I’m 36 and have lived in a mix of rural and urban areas of America and I never learned to drive and have never driven a car.
Just want to make the point that not driving is really an option, just one that most people look for a way to avoid. It’s all a matter of priorities and as much as most people say they hate driving/traffic, very few actually do anything about it.
I totally agree. I hate just about everything about driving: it's a time-suck, incredibly stressful, and environmentally awful (not to mention lazy). I live in a walkable and bikeable area specifically to reduce the amount that I have to be in a car. Rent tends to be a bit higher in these areas, but for me the tradeoff is completely worth it!
I stand on the other side of this continuum. I'm 25 years old and I own a car. I _love_ my car; and, I often enjoy driving. I will often drive just to drive, even if this means being in relatively heavy traffic. Actually, I find that point where heavy traffic isn't a deadlock to be an especially fun time to drive because it hones my driving skills. I like feeling my car and being a part of my car as it goes down the road. When I'm alone, I like the privacy being in a car gives me as I can sing at the top of my lungs and no one has to hear me when I'm driving at free-way speeds.
I'm even looking to the future where I can buy a new car that I'll be able to use on race tracks and in rally races for my own personal enjoyment.
Considering that I'm almost thirty and still don't have a drivers license, simply because it overloads me with multitasking issues (looking around, steering, the mess that is changing gears, all the other knobs) yet have succesfully been combining walking with all kinds of activities since a very early age, I respectfully disagree.
EDIT: Although the points raised by others about cars providing a nice isolated comfortable environment makes a lot of sense as well. I guess it all depends.
I actually prefer driving to literally any other form of commuting - I get to sit in an air conditioned personal seat with my own music/podcasts/audio books playing, it's great. In comparison biking/walking is just miserable, and public transport is actively unpleasant. But then I actively enjoy driving, even if it's just for the commute.
I've driven thousands of miles and hundreds or thousands of hours. In high school it was a requirement for living. But there's a big difference between being proficient and enjoying something. I got well past the "learning discomfort" and I still loathed driving. I choose to avoid driving every chance I can, even when it's cold, or rainy, or windy, or it'll take a long time to walk. Because I enjoy being outside and enjoying the world a lot more than being cooped up in a giant expensive metal box.
Some people just prefer walking, biking, and public transit over driving. You almost sound like you're describing Stockholm Syndrome, learning to "enjoy" a task that is stressful and unpleasant that you're forced to do every day.
I can't think of any activity I'm required to participate in by society that annoys me as much as driving everywhere.
Agreed, actually. I fully intend to stop driving after I retire. It's actually a conversation I've had a few times with my parents, and I'm heavily encouraging them to give up driving. I wish we had better licensing standards in the US at every level and that we forced aged-based retesting on older drivers. I know that my mother (72) for instance definitely should not be driving, but still does, although mostly my father (65) does the driving. I'd prefer if neither of them did.
The flip side (and something I think Strong Towns would fully agree with me on) is that most American cities are constructed for cars and not for people, which means stricter licensing standards and being more careful about licensing of older drivers is somewhat of a non-starter if it means people have no feasible way to get to the store or the doctor (or for those below retirement age, to work).
I also realize that my position is heavily privileged, both by my ability to afford newer cars and impeccable maintenance, my time and affordability of training, and that I will likely retire early enough in age to not ever become a road hazard due to my age. It is not lost on me that this cannot apply to most other people, and I recognize I'm an outlier in this way. I heavily support policies to increase public transit options, and I hope that self driving cars become a reality in my lifetime. We cannot build society's policies based on our highest or lowest outliers, but need to consider the reality of the normal person's experience.
Driving is amazing. I can travel further faster, making it easier to see friends. I can travel with more stuff making grocery shopping faster and easier. I can store things in my car which saves me worry and time. Driving can even be fun! I'd hate driving if I had to live in the middle of a dense city though.
Biking and walking are also amazing. It's healthy, and can be quite social. I can walk without having to worry about finding parking. I don't need to worry about keys, license, etc. It's simply impossible to walk/bike everywhere though in the majority of the country.
Driving is amazing. I can travel further faster, making it easier to see friends. I can travel with more stuff making grocery shopping faster and easier. I can store things in my car which saves me worry and time. Driving can even be fun! I'd hate driving if I had to live in the middle of a dense city though.
Biking and walking are also amazing. It's healthy, and can be quite social. I can walk without having to worry about finding parking. I don't need to worry about keys, license, etc. It's simply impossible to walk/bike everywhere though in the majority of the country.
I don't really like driving and I actually do less of the drive for an hour at the end of the day for some evening activity than I used to.
But I do like being able to get away for weekends, go to national parks and wilderness areas on vacation, etc. (And I like living in at least the semi-country which wouldn't be possible without a car.)
I love walking and hate driving (even though I've been a car owner for 13 years) and still get this when I choose not to drive. My car was in the shop a year ago and I wasn't working so I walked or took public transit to take my son to daycare (about 1 mile from my home). I had multiple parents offer to give me a ride in a slightly pittying way
In contrast I hate driving cars. I feel like it’s my least favorite tool. I have a nice car, I’ve driven even nicer cars in different styles and hated them all. Driving requires so much of my attention I feel like it’s invasive. In addition I feel like I have to sit relatively still and use my muscles in very particular way. It’s a trap for my mind in body, and an experience I don’t find pleasant.
I am an American and will go out of my way to use any other mode of transportation, even at the expense of time or money. Sometime’s it’s just unavoidable.
I hate dealing with the other humans on the road and the stupid things they do. I hate the constant uncertainty, not being able to assume anything because people don't even signal turns properly. I hate the roads, poorly maintained, full of speed bumps, full of potholes, full of people walking around without a care in the world. I hate having to maintain my car.
I hate being forced to drive. I only do it because I hate other forms of transport even more.
Unfortunately where I live the public transportation is awful, so I end up driving more than I would prefer.
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