Grown Men who can't drive. Do you find them weird?

biko · 20-02-2014 10:55AM

I suppose if you live in a big city like London or New York there isn't much need for a car, but to me driving is an essential skill like cooking or whatnot. It's just something adults are expected to be able to do.

Alf Veedersane · 20-02-2014 10:57AM

biko wrote: »

I suppose if you live in a big city like London or New York there isn't much need for a car, but to me driving is an essential skill like cooking or whatnot. It's just something adults are expected to be able to do.

I expect adults to be able to use English properly.

Have a read through this thread and you can imagine my disappointment.

HooohRaaah · 20-02-2014 10:58AM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Yeah, it is.

I'd rather live on bread and water and drive a car I don't need than make do with public transport.

If people financially can't afford a car I've no issue with that. They should know how to drive though.

Men who have a decent job yet don't know how to drive are an embarrassment.

Alf Veedersane · 20-02-2014 11:00AM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

If people financially can't afford a car I've no issue with that. They should know how to drive though.

Men who have a decent job yet don't know how to drive are an embarrassment.

Oh, I can drive.

You can only imagine my relief that I don't fit into your description of an embarrassment.

*hugs*

HooohRaaah · 20-02-2014 11:06AM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Oh, I can drive.

You can only imagine my relief that I don't fit into your description of an embarrassment.

*hugs*

Your sense of humour is awful. You're coming across as if you desperately want to be witty.

Alf Veedersane · 20-02-2014 11:07AM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

Your sense of humour is awful. You're coming across as if you desperately want to be witty.

I do.

It would make up for not having a car.

HooohRaaah · 20-02-2014 11:16AM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I do.

It would make up for not having a car.

If you ever have kids how will you bring them around the place? How will you bring young Alf to sports?

I'm looking forward to your sarcastic witty reply to that question :rolleyes:

jimgoose · 20-02-2014 11:20AM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

If people financially can't afford a car I've no issue with that. They should know how to drive though.

Men who have a decent job yet don't know how to drive are an embarrassment.

Why does it irritate you so, HR? I've loved cars, trucks and motorbikes all my life. I drive for the sheer, unadulterated hell of it as well as to get where I'm going, and I'm also a driving instructor. Yet I don't consider people who don't/can't drive in the least odd - to each their own. I have plenty mates who don't bother their barney with driving, and more luck to them.

Butterface · 20-02-2014 11:20AM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

If people financially can't afford a car I've no issue with that. They should know how to drive though.

Men who have a decent job yet don't know how to drive are an embarrassment.

They are an embarrassment to mankind? Driving is a skill, and not a terribly difficult one. If somebody decides they do not need it at the moment, then they will do without learning it until they require it.

How many of the adult population know basic first aid? Wouldn't that be a more useful skill to learn at school?

I think that this all boils down to people's priorities. For those people living in the countryside, relying on their parents to drive them everywhere, they decided to learn when they were teenagers.
For those people living in towns and cities who were independent at an earlier age because they only had to rely on public transport, then learning to drive wasn't high on their list of priorities.

Alf Veedersane · 20-02-2014 11:20AM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

If you ever have kids how will you bring them around the place? How will you bring young Alf to sports?

I'm looking forward to your sarcastic witty reply to that question :rolleyes:

I'll buy a car.

enda1 · 20-02-2014 11:35AM

How Soon Is Now wrote: »

This makes about as much sense as asking if you find grown women who cant cook weird ?

I have no interest at all in driving never have and i dont know if i ever will. I tried to learn and hated it. Its not for everyone and its not essential either.

Ive done grand without it for nearly 28 years now.

That's far more weird actually I find.

Driving is a luxury, eating is a necessity. It is desperately sad especially watching elderly men being so hopelessly incapable of providing for themselves in a domestic fashion after their wife becomes debilitated/dies. "Real men" (read all people) can look after themselves if they have their health. A "real man" should be able to cook far before they should be able to drive.

Butterface · 20-02-2014 12:04PM

enda1 wrote: »

That's far more weird actually I find.

Driving is a luxury, eating is a necessity. It is desperately sad especially watching elderly men being so hopelessly incapable of providing for themselves in a domestic fashion after their wife becomes debilitated/dies. "Real men" (read all people) can look after themselves if they have their health. A "real man" should be able to cook far before they should be able to drive.

This is a good point. There are a lot more useful and necessary skills to acquire before driving. Learning to cook and take care of yourself should be higher up than driving, yet how many people leave home without even the basics because they had mammy looking after them.

