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When did you get your License?
16-17 23%  23%  [ 10 ]
17-20 40%  40%  [ 17 ]
20+ 37%  37%  [ 16 ]
Total votes : 43

Deidara
Snowy Owl
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12 Jul 2010, 1:05 am

Started the day of my 18th birthday, got license the same year.

The last time I drove a car was over 1 year ago now. I caused a few accidents because I just don't have insight in traffic, can't park good etc.
For my own safety and that of others I have decided to refrain from driving.



Asp-Z
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12 Jul 2010, 2:19 am

I don't have one yet, but I've taken young driver lessons, and plan to get it pretty much as soon as I'm 18.



Bells
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12 Jul 2010, 3:58 am

Neon304 wrote:
Side note, I can't stand it when people compare driving with video games, they are in no way alike, not even driving games. On the road there are a lot more things you have to pay attention to. Weather effects, brightness of the sun, people who don't watch where they are going. All of that stuff is predictable in video games, since its all AI, and not really random, whereas in real life, it is completely random (well, people not watching where they are going anyway). And last but not least, when you crash in video games, no big deal, when you crash in real life, you could get the ultimate game over.


That said, if I can't even use a handheld wheel for a video game to deal with that situation when there's LESS to pay attention to, then I believe it's far less likely that I'll be able to do it well IRL. Added to my general lack of coordination. I in no way said they were the exact same thing.

John_Browning wrote:
I was 23 when I got my license. I would have been ready at 18 but cerebral palsy and a lack of finances delayed me.


Same thing happened to me. I was finally planning on getting my temps and ended up being hospitalized for a period for frequent seizures. Afterwards, I wasn't allowed to pursuit driving (not that I cared) for a year.



Fo-Rum
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12 Jul 2010, 4:43 am

another_1 wrote:
Fo-Rum wrote:
Where is the "never" option?
Also, driving costs a lot of money for little benefit for me. Just to get into town, it'd cost over 10 dollars in gas. I can spend 3 dollars and get into town via city transportation.


Something doesn't seem quite right about the math on that . . . even with 3 dollar gas, and a 10 MPG car, that means you live 30 miles from town. With a much more realistic 20 MPG, that would be 60 miles out. There aren't all that many places you can live 30 - 60 miles from town, yet take public transport all the way in - at least, not in the US. I mean, if you're not comfortable with driving, don't, but it looks like you may be overestimating the direct operating costs of driving.


I'm not overestimating. I actually live an hour and a half's drive (if you're speeding and taking back roads) from a Wal-Mart. There is a small town 20 miles off, but shopping up here is too expensive. I actually underestimated how much it costs to get to Wal-Mart and back. I didn't do any math at all, I was just giving a favorable estimate towards the cost of transportation with a vehicle.

The local transportation here is STILL 3 dollars one way (6 dollars both ways). Yes, they do the drive, but taxes is what keeps the cost of transportation via bus so cheap. It takes about 2 hours to get to where I need to with the local bus.

I can give you some math if you'd like. Let's say we average 55 miles an hour the whole drive (speed limit), and it still takes 1.5 hours to get there. That would make it 82.5 miles one way (165 miles both ways). If I were lucky and was driving with a 40 mile per gallon vehicle, that would mean for a full round trip, I would use 4.125 gallons. If gas were 3 dollars a gallon (actually 3.4 dollars a gallon in town, more expensive if I get it up here), that would cost me 12.375 dollars round trip vs 6 dollars round trip of the local bus, and this math is done in favor of cheaper costs for the vehicle.

That isn't even calculating at the cost of a monthly pass for the local bus. Thankfully, I don't need to use the bus that often, but if I did, then it'd come out even more favorably than the previous 6 dollar round trip. And of course, we can't forget other costs: payments, maintenance, insurance. Really, local transportation will always be cheaper for me, even if it wasn't subsidized. It isn't as convenient as a car, and it has other downsides too, but those are the things I sacrifice by not getting a license.


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another_1
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12 Jul 2010, 7:42 am

Fo-Rum wrote:

I'm not overestimating. I actually live an hour and a half's drive (if you're speeding and taking back roads) from a Wal-Mart. <SNIP>


You are very fortunate to have such an extensively interconnected public transport system in your area. I'm glad you have that option - by all means, take advantage of it! It saves fuel, reduces pollution, reduces traffic congestion AND it helps you avoid a stressful situation. That's a win for everybody!



fleeced
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13 Jul 2010, 12:22 pm

I didn't get my licence until i was 34. it help when i started driving an automatic, i passed my test about 4 years after that. i couldnt manage in a manual (stick shift? in the US)



labnjab
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13 Jul 2010, 1:00 pm

I agree where is the never button. I took drivers ed and drove like twice after that and was horrible and I have no intention on getting my license. I drift all over the road and cant seem to grasp how to turn a corner and or staying in the lane resulting in every time I drove someone had to help me so I wouldn't crash which I almost did quite a few times heck I almost drove right straight into my parents porch all because the driveway has a slight corner to it.

My fiance drives so he takes me to work and picks me up. It does stink sometimes waiting around but its worth it instead of being so scared trying to stay between the lines and on the actual road for the 2 minute drive home

But granted if I ever wanted to learn I could and my guy is a mechanic so all work on it he would do but the cost of 2 cars on his insurance it would sky rocket due to me being a new driver and the gas, inspection, registration, its not worth all of that money spent when he already has the car and the experience and can stay on the road.

Its safer for everyone if I dont.


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redwulf25_ci
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13 Jul 2010, 1:25 pm

Never. When I took the road test one of the reasons they gave for not giving me a license was that I was too cautious.



LordoftheMonkeys
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13 Jul 2010, 1:32 pm

I am 21 and have never had a driver's license, probably never will either.


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