Do You Drive?

cson

I was passing through the car park near my apartment the other day and a thought struck me; the amount of cars there, and the amount of new-ish cars there. Its an exclusively student apartment block. I got me thinking; is this how dependent we've become on cars due to our shambles of a transport system? I'd be inclined to view it this way. From what I can see people are getting their driving licences younger and younger. I had mine at 18. More at the behest of my parents than anything else. I don't have a car, it'd be economic suicide in my view to be running one while still in full time education. I use the mothers car when I have to.

The Celtic Tiger money seems to have petered down to the students too, many of the cars parked are 07s and 08s. And they're decent cars. A lot of Volkswagen Golfs. Which are not cheap. Even to be running a car in College has to cost a decent whack each week even though petrol prices have levelled off somewhat. I can't see it continuing for much longer though. The **** has to hit the fan sometime.

Anyway, my question to the after hours clientele; Do you drive?

JIZZLORD

poor non driving student reporting in.

Kiera

Yup and have done the last 6 years. Got my license after 6 months of driving.

cson

JIZZLORD wrote: »

poor non driving student reporting in.

One of a kind! Almost everyone I know in College is driving. That could be down to my culchie background but still, I can't understand how they can afford to run a car in full time education.

AlmightyCushion

Nope. Keep meaning to learn but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Holsten

Depends on the car, but it's not that expensive.

I can get away with 10e a week on petrol.

banshee_bones

I can drive but im so out of practice and my provisional has expired..... has been years since iv been driving. and it was only a handful of lessons and a few times in the bf's car..

considered getting a car in college but with, loan repayment,tax,insurance&petrol, and paying rent! just could not afford it!so i let the idea go!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

No. I had six lessons once. Only on the fifth was I alloweed out of the housing estate. On the sixth, I crashed a dual control car.

A man should know when he is crap at something.

JIZZLORD

a good few of the driving students i know are living close to college. eg: a galway person going to gmit/nuig.
they don't have to pay the thousands us blow ins pay in rent, bills, food,etc

towel401

cson wrote: »

is this how dependent we've become on cars due to our shambles of a transport system?

you say it like driving a car is a bad thing. which isn't true. the transport system also isn't that bad. the cities will always be awful places to drive around in because they were built in the good old days when people had a horse and cart and now they can't just shove all the old buildings out of the way to make room for more cars

Jigsaw

I can drive but it is expensive. I kinda need my car but it f*cks things up when I want to go for a beer. Of course drink driving is wrong but I think back to when i was a kid and my dad used to drive with a pile of drink in him. I still believe to this day that I could drive perfectly well until perhaps 8 pints, then I would start to get ropey. This is because I would have the residual sense that you don't have when you're utterly f*cked. You drive ultra carefully and make sure there are no mistakes. I reckon a person driving with 5 pints in them is just as dangerous as someone who has had little sleep and is barely staying awake at the wheel, yet that cannot be tested via one's breath.

cson

towel401 wrote: »

you say it like driving a car is a bad thing. which isn't true. the transport system also isn't that bad. the cities will always be awful places to drive around in because they were built in the good old days when people had a horse and cart and now they can't just shove all the old buildings out of the way to make room for more cars

Not a bad thing but there is no getting away from the fact that we as a country are very heavily dependent on cars. As for the transport system, its indefensible. You only have to go to any continental european city to see a proper transport system in action. As bad as Dublin is at times, at least the Luas and Dart offer something. Outside the capital all there is are dirty late buses.

Jigsaw wrote: »

I can drive but it is expensive. I kinda need my car but it f*cks things up when I want to go for a beer. Of course drink driving is wrong but I think back to when i was a kid and my dad used to drive with a pile of drink in him. I still believe to this day that I could drive perfectly well until perhaps 8 pints, then I would start to get ropey. This is because I would have the residual sense that you don't have when you're utterly f*cked. You drive ultra carefully and make sure there are no mistakes. I reckon a person driving with 5 pints in them is just as dangerous as someone who has had little sleep and is barely staying awake at the wheel, yet that cannot be tested via one's breath.

That is absolutely ****ing ridiculous what you've just said.

