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Do you drive?

Do you drive?

  • I have a full licence and a car

    Votes: 103 62.4%
  • I have a full licence but no car at the moment

    Votes: 24 14.5%
  • I cannot drive

    Votes: 31 18.8%
  • I am too young to drive

    Votes: 7 4.2%

  • Total voters
    165
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AlterEgo

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Joined
30 Dec 2008
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23,074
Location
Rugby
A quick poll - do you drive?

The results are public but usernames will not be. :)
 
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LexyBoy

Established Member
Joined
23 Jan 2009
Messages
4,478
Location
North of the rivers
Never learnt - when I was growing up we lived only a couple of miles from town, and all my friends were within an hour's walk so no need; plus I objected on environmental grounds. At university there was no need to have a car (and it would have been very impractical - almost everyone I knew there who did have a car kept it at their parents'). Since then I've always lived in places with good public transport (London briefly then Reading), and don't need a car for work.

My wife does drive but hasn't kept a car for 7 years or so. We borrow or rent a car perhaps once or twice a year (mainly festivals). With two young children a car journey of any distance is a nightmare anyway!

Nowadays I'm less concerned by the environmental impact of driving vs other transport (massive climate change is inevitable excepting some global catastrophe IMO), but really hate how much cars dominate almost every public space. Even the pavement isn't free from cars driving over it, blocking it, or being rendered unusable so that cars can drive across it more easily.
 

richw

Veteran Member
Joined
10 Jun 2010
Messages
11,528
Location
Liskeard
Living in a rural area there was little choice but to drive.
Due to the start time of my work shift being before the earliest public transport I couldn't get there without a car,
 

mikeg

Established Member
Joined
20 Apr 2010
Messages
1,901
Location
Selby
I cannot drive, I used to have a provisional which expired last year, having attempted to learn to drive about ten years ago. Got to the practical test stage three times. Last time nearly passed without so much as a minor, until just before where I pulled into park. Examiner at the end of the test: 'So you didn't see that red light at the crossing just before you pulled in? Keep trying, you'll get there'. Unfortunately by this point I was off to University and couldn't really justify the expense of learning to drive, let alone driving and car ownership itself. I hasten to add it was a pedestrian crossing with nobody actually crossing, still no excuse but I know the exception some would take on here were it a level crossing!

Just as well actually, it was from using the train to get around that I got interested in things like what class units/locos I would be getting, what lines I would be using, etc. and my love affair with the railways (and ambivalence towards First PMT (uni) and hatred of Dales and District (home)) began. Now I have a medical condition I'd have to declare and though my consultant reckons I'd be absolutely fine I can't really be bothered with the hassle or risk of wasting the application fee to discover I can't drive if I were to reapply for my provisional with a view to starting taking lessons/the tests again. Currently living in Nottingham but moving back to Thirsk in a few days, there's really no need for a car in Nottingham.
 
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trainmania100

Established Member
Joined
8 Nov 2015
Messages
2,651
Location
Newhaven
I drive, I find it easier and more reliable to get to stations compared to the bus. I use the train for longer distances
 

33056

Established Member
Joined
12 Nov 2007
Messages
2,421
Location
On a train somewhere in Europe
I'm not really sure which bit of the poll to tick, I have a full driving licence (and have had one for about 35 years) but have never owned a car :o

Two of us share a car and treat it as "our car" but only one person can be the actual owner and it isn't me :lol: This isn't a problem as we normally both travel nearly everywhere by rail and can usually work round any problems if both of us require use of the car at the same time.

PS: If I hadn't learned to drive when I did (early 1980s), there is no way that I would start now; I HATE driving!
 

Bevan Price

Established Member
Joined
22 Apr 2010
Messages
7,714
I can drive, but avoid it when possible. I only learned to drive when I was at a workplace almost inaccessible by public transport. Now, I find it useful for the occasional trip to the supermarket, getting to stations when /where no bus services are available, and occasionally as somewhere to sit whilst waiting to photograph trains at nearby locations (e.g. Winwick).
 

