I'm 20 years old and, to say the least, I've put a small amount of effort into getting my drivers license. The reason being that I've just never really wanted to. There are several reasons I've never seen the appeal of driving as well as reasons I've never needed to.
I have two train stations within about a 10 minute walk from me as well as three different bus stops in my neighbourhood that go to different areas of the city so I've never had trouble with travel. I don't feel I have the patience to sit in traffic powerlessly and I enjoy a bit of walking anyway. There's a certain Yahtzee quote that I remember hearing in his Split/Second: Velocity review that sums this up a little: "I doubt I would find it easier to get around if I were 6 feet wide and constantly farting carbon monoxide (I don't know how your mother does it)". I don't see the necessity of it.
I'm certainly not looking forward to affording the gas prices that everyone groans about. I've also observed how pretty much everyone I've been in a car with who is driving inevitably succumbs to road rage, even amongst the the kindest, most reasonable and empathetic people I know. I have a cinema, shopping center and other necessities within walking distance or easily accessible through public transport, and if I go anywhere else like, say, a friends house or a party, I end up either drunk or high anyway so driving is an obvious no-no there. I also live in Australia, a nation with a very high drinking population which tends to go hand-in-hand with driving related injuries, and I am VERY opposed to people who drink drive, its the only trait of certain people I've witnessed that has the power to completely change the way I feel about them. To me, its the dumbest thing one can do and endangers many lives.
On top of that, I've also been told that Australia has a high incidence of vehicle accidents involving young drivers. This is the part that actually scares me: The fact that I could potentially be involved in an injury, or even an accident that only damages my car, because of another driver's recklessness.
Speaking of fear, I only have fear of other drivers rather than my own ability (or lack of). I should state that I have driven under supervision for a total of about 5 hours worth. Its not as difficult or scary once I'm actually behind the wheel and moving, so I have nothing against driving in of itself. But I'm in this weird state where it seems the older I get and the more things I hear and learn, the LESS interested I am in driving, which seems to be the opposite of just about everybody I know.
The reason I've made this thread and the reason this... indifference to getting my license has resurfaced in me is because this morning, my mother came home only an hour after she left for work. She informed me that my sister's boyfriend's dad, as well as a family friend of ours, was just killed on his motorcycle on his way to work. Apparently, he was going down a street on his motorcycle (just a minute away from his house, mind you) when a person in a car pulled out of a driveway without looking. He had no chance of stopping his bike in time to avoid collision and, at present, I'm don't know if the death was instant but he was dead before he could get to the hospital. So if my post comes off as unfair towards driving or unstructured or whatever, its because as of just a few hours ago a father I know is gone. And to think just last night my parents were urging me once again to get my license.
But anyway, I would like to your thoughts, Escapists. Do I really NEED to become a driver? Am I being unfair? If so, what would you suggest I do? And do/have any of you also been reluctant towards learning how drive?
I have two train stations within about a 10 minute walk from me as well as three different bus stops in my neighbourhood that go to different areas of the city so I've never had trouble with travel. I don't feel I have the patience to sit in traffic powerlessly and I enjoy a bit of walking anyway. There's a certain Yahtzee quote that I remember hearing in his Split/Second: Velocity review that sums this up a little: "I doubt I would find it easier to get around if I were 6 feet wide and constantly farting carbon monoxide (I don't know how your mother does it)". I don't see the necessity of it.
I'm certainly not looking forward to affording the gas prices that everyone groans about. I've also observed how pretty much everyone I've been in a car with who is driving inevitably succumbs to road rage, even amongst the the kindest, most reasonable and empathetic people I know. I have a cinema, shopping center and other necessities within walking distance or easily accessible through public transport, and if I go anywhere else like, say, a friends house or a party, I end up either drunk or high anyway so driving is an obvious no-no there. I also live in Australia, a nation with a very high drinking population which tends to go hand-in-hand with driving related injuries, and I am VERY opposed to people who drink drive, its the only trait of certain people I've witnessed that has the power to completely change the way I feel about them. To me, its the dumbest thing one can do and endangers many lives.
On top of that, I've also been told that Australia has a high incidence of vehicle accidents involving young drivers. This is the part that actually scares me: The fact that I could potentially be involved in an injury, or even an accident that only damages my car, because of another driver's recklessness.
Speaking of fear, I only have fear of other drivers rather than my own ability (or lack of). I should state that I have driven under supervision for a total of about 5 hours worth. Its not as difficult or scary once I'm actually behind the wheel and moving, so I have nothing against driving in of itself. But I'm in this weird state where it seems the older I get and the more things I hear and learn, the LESS interested I am in driving, which seems to be the opposite of just about everybody I know.
The reason I've made this thread and the reason this... indifference to getting my license has resurfaced in me is because this morning, my mother came home only an hour after she left for work. She informed me that my sister's boyfriend's dad, as well as a family friend of ours, was just killed on his motorcycle on his way to work. Apparently, he was going down a street on his motorcycle (just a minute away from his house, mind you) when a person in a car pulled out of a driveway without looking. He had no chance of stopping his bike in time to avoid collision and, at present, I'm don't know if the death was instant but he was dead before he could get to the hospital. So if my post comes off as unfair towards driving or unstructured or whatever, its because as of just a few hours ago a father I know is gone. And to think just last night my parents were urging me once again to get my license.
But anyway, I would like to your thoughts, Escapists. Do I really NEED to become a driver? Am I being unfair? If so, what would you suggest I do? And do/have any of you also been reluctant towards learning how drive?