Tony Broke

Holsten wrote: »

Depends on the car, but it's not that expensive.
I can get away with 10e a week on petrol.

True.

I put in 20e every weekend, it does me for the week and I get about 180 miles out of it from my 1.3.

For the year it works out as follows, Insurance 1300e, road tax 320e, petrol 1000e, service every 5000miles 80e, little bits here and there 200e.

Costs about 60e a week.

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

Jigsaw

cson wrote: »

Not a bad thing but there is no getting away from the fact that we as a country are very heavily dependent on cars. As for the transport system, its indefensible. You only have to go to any continental european city to see a proper transport system in action. As bad as Dublin is at times, at least the Luas and Dart offer something. Outside the capital all there is are dirty late buses.



That is absolutely ****ing ridiculous what you've just said.

Well thank you. I presume that was your opinion I've just read? Well you've just read mine.

JIZZLORD

eVeNtInE wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

er...you're 16

Austin 3:16

I'm been in UL for the last 5 yrs and there's being a huge explosion in the numbers of cars. The student estates are now jammers with cars, bet it'll change over the nxt couple of years tho when Mammy and Daddy can't finance their kids motors.

cson

Jigsaw wrote: »

Well thank you. I presume that was your opinion I've just read? Well you've just read mine.

That was my concise opinion. You want my in depth one? Here it is;

Your Dad used to drive with a pile of drink in him? While that may have been the order of the day back in ye olde Ireland, it;s something I'd be quite ashamed to admit about my father. You say you could drive reasonably well up to 8 pints? 8 pints would put you about 7 times over the drink driving limit. Driving 'reasonably well' is unfortunately not a luxuary we can entertain on the road. What would be the need for a drink driving limit if we could drink as much as we could up to where we could drive 'reasonable well'?

As for driving better, I'm quite honestly frightened at the thought process behind that remark. You concentrate more when you've pints in you? So you just don't give a **** when you're driving normally then? I'd agree with you somewhat about someone with 5 pints being as dangerous as someone driving tired but you can't escape from the fact that one of these courses of action is illegal and one is not.

To be frank, you're the type of driver that exemplifys what is wrong with a lot of Irish drivers. The 'ah shure I've only had 6 pints I'll be grand' attitude to drink driving is abhorrent. In a good few countries you'd be imprisioned for drink driving. Have you any idea how many families have been torn apart by the consequences of drink driving? I guess ignorance must be bliss in this case.

There's my opinion, that good enough for ya?

Now back on topic, pink? or green? licence to the drivers amongst us.

bigpinkelephant

Kiera wrote: »

Got my license after 6 months of driving.

Snap!

x in the city

Originally Posted by cson View Post
Not a bad thing but there is no getting away from the fact that we as a country are very heavily dependent on cars. As for the transport system, its indefensible. You only have to go to any continental european city to see a proper transport system in action. As bad as Dublin is at times, at least the Luas and Dart offer something. Outside the capital all there is are dirty late buses.

This is spot on, who ever doesn't agree needs medical attention.

I have a pink slip for over a decade now in this most modern of countries....:rolleyes:

x in the city

I still believe to this day that I could
drive perfectly well until perhaps 8 pints

Is this guy for real

cson

x in the city wrote: »

Is this guy for real

And then you'd wonder why the country is gone to ****e :pac:

brendansmith

x in the city wrote: »

Is this guy for real

Yeah, i reckon i could drink 12 pints of whisky and still do a wheelie the whole way up grafton street on a harley davidson and not kill anyone.

Call Me Jimmy

There should be a Jigsaw forum.

Tar.Aldarion

Am learning, looks pretty easy.

Valmont

I'm a final year student. I can't even afford lessons. Take into account insurance, petrol, the car itself, forget about it. Maybe when I'm thirty.

