Driving

[King Malachite]

Same here. Its pretty much the only way to get around at all.

Here too sadly.   

[Umiko]

well lucky i live where public transportation isnt so sucky and i can at least get to the city without driving lol

[LordKAT]

One city here has a population of 750 people. Into the city, might as well take a horse.

[barbie]

When travelling abroad, rental cars give a lot of freedom. After driving in Spain about 15 years ago, I got a confidence that I can drive in any city of the world. The worst place was Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia).

In April, I rented a big passenger car to tour around Big Island of Hawaii with my colleagues. Without the navigation system, I just drove with a map. The U.S. is one of the easiest regions for driving.



barbie~~

[Felix]

In my blood family (u.s. southerners) there are some women who don't drive, who either never learned how or who did and then stopped once they got married. I always assumed that was an odd cultural throwback to several generations ago, when women didn't really do much of anything other than raise kids and shuck corn and whatnot.

That said, I don't drive. I have a valid license, but cars scare the bejeezus out of me. I've only been in a few accidents (one on a city bus) and I feel like they wouldn't have happened if I had been the one driving, but still I get twitchy when either riding in or walking near most vehicles that look large enough to kill somebody.

I put enormous effort into living near public buses and trains and streetcars, and I would place the need to pay city rent ahead of food or internet so I can continue to not drive. I love not being responsible for the lives of everyone around me when I commute to places, and I love not paying for insurance or gasoline, and I love not worrying about breakdowns or repairs.

I'm considering subscribing to zipcar or something like it so I can visit caves or the coast or the mountains, but I don't feel confident enough to do that yet.

[AnneB]

I'm gonna be one messed up girl!!  I LOVE to drive! We live in the desert SW, and I'd think nothing of driving 6hrs to do Disney, rather than a :54min flight there.  I was a student auto shop teacher in high school. I worked in several speed shops (built race cars) while in college in.. wait for it... Daytona Beach.. I think nothing of replacing a radiator, doing brakes, rebuilding a carburetor or removing/replacing an in tank fuel pump.  Same goes with a stereo system.
Now, with my nails, would I want to rebuild an engine or do a motor swap (have a truck with a blown motor in the driveway now). No. I could do it, I just choose not to.
But driving... that is therapy for me..  6-8hrs.. in any direction.. Vegas, LA, San Diego, Albuquerque.. open road driving.. even freeway or in town.. I can do without the rush hour crazies tho..