Driving.

Post Reply New Topic

I am 21 and still have a drivers permit but no licence, and this is by choice....though I really just wanted to get an ID but they talked me into just renewing my permit. Anyways I know how to drive and am fine with driving on open roads. The trouble is being in traffic stresses me out which makes it hard to concentrate and I tend to space out and get distracted in general so I cannot really drive in cities and towns. Is anyone else like this?

I just got my permit, but it's only stressful when I have my sister tagging along. She is a huge chatter box, and distracts me while I'm focusing on what other people are doing.

I'm fine by driving by myself. Other people riding in the car tends to stress me out. I always prefer to figure out how to get to wherever I'm going on my own before even getting into the car. I can't deal with people trying to give me directions while I'm driving. Backseat drivers will make my head explode or possibly cause me to have an accident.

Yeah, I kinda know what you mean. I hate city driving. But luckily I live in a small town out in the middle of nowhere. Even then, sometimes I get confused because there's so much crap going on and it takes me a while to decide what I need to do. I think it will probably be easier when I get my license in August and then I don't have to listen to my mom telling me what to do. I am not capable of having a conversation while I'm trying to drive safely. Conversations are hard enough as is.

When I was learning how to drive many many years ago on an open, empty stretch of road on Fort Ord, I found that if I watch the road I tend to lose track of the obstacles on the road (cars, for example), and if I watch the obstacles, I tend to lose track of the road.

After scaring the hell out of my ex by nearly driving into a giant dumpster, driving lessons ended and I never really got into it again. I've never really trusted the idea of myself on the road, anyway. There are too many things to keep track of, and I am not sure I won't manage to lose one in a tense moment and cause an accident.

I HATE city driving. And I also find it really stressful trying to drive in a place I've never been before, no matter how good my directions are. I went to Boston last years, and driving there was so bad and stressed me out so much that I've been miserable getting into my car ever since. I think I am slowly becoming a non-driver.

I wonder if it would be good to include this issue if I ever feel like trying to apply for SSI again...

I will certainly be including it in mine.

One thing I don't like about driving into the city is road parking. I don't know how to ignore the people always driving up my tail-pipe when I have to slow down to look for an available meter. Aahhh. Just finding a parking spot in the first place is stressful enough without being distracted by the cars behind me.

I resisted driving for years because it scared the hell out of me, in that one little mistake could kill you and/or others, that the roads were full of idiots, etc. I have somewhat come to terms with this by realising that most people, most of the time, are at least capable of avoiding accidents with you out of their own self-interest even if you make mistakes. I do prefer to know exactly where I need to go before leaving the house, although I do have a fairly good innate sense of direction (which might be just a good spatial memory), and there's always the option of pulling over to check the map. I live in a city of about 200k people and I'm ok with driving through the city though I prefer not to, I love freeway and rural highway driving. I live an hour away from a city of 3.5 million and driving through the CBD there scares the hell out of me, though I've been through it before. I try to just be patient; it's better to wait a few seconds longer and maybe make someone honk their horn (which ultimately is of little real consequence) rather than maybe cause an accident (which would be a much greater impediment to traffic flow).

Oh, and if you do get in an accident, the wrong thing to do is check your car, smile and say "oh, that's not as bad as I thought!" before checking the damage to the other car (it wasn't my fault, btw, other driver failed to give way as indicated by the road rules for that type of intersection)

When I am driving I cannot listen to music... I cannot stand people talking in the car [if the car is moving]... If there's a traffic jam or I am waiting at a signal it stresses me out.... I hate driving long distance but have no choice when I go to visit my parents... I have to have my menthol cigarettes with me or I get stressed out like crazy! I can't stand loud honks or those motor bike sounds! If I hear one while driving I have to take great care not to shutdown... I hate people swearing at me when they are drunk and I usually try avoiding streets where I encounter such people... In the night the glare makes it hard for me to drive... I avoid driving in the night as much as possible..

I've been driving since I was 16, but over the years I've eliminated the aspects of driving that made me uncomfortable and without realizing it have reached a point where my driving is quite restricted. I don't drive to places I haven't checked out beforehand or where I'll have to park on the street. I avoid driving on busy streets or at busy times or parking close to other cars. I don't drive over 35 mph unless going that speed would be hazardous. I almost never travel more than 5 miles from home. I don't travel at night or in the rain. I keep the radio off. I haven't been on the Interstate in 10 years.

The positive side is that I enjoy the little bit of driving I do, and I get good gas mileage.

I never learned to drive but my sister did. She has one rule: "Don't talk." When she says that, I have to shut up immediately. When she's ready, she'll say "OK, you can talk." It works - if there's anything I don't want, it's a distracted driver.

I don't really drive. Technically, I can drive. I have a Novice driver's license, which is intermediate between a Learner's license (which requires one to have an experienced driver in the car) and a Full license. But I find driving stressful; I'm very aware of just how dangerous cars are, and I know I'm absent-minded, and I'm afraid I'll be absent-minded at a bad moment and miss something important and cause an accident.

Since I'm legally allowed to drive and just choose not to because I'm uncomfortable with it, I suspect my not-driving wouldn't count as disability-related for transportation assistance purposes.