OPENROAD

I've been driving in my car, it's not quite a jaguar
I bought it in primrose hill from a bloke from brazil
It was made in fifty-nine in a factory by the tyne
It says morris on the door, the g.p.o. owned it before
I drive in it for my job, the governor calls me a slob
But I don't really care, give me some gas and the open air
It's a bit old but it's mine, I mend it in my spare time
Just last week I changed the oil, the rocker valves and the coil
Last week it went round the clock, I also had a little knock
I dented somebody's fender, he learnt not to park on a bender, ha ha ha
I've been driving in my car, it don't look much but I've been far
I drive up to muswell hill, I've even been to selsey bill
I drove along the a45, I had her up to 58
This copper stopped me the other day, you're mistaken what could I say
The tyres were a little worn, they were o.k., I could have sworn
I like driving in my car, I'm satisfied I've got this far.

javaboy

That's madness!

BraziliaNZ

i've never had a licence but i drive my brothers/friends cars sometimes if it's a short journey or if I'm in the middle of nowhere. Plan on getting one this year though.

Plug

Im the only mechanic in this country who can't drive:pac:

KikiDee

I drive. Passed my test last August. I was driving a car in college. A clapped out 95 fiat punto. The car was in bits and failed the nct (hence the upgrade last April). I bought the car myself for 900e (700 of which i saved myself). Paid for insurance each year and tax myself. My parents were of the belief that if i really wanted it, I paid for it myself. I will admit tho she was very handy on petrol. And i only used to drive from home back to college. Once in college I tended to walk everywhere. But I know where the OP is coming from. I used to be embaressed pulling into the carpark in my student accomodation as there was so many 'good' cars around compared to my little fiat.

Abi

Drive: yes.

Full license: yes.

Insurance: no idea, nice re-newal lady says less than last year.

Petrol: Circa Š60

Servicing/parts: Daddy make problem go away.


Not having to use public transport: Priceless.

K-9

cson wrote: »

I got me thinking; is this how dependent we've become on cars due to our shambles of a transport system? I'd be inclined to view it this way.

Nah, the transport system was fecking worse 10 years ago and students where not dependent on cars then.

I think they are just more spoilt and think a car is essential now.

funk-you

Got a full licence. Nice shiney new car outside. I don't own it though. The company do. Scratched it already :pac:

-Funk

Mark200

Yeah I got my full licence in October. Passed my test on my first go. I have my own car, which my parents bought me. It's a '97 Honda Civic. Not a knackery one though, just a plain old grey/silver small one with a big dent in the side. It cost €900. So My insurance was more than twice as expensive as my car.

I'm a full-time student though so I don't use it a lot. I'd use it a few times on the weekend going to a friends house or something, so I don't have to plan my day based on the infrequent bus services.

minidazzler

Can't drive, don't know how, don't want too. The Public transport isn't as bad as people say, I know, because I use it, people who don't use it are the ones who say it's sh1te.

Mimikyu

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Mimikyu

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ScumLord

funk-you wrote: »

Got a full licence. Nice shiney new car outside. I don't own it though. The company do. Scratched it already :pac:

-Funk

I finally put a noticeable dent in mine coming out of a car park, I haven't washed it in a few months so you can't really see it.

It's had a few tips but luckily there's allot of plastic body work so there's no evidence.

aidan_walsh

25, don't drive yet but intending to get a start on it. It takes a special kind of self loathing to be as reliant on public transport as I am.

consultech

cson wrote: »

One of a kind! Almost everyone I know in College is driving. That could be down to my culchie background but still, I can't understand how they allow their parents pay for everything in full time education.

FYP

Delirium

minidazzler wrote: »

Can't drive, don't know how, don't want too. The Public transport isn't as bad as people say, I know, because I use it, people who don't use it are the ones who say it's sh1te.

It was the reason I started driving. Couldn't get home from Limerick on a Friday after work. Neither train or bus could get me home. There is a train service now but it adds a minimum of 90mins extra onto travel time. And 1 hour of that is waiting around for a connection:eek:

IvyTheTerrible

I'm 29 and I've only been driving 3 years...if I had stayed in Dublin I wouldn't even have bothered learning as I could get the bus everywhere but moving down the country made a car a necessity.

I had to wait a year for a test but passed first time.

I have to say it amazes me the amount of college students with their own cars. I wonder will that change with the recession?

driving 5 months. crap car but paid for myself and under my own insurance.

self sustainance ftw.

Wagon

I don't drive myself. Was going to learn but decided to leave the country instead. I think that's a better use of my savings.

stovelid

Yeah, but I learned to drive pretty late.