96tommy

Member
Joined
18 May 2010
Messages
1,067
Location
London
Never learnt. I sometimes wished I did before moving to Central London but here, the amount of public transport means the point of owning a car is 0 considering that you would still have to pay tax/insurance and maintenance etc.
 

Tim R-T-C

Established Member
Joined
23 May 2011
Messages
2,143
I have a car and licence, living up in Lancaster it was pretty essential for work. I try and use it as little as possible these days, holidays and trips are by train as often as I can.
 

dgl

Established Member
Joined
5 Oct 2014
Messages
2,568
Have had some lessons with a family member but haven't plucked up the courage to have proper lessons yet. Have driven a bike on a provisional license though (although again never did a test and so had to do about 3 CBT's)

Sent from my Lumia 625 using Tapatalk
 

LowLevel

Established Member
Joined
26 Oct 2013
Messages
8,074
I have a licence and two cars, I also occasionally drive a van/pickup.

Myself and t'other are both railwaymen so shifts are generally unsociable and at times different enough to warrant driving in separately (public transport to our depot is dire in the morning, in the direction we need it only!!).
 

DarloRich

Veteran Member
Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
30,754
Location
Fenny Stratford
I have a driving license but no car. However i drive regularly. All of my driving is in company vehicles none of which are solely assigned to me.
 

Cowley

Forum Staff
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15 Apr 2016
Messages
16,897
Location
Devon
I drive a long wheelbase Merc van. Not sure what to tick. Use it for work, holidays (it's part converted to a camper), as a people mover (got lots of kids), as a mobile tea break room and also to earn money moving stuff for people.
It's got seats in the back that face each other and and windows with a top bit that opens and when I put the table up it's a bit like sitting in a mk1,
I absolutely love it, had it for 5 years now, been to Loch Ness, been to Venice.
It's done 220000 miles but still drives like it did when I got it.
Drive the wife's car sometimes but I much prefer driving The Beast. :)
 
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tony_mac

Established Member
Joined
25 Feb 2009
Messages
3,626
Location
Liverpool
I cannot drive, I used to have a provisional which expired last year, having attempted to learn to drive about ten years ago.
As far as I know, a provisional licence (like a full licence) does not normally expire until you are 70.
The photocard does, but that's a separate issue, you don't need to reapply for a licence to renew your photocard.
(And you are still entitled to drive if the photocard is out of date, but you can be fined for not updating it more info).
 

Clip

Established Member
Joined
28 Jun 2010
Messages
10,822
I have both as does the missus but im gonna get rid of mine soon and just use hers if I have to - its a monumental waste of money
 

mikeg

Established Member
Joined
20 Apr 2010
Messages
1,901
Location
Selby
As far as I know, a provisional licence (like a full licence) does not normally expire until you are 70.
The photocard does, but that's a separate issue, you don't need to reapply for a licence to renew your photocard.
(And you are still entitled to drive if the photocard is out of date, but you can be fined for not updating it more info).

Ah thanks, I bow to your superior knowledge, the photocard has expired then.


Originally Posted by CarlSilva View Post

Why isn't there a "I don't have a licence but own a car" option ?

There is. It's "I cannot drive".

But they could drive... Just not legally!
 

deltic1989

Established Member
Joined
21 Sep 2010
Messages
1,483
Location
Nottingham
I drive and have done since I was 17. I've always loved anything with an engine, and passed my test mostly to justify the thousand or so pounds I had ploughed into an old 3 Series BMW (Yes insurance was a big pain in the wallet :D ).
I was sad to see that car go really, but the ex-mrs wanted me to buy a car with 4 doors and a big boot, so the 3 series coupe was replaced with a 3 series touring (estate to the layman :) ).
My present steed is a 1997 Volvo V70 2.5, not a car you would expect to be that quick, but it goes like a stabbed rat. It is soon to be replaced (subject to the domestic management's approval) with yet another BMW 3 series.
 

richw

Veteran Member
Joined
10 Jun 2010
Messages
11,528
Location
Liskeard
My present steed is a 1997 Volvo V70 2.5, not a car you would expect to be that quick, but it goes like a stabbed rat. It is soon to be replaced (subject to the domestic management's approval) with yet another BMW 3 series.

