive that I don't even want to try. At least all my friends are able to be my trainers now!

@Seshat - My mother is a driver assessor/trainer... be afraid, be very afraid!

My father taught me to drive. I'm sure I'd have been a lot better off if he'd done a swap with one of his friends. (IE: if his friend taught me, & he taught his friend's kid.)

If you can, ask your mother for a recommendation for her *second* choice for a trainer for you. Learn from them. Even if it costs you money but your mother would have been 'free', it'll be worth it.

Note: my father recommends 3 formal lessons a fortnight (every two weeks), and as many hours of practice with calm/patient family or friends as possible in between.

[boringscreenname]

I don't have a driver's license but I own a car. My husband uses it for work since he's a delivery driver. I pay all the payments (with my paycheck, not his!), and he drives me to and picks me up from work. We have a great bus system here, but I can't use it because it doesn't run at the times I need, and I live 8 miles away from work so walking really isn't an option.

[Little Retail Rabbit]

It is? Whereabouts in the UK are you, then?

In the part where I live, 'regular bus service' means 'once a week, on market day, and then you'd better be quick because the return bus leaves less than an hour after the first one gets you into town'. If you want to see trains, they're at the Bressingham Steam Museum. Nice gardens, too.

In this area, if you can't drive, or get a lift from someone, you aren't going anywhere

I live near Portsmouth. There are some farms and things nearby, but generally you can still get around even in those rural areas, as they are sort of "attached" to the towns and suburbs. I'm a 20-min walk from the train station and there is a bus stop around the corner from my house that has 3 different services. Needless to say, going to a place where the pavement runs out and there is no way to get about without driving, it came as a real shock to me!

Side note: my mention that many disabled and elderly can drive is - well. CAN. Not 'should', definitely not 'must'. Just 'can'. If you want to give it a try.

Also, to notify those of you who are of the 'I wish I could but ...' sort that there are driving instructors out there who specialise in teaching the disabled, the elderly, and people who have other 'but...' criteria.

Anyone who doesn't want to drive? Meh. No problem. Shouldn't have to.

I saw a very elderly woman driving a massive four-by-four the other day. Scared the crap outta me.

I'm personally not fussed on driving. Lessons cost way too much money, and even if I passed the tests, I couldn't afford the other many costs involved in owning and running a car.

[Cat]

I used to read Tarot of the Cat People...I loved that deck, sadly I lost it in a basement flood. That nurse was an idiot.

I hate my car and driving with the white hot intensity of 10,000 suns. Alas, I must drive, the public transportion in my state is poor, and I can't bike to work. And two of my face pastimes are outta state

My bf loves driving, thank Bast.