My mate works in a well-known college in Dublin, and he is flabbergasted at the amount of students that drive. When I was in Uni - late 80s/early 90s - I didn't know many students with their own cars, even though the majority of them were from comfortable, middle-class backgrounds.

Krieg

I don't drive and I hope I don't have to in the near future
I live within walking distance of the town and college, so no need. If a job was further out I get the bus.

It hardly seems worth getting a car, lot of effort to get the licence (but its understandably necessary), expensive when total cost is taken into account and there are too many cars on the road. Galway traffic is getting worse each day (although its no where near Dublin).

I know a bloke in college, he lives 5mins away but his parents still bought him a car to go to college. The ****er doesn't even work

Zangetsu

Drivings great, good fun if your just going for a spin and very convenient for getting where ya need to go without having to get a million busses with extortionate prices...

Only problem I have with it is the increasing number of female drivers that haven't a clue how to drive a car. I know its a cliche but seriously in the last few weeks its gotten noticeably more dangerous.

For example last night while driving out to our studio there was 2 lanes, one going left and one going right. I was heading left when some crazy lady decides to try to change into the lane I was in without waiting for a space for her car and without indicating. I nearly shat myself as she was about 3cm from demolishing the side of my car. Didn't even look! Its not the first time its happened at that junction either and every time it was a women...

Especially on the motorway, its incredible, your joining onto the motorway from the on ramp, your looking to get into another lane as the ramp lane ends in about 10 meters, all your left with is a ditch and a wall and almost every time a women will either stay level with you trying to force you into a ditch or if there is room to join on they will accelerate and try to cut you off, again trying to force you into a ditch.

Its terrifying to think that a lot of women on the roads are actually out for blood...

I could go on forever but I think this rant has offended just the right amount of people so I'll leave it at that

I love you all really but please do the world a favor and throw your licence in the nearest shredder and don't forget to recycle!

Wagon

stovelid wrote: »

Yeah, but I learned to drive pretty late.

My mate works in a well-known college in Dublin, and he is flabbergasted at the amount of students that drive. When I was in Uni - late 80s/early 90s - I didn't know many students with their own cars, even though the majority of them were from comfortable, middle-class backgrounds.

Many households have more than one car anyway. They're probably just using the family car, or a spare one. This is the spare one sitting in my garage:



It will be known as the Gashwagon.

Only problem I have with it is the increasing number of female drivers that haven't a clue how to drive a car. I know its a cliche but seriously in the last few weeks its gotten noticeably more dangerous.

Oh dear...

Puddleduck

Zangetsu wrote: »

Drivings great, good fun if your just going for a spin and very convenient for getting where ya need to go without having to get a million busses with extortionate prices...

Only problem I have with it is the increasing number of female drivers that haven't a clue how to drive a car. I know its a cliche but seriously in the last few weeks its gotten noticeably more dangerous.

For example last night while driving out to our studio there was 2 lanes, one going left and one going right. I was heading left when some crazy lady decides to try to change into the lane I was in without waiting for a space for her car and without indicating. I nearly shat myself as she was about 3cm from demolishing the side of my car. Didn't even look! Its not the first time its happened at that junction either and every time it was a women...

Especially on the motorway, its incredible, your joining onto the motorway from the on ramp, your looking to get into another lane as the ramp lane ends in about 10 meters, all your left with is a ditch and a wall and almost every time a women will either stay level with you trying to force you into a ditch or if there is room to join on they will accelerate and try to cut you off, again trying to force you into a ditch.

Its terrifying to think that a lot of women on the roads are actually out for blood...

I could go on forever but I think this rant has offended just the right amount of people so I'll leave it at that

I love you all really but please do the world a favor and throw your licence in the nearest shredder and don't forget to recycle!

While I agree to some extent with you, I wouldnt agree that all women drivers are the same. I drive and Im careful and considerate on the road. Ive seen any number of men driving aggressivly/dangerously. You will always come across people that cant/shouldnt drive.

Zangetsu

Puddleduck wrote: »

While I agree to some extent with you, I wouldnt agree that all women drivers are the same.

I wouldn't say all either but the ratio is definitely pointing in that direction!