Hopefully I'm not breaking rules posting this but... if I am, just tell me or delete it
It's awesome to find a place for people who hate driving ... I feel fairly alone in this, because I'm surrounded by drivers and it saps the energy from me, sometimes.
When I was 18 and fresh out of school, my parents enrolled me into a driver's ed course ... and I was into it for a bit, until the actual driving started. I have control issues, and I just didn't feel in control when behind the wheel. And after seeing half a dozen videos about accidents occurring because of new drivers, it made me even more nervous.
Half way through the course, I realized it was screwing everything up. Before, I could drive in a car, and not worry at all, just trust in the person driving... But then, while a passenger in my dad's car, I started yelling at him to watch out for nothing that was a legit problem... It made me worried, paranoid, and above all SCARED. and I hated it.
So one night, I told my parents I was going to quit the class. They insisted I finish it, because they already paid for the rest of the course, and I would've wasted a bit of their money. I agreed, but said afterwards, I'd never drive again.
Two years have passed now, and my driver's permit has expired, and my parents (and others) both have begged me to get my driver's license a thousand times now, but I've held strong. My hometown has bus service, taxis (Both of which my parents said they did NOT have when they began their "learn to drive" argument, which is a crock) so I see no need.
Anyway, there's this newby's story and hello everyone.
It's awesome to find a place for people who hate driving ... I feel fairly alone in this, because I'm surrounded by drivers and it saps the energy from me, sometimes.
When I was 18 and fresh out of school, my parents enrolled me into a driver's ed course ... and I was into it for a bit, until the actual driving started. I have control issues, and I just didn't feel in control when behind the wheel. And after seeing half a dozen videos about accidents occurring because of new drivers, it made me even more nervous.
Half way through the course, I realized it was screwing everything up. Before, I could drive in a car, and not worry at all, just trust in the person driving... But then, while a passenger in my dad's car, I started yelling at him to watch out for nothing that was a legit problem... It made me worried, paranoid, and above all SCARED. and I hated it.
So one night, I told my parents I was going to quit the class. They insisted I finish it, because they already paid for the rest of the course, and I would've wasted a bit of their money. I agreed, but said afterwards, I'd never drive again.
Two years have passed now, and my driver's permit has expired, and my parents (and others) both have begged me to get my driver's license a thousand times now, but I've held strong. My hometown has bus service, taxis (Both of which my parents said they did NOT have when they began their "learn to drive" argument, which is a crock) so I see no need.
Anyway, there's this newby's story and hello everyone.
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Re: I'm new here
Thu, June 14, 2007 - 8:47 AMWelcome!! No you are not breaking any rules...
i had a similar experience in an adult drivers ed course.
Every time I just ride in a car, I get stressed out.
I don't see how people can do it. -
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Re: I'm new here
Thu, June 14, 2007 - 3:26 PMThanks! Yeah I don't get it either... Oddly enough, the people who I know online don't really bother me about it, but everyone I know in real life always has something to say. -
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Re: I'm new here
Fri, June 15, 2007 - 10:51 AMIt used to be that in my household, my boyfriend was the only one who could drive out of 4 people....two of them guys, all of us in our 30's.....but the two guys moved elsewhere.
Either there are lots of adults out there who don't drive, or we had an abnormally large concentration of them around us. -
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Re: I'm new here
Sat, June 16, 2007 - 4:21 PMLucky!
I'm the only one in my household who can't drive. Sometimes I think if I didn't love Illinois so much, i'd willingly move to New York heh.
Got another "You should learn to drive" speech from my aunt today :(
They're gonna be surprised when I move out of here and never ask for a ride somewhere again. lol -
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Re: I'm new here
Sat, June 16, 2007 - 7:59 PMNow an online friend of mine is giving me the odd treatment about not driving, she's acting like I've never mentioned it before :( This day couldn't get much more annoying, haha.
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Re: I'm new here
Mon, June 18, 2007 - 3:22 PMWelcome.
I know how ya feel - Most people think human beings are all wired to just loooove cars and looove driving, when it just isn't the case.
I like to consider us non-drivers the normal ones... :) -
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Re: I'm new here
Wed, June 20, 2007 - 1:37 AMWorks for me! We had my aunt over and she mentioned that she knew driving was scary... but that my cousin or someone took till she was 24 to learn to drive... and I was really wondering, "Should I care?" but then my Mom turns to me and goes, "See! That's four more years! We won't give up on you yet!" like me not driving was a terminal disease or something. -
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Re: I'm new here
Wed, June 20, 2007 - 2:43 PMTo quell the relatives, you could start quoting the high odds of accidents for someone who does drive. I hear most drivers are "very likely" to end up in a car crash or hospital from vehicular injury at some points in their lives. Also, some research shows that drivers have more pollution-related illness than non-drivers.
I'm sorry I don' t have the actual links or sources for you now, but if you look around, you should be able to find them! -
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Re: I'm new here
Thu, June 21, 2007 - 12:17 AMthanks for the advice but I doubt it'd help :D All I can do is keep doing what I'm doing now. They'll get over it eventually I suppose. -
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Re: I'm new here
Wed, June 11, 2008 - 5:14 PMI understand your situation completely. I'm 20 years old and I don't have my license. I've had my permit 3 times, and I've been through driver's ed, but I've never bothered to take the test. Truth is, I hate driving. I too think it is a control issue. My family is constantly telling me that life is easier when you drive, but I just don't by that. My dad even makes fun of me in front of my friends about me not driving. And none of my friends understand either. So I totally understand where you are coming from, and it's nice to know that I'm not alone in the world of adult non-drivers -
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Unsu...
Re: I'm new here
Wed, June 11, 2008 - 8:58 PMWelcome, Dah! I think "not driving" is the wave of the future. You are on the cutting edge of cultural evolution. I believe we shall see more people spurning autos as unnecessary units that represent conspicuous consumption, selfishness, and danger.
When I was fourteen, my mother stopped making me eat meat, so I stopped doing it. I was ridiculed and chided by everyone at after school pizza parties and on dates in restaurants. I didn't eat meat for six years, and no one was able to talk me into it (it just made me squeamish--no lofty principles inspired me). I'm 52, so that was before the vegetarian craze. I enjoyed being the underdog, and a trailblazer. I think what you are doing, and you too, Chelsea, is blazing a trail for future people to follow. You're gutsy, and I like that! -
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Re: I'm new here
Fri, June 13, 2008 - 9:21 AMMeat is essential to eat .
Don't be foolish . -
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Unsu...
Re: I'm new here
Wed, July 2, 2008 - 7:14 AMSynerGY,
I guess you missed the phrase, "didn't eat meat for six years". I am 52 now, and resumed eating meat at the age of twenty!
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Re: I'm new here
Sat, July 5, 2008 - 2:33 PMHey, as long as you can get around, don't worry about not driving. Since you mentioned bus service where you are, you'll be fine. It sounds like you assessed your feelings about driving pretty well, and expressed your concerns thoughtfully as well. I know, I've had people rag on me about not driving as well, it seems that there are plenty of people who really don't like it if you don't drive, almost as much as people who get all defensive when you say you have no TV. In both cases, people like us are bucking huge cultural things that everyone else just goes lock-step along with.
Best of luck to you!