I had a V70 2.5 auto a few years ago, got it to 155mph in Germany :D So I can verify it goes as stated!

I've now a 206 1.4 HDI as I was until recently doing 150 mile round trips each day I needed something cheap to run, now I'm down to around 30 mile round trips. Its doing around 65mpg, and £30 a year tax.
 

theblackwatch

Established Member
Joined
15 Feb 2006
Messages
10,762
I passed my test when I was 17, but didn't drive much until I was 25 when I bought a car as I got a new job 12 miles from home. To get to work by public transport would involve a 5 min walk to the bus stop for a bus to town, then another bus to work. Alternatively, a 30 min walk to the bus stop for the second bus to work - either of these would take me about an hour, whereas I can get to work in the car in 20/25 minutes with much more flexibility on my times.
 

Bletchleyite

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"Marston Vale mafia"
I'd love to not own a car and just hire one when needed, but public transport isn't up to the job in much of the UK outside London and to a lesser extent certain parts of the other large cities, and cycling isn't a lot of fun in winter particularly when icy.
 

tsr

Established Member
Joined
15 Nov 2011
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7,400
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Between the parallel lines
Though I am going off on a tangent a bit, I know a couple of people who can drive trains (on the mainline) but not cars. I wonder how common that is...!
 

me123

Established Member
Joined
9 Jul 2007
Messages
8,510
I own a car and do enjoy driving in the right circumstances. It's often simply not possible to not have a car in many parts of the country, for example I can't get to work in the morning using the public transport that is available. I do prefer public transport for many journeys - longer distance runs and runs to city centres are good examples, e.g. I have no plans to drive to London ever. But it's not always the best option to drive - travelling from North Wales to Scotland I would usually choose the car.
 

Tetchytyke

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Joined
12 Sep 2013
Messages
14,603
Location
Isle of Man
I can drive, but don't own a car. My wife has one- she paid for it, she pays (most of) the running costs- but I don't. Living five minutes from a Metro stop, the only time I really use it is to do a supermarket run because I'm not organised enough to get online deliveries.
 

Lrd

Established Member
Joined
26 Jul 2010
Messages
3,018
I have a full licence and a car but if my plans to move closer to work happen early next year then the car will probably be going as insurance in London is double than what it was for me in Southampton.

Also have D1 and D licence (minibuses/buses/coaches) but not currently using it. I also don't own any buses.
 

DarloRich

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Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
30,754
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Fenny Stratford
I own a car and do enjoy driving in the right circumstances. It's often simply not possible to not have a car in many parts of the country, for example I can't get to work in the morning using the public transport that is available. I do prefer public transport for many journeys - longer distance runs and runs to city centres are good examples, e.g. I have no plans to drive to London ever. But it's not always the best option to drive - travelling from North Wales to Scotland I would usually choose the car.

agreed - when i lived near Northallerton in North Yorkshire you either drive or didn't leave the village!
 

61653 HTAFC

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Joined
18 Dec 2012
Messages
18,369
Location
Yorkshire
I passed my test at 19, drove my mum's car for a few years (when home from uni) before getting my own. A car was essential while I lived near Taunton but as I've now moved back to West Yorkshire I don't really need one. When we moved back I still had my car for about 18 months before it failed the MoT test and I sent it for scrapping. Went back onto my mum's insurance until my licence expired (I have to renew every 3 years due to medical issues) and haven't bothered to renew it this time around. I may do so if my circumstances change, but if I do so I may book a couple of lessons with an instructor just to jog my memory!
 
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