Driving Dilemma

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Prof_Pretorius
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14 Sep 2012, 4:25 pm

hanyo wrote:

I don't think I'd be a good driver but I don't even have any opportunity to practice. My mother who I live with doesn't drive either and none of my relatives that do drive would bother to waste their time to teach me or let me practice. I barely even see most of my relatives.

Do you have friends that drive? Neighbors? You could ask guys you date to teach you, they would probably be eager to help.

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hanyo
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14 Sep 2012, 4:35 pm

Prof_Pretorius wrote:

Do you have friends that drive? Neighbors? You could ask guys you date to teach you, they would probably be eager to help.

Nope. I don't have friends that live in my state. The one neighbor I know doesn't have a car. I don't date. I also don't work or go to school so I couldn't ask coworkers or classmates.

Prof_Pretorius
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14 Sep 2012, 6:28 pm

hanyo wrote:

Prof_Pretorius wrote:

Do you have friends that drive? Neighbors? You could ask guys you date to teach you, they would probably be eager to help.

Nope. I don't have friends that live in my state. The one neighbor I know doesn't have a car. I don't date. I also don't work or go to school so I couldn't ask coworkers or classmates.

Then the only thing you can do is save up money and when you see an old car in someone's yard, buy it and learn on the fly.

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Jaden
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16 Sep 2012, 6:48 pm

I have issues with driving as well, although for me, it's due to my lack of focus, I realize that my lack of focus on the situation will lead to a bad outcome, so I don't do it.

Jinks
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17 Sep 2012, 4:49 am

I have a lot of problems with driving also. I passed my driving test about ten years ago (by a whisker) but I have never felt confident doing it.

I am OK to drive short routes I am familiar with. For a long time I drove to work and back nearly every day and that was fine. When I know the route all I have to concentrate on is watching the road and stopping and starting at the right times. However, when I have to drive somewhere I am unfamiliar with, especially when I have to go through busy intersections and roundabouts, that is extremely confusing and stressful for me. There is too much going on and I don't know what I'm doing. Other drivers hate me.

I also have a problem when there is someone else in the car trying to talk to me. I can carry a conversation OR drive safely but both is impossible. Usually I just tune out the conversation if someone talks to me while I'm driving and make affirmative noises at the right moments, but yesterday my mother asked me a question I had to think about in order to answer and I would have gone through a red light if she hadn't shouted at me.

I recently got a bike instead. I'm not really fit enough to ride it very far yet, but I feel safer about it!

Prof_Pretorius
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17 Sep 2012, 5:27 am

Jinks wrote:

Keep driving familiar routes, and then branch out. Also try driving at times when it's not so busy, that helps make it less stressful. As to conversations, I often have to tell the Missus to 'hold that thought' because I'm surrounded by idiots. As to other drivers 'hating' you, unless they verbally threaten you, just take it in stride. I have cars zoom around me all the time because I'm not driving as fast as they WANT to go.

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Jinks
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17 Sep 2012, 6:52 am

Prof_Pretorius wrote:

Thank you, this is good advice. As it happens I don't really need a car at this time in my life (I am in walking distance of of shops, now working from home, and rarely go anywhere else). So I do not often need to put myself in that position. If I do need to drive regularly again, I will try to follow your suggestions.

Fortunately I have never had people threaten me, though am honked or gestured at by other drivers quite often, either because of driving slowly or other mistakes like not noticing lights change quickly enough. I am bemused by their impatience.

BlackDwarf
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17 Sep 2012, 8:35 am

My experience. I'm 24 and have never taken tests. I really don't want to drive. The responsibility of being behind a potentially lethal machine and the costs of running the car just really scares me and puts me off, which is one of the main reasons I wish to live in the city.

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