Dream job at price of biggest fear(scared of driving0

LegacyUser

Right so terrified of driving always have been Male and nearly 30, worked hard to get certain certs to get a certain IT based job, been offered it and i MUST be on the road which is fair enough in regards to the job.

But im goddamn terrified of driving always have been, 10 years since i drove. So have 2 weeks to get my head sorted around driving. I got it away it for so long by doing jobs i sholdnt be (didnt go college for certs, did all courses in spare time the hard way whilst working with kids and family).So should be whooping about this job offer but im scared ****less.

Also scared of failure but thats a different Pi post, how the fook do i sort out the driving thing, i know i not the only one who is, there has to be others....




Please let there be others

Not Schumacher

[Jackass]

You say 10 years since you drove. Did you have a bad accident?
Personally, I wouldn't do a job that involved something I was very frightend of, but you seem fairly certain you want to do it.

My first piece of advice would be to go to a driving school, where you have an instructer beside you with dual controlls, everything is very safe, very slow and you can get eased back into it.

You have 2 weeks you say, you should try and get out and drive every day you can from now and then, when there is no pressure of work, and if not with the instructor, have a freind or family member to sit beside you as extra encouragement and advice, and again take it slow and safely and ease your back into it I'm sure you'll be fine after 2 weeks of practice, your confidence will grow and grow.

Anyway, it's not the end of the world. If you don't feel up to it after 2 weeks, you don't have to do it. Other oppertunitys will arise.

MrJoeSoap

Perhaps you could get a relative or someone close with some time on their hands to help you get (back?) into it? If the job really is worth it then the fear should die away eventually.

Practice makes perfect.

jrey1981

Im 24 and cant drive...partly out of fear so I sympathise with your situation.

In a way we are too mollycoddled and take it for granted that we wont need to drive and there isnt the novelty value in driving or having a car that our parents had when they were our age. They wanted the independence that we now take for granted, in a way.

Fears can be conquered...try and find a sympathetic person to help you. Experience should help you get it right til it is like riding a bike.

This is what I try and tell myself anyway as the day is getting nearer when I have to do something about my own inability to drive.

the_syco

As your posying here anomously, any chance of telling us what happened 10 years ago?

ando

best thing to do is desensitize yourself from it. Drive a bit every day, each day doing longer and more difficult trips. Start off in an industrial estate or driving at night. Are you really going to lose your dream job over this?

LegacyUser

No crash, one near miss but nothing worth being afraid off, just never took to it suppose its like some people afraid of spiders but spiders never really did anything just crawled about.
Have 10 lessons arranged for next 2 weeks and friends today and morrow. Hoping that will do it just never told anyone hence the logoutness of it all


thanks for replies.

Endurance Man

Could be a stupid suggestion but perhaps you would prefer a motorbike?

LegacyUser

I know how you feel about your Job, I also work in IT on the road, and have done for the last 5 years, and I must say you will soon love the life on the road, my 1st year I drive 70,000 miles and loved every minute of been on the road, Ive worked hard never did college but got my papers and a decent job form IT, Id good for it take it handy, you'll love the road soon, the freedom you get form been on the orad is great, yes long hours but job satifaction is excelent i think anyway

LegacyUser

I was 26 before I first got behind the wheel. I had to for work reasons (I had already lost one job because I couldn't drive). I chanced it with only a few lessons, had no experience and couldn't really drive at all. After too many close shaves, I sorted out a long course of lessons with various instructors until I was comfortable with the whole driving thing. I still don't enjoy driving but its one of those things in life that you have to do.

My advice is: get lessons, as many as you need to drive safely. It gets easier with practice so don't give in.

~Leanne~

Best of luck with your lessons! Ive been driving since i was 18 - im 26 now and im so glad i started early! Ive been in a few crashes, hit and misses too but its just like riding a bike, if you fall off you get right back on!

dahooligan

hmmmm... I do see where you're coming from. About a year and a half ago I wrote off 2 cars in the space of 5 weeks where I ended up down €20000+-(insurance went against me) and a broken nose and ribs. And since then I've been nervous even when sitting in a car let alone driving it.

Recently me missus bought a lovely car, only problem was it was down the country and she doesn't drive so I reluctantly volunteered meself to bring it up - well I must have lost about a stone in sweat! But it was the kick in the stones that I needed and now I'm as comfortable as can be expected behind the wheel. It is a big big jump to get back in the saddle, but you're far more likely to land on soft grass if you make the jump now - check me out with my metaphorical sh*t! Driving lessons will help to no end, it'll ease you back in slowly.

Thank you to my missus for helpin me with my fear

Citizen Jake

OP: I crashed a car when I was 18. It put me off driving until I was 26. Eventually I got into it and found it to be so liberating and exciting. It wasn't plain sailing at first but kept at it, passed my driving test on the third attempt recently and right now can't imagine not having a car. I suggest you, depending on the job's requirements, ease yourself into it, get a good few lessons and invest in a second hand runaround that will do for a couple of years.