Do You Drive?

cson · 21-01-2009 02:20AM #1

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 · 21-01-2009 02:23AM

poor non driving student reporting in.

Kiera · 21-01-2009 02:24AM

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

cson · 21-01-2009 02:27AM

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 · 21-01-2009 02:30AM

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

Holsten · 21-01-2009 02:31AM

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

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

banshee_bones · 21-01-2009 02:36AM

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 · 21-01-2009 02:40AM

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 · 21-01-2009 02:46AM

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 · 21-01-2009 02:47AM

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 · 21-01-2009 02:48AM

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 · 21-01-2009 02:54AM

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 · 21-01-2009 02:56AM

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 · 21-01-2009 02:56AM

This post has been deleted.

Jigsaw · 21-01-2009 03:01AM

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 · 21-01-2009 03:01AM

eVeNtInE wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

er...you're 16

Austin 3:16 · 21-01-2009 03:04AM

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 · 21-01-2009 03:15AM

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 · 21-01-2009 03:50AM

Kiera wrote: »

Got my license after 6 months of driving.

Snap!

x in the city · 21-01-2009 04:02AM

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 · 21-01-2009 04:04AM

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

Is this guy for real

cson · 21-01-2009 04:08AM

x in the city wrote: »

Is this guy for real

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

brendansmith · 21-01-2009 04:09AM

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 · 21-01-2009 04:13AM

There should be a Jigsaw forum.

Tar.Aldarion · 21-01-2009 04:21AM

Am learning, looks pretty easy.

Valmont · 21-01-2009 04:38AM

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 · 21-01-2009 04:47AM

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 · 21-01-2009 04:49AM

That's madness!

BraziliaNZ · 21-01-2009 04:52AM

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 · 21-01-2009 08:56AM

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

KikiDee · 21-01-2009 09:06AM

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.

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