HoooRaaah has a complex about masculinity, and obviously wishes for his masculinity to be defined by the size of his car.

Legs.Eleven · 20-02-2014 12:10PM

I can technically drive (my dad and an ex taught me and had some lessons as well) but I don't have a licence. :-/ I've lived in big cities for the past 10 years and there was never a need. Now I'm too scared to get on the road with Spaniards or do the test in Spanish. Fcuking MENTAL drivers here.

Does anyone know if I can learn here but come home to Ireland to do the test or do I have to live there permanently? I'm guessing I don't.

Iwannahurl · 20-02-2014 12:19PM

MadYaker wrote: »

I live in Galway where public transport is sh!t and the only people who use it are people who can't afford to run a car.

Partly correct on the first point, completely wrong on the second.

Iwannahurl · 20-02-2014 12:23PM

humanji wrote: »

Driving simply makes life easier.

Funny that. There are thousands of motorists in Galway complaining about (a) all the unbearable traffic and (b) the intolerable hardship of being a motorist.

Iwannahurl · 20-02-2014 12:28PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

A grown up man having to rely on public transport and others to drive them around?
That's absolutely hilarious.

Maggie, I thought you were dead.

Femme_Fatale · 20-02-2014 12:29PM

As ever, either extreme ("All adults who don't drive are weirdos" and the "Driving is not necessary" delusion) is annoying.

jimgoose · 20-02-2014 12:30PM

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

As ever, either extreme ("All adults who don't drive are weirdos" and the "Driving is not necessary" delusion) is annoying.

To be sure.

ronjo · 20-02-2014 12:41PM

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

As ever, either extreme ("All adults who don't drive are weirdos" and the "Driving is not necessary" delusion) is annoying.

Well I reckon its basically the first group you mention have put the second group on defensive mode.

I was in the second group for far too long as I wrote earlier but for all the reasons I gave at the time I was really just scared to do it.

When I finally did it I was even nervous using a driving machine for my first few lessons. When the instructor brought me to a car park I couldnt believe he made me drive out on the road after a few mins. I nearly kacked myself when he told me. I was quite happy just driving round the carpark.

20-02-2014 01:10PM

biko wrote: »

I suppose if you live in a big city like London or New York there isn't much need for a car, but to me driving is an essential skill like cooking or whatnot. It's just something adults are expected to be able to do.

Its a big life skill, even if you can't afford to run a car it's nice to be able to hire one on holiday or borrow one if you need to.

I've been driving since my late teens and haven't always had a car, but I've always been glad that I have the option to drive one.

I don't think anyone is weird at 25 if they can't drive, and if someone can't drive at 35 I still don't think it's weird but it is surprising.

The only older people I know who can't drive are quite nervous about trying to learn and rather defensive about it, so I don't bring it up.

It's a great skill to have though, I do think people lose out if they don't.

robinph · 20-02-2014 01:19PM

Took until 21 before I bothered doing my test, took another 19 years before being bothered enough to buy a car. Just got around on combinations of walking, cycling, 50cc, public transport and hired or borrowed cars for the intervening years.

Shenshen · 20-02-2014 02:00PM

Candie wrote: »

Its a big life skill, even if you can't afford to run a car it's nice to be able to hire one on holiday or borrow one if you need to.

I've been driving since my late teens and haven't always had a car, but I've always been glad that I have the option to drive one.

I don't think anyone is weird at 25 if they can't drive, and if someone can't drive at 35 I still don't think it's weird but it is surprising.

The only older people I know who can't drive are quite nervous about trying to learn and rather defensive about it, so I don't bring it up.

It's a great skill to have though, I do think people lose out if they don't.

There are a lot of great skills a lot of people just never bother with, because they neither need nor miss them. Swimming springs to mind, as does cooking, or any kind of home improvement skills 9basic plumbing, or being able to connect up a wall socket).

I was nearly 40 before I learned to drive - forced into it by seriously reduced public transport options. I grew up in a family without a car, so it was in no way unusual for me. I walked, cycled and used public transport.

I would not say that being able to drive is useless, not at all. But I can fully understand why people who have to option of decent public transport would happily give it a miss - handy as it can be, it's a fierce expensive bit of luxury to many.

20-02-2014 02:02PM

Shenshen wrote: »

There are a lot of great skills a lot of people just never bother with, because they neither need nor miss them. Swimming springs to mind, as does cooking, or any kind of home improvement skills 9basic plumbing, or being able to connect up a wall socket).

I was nearly 40 before I learned to drive - forced into it by seriously reduced public transport options. I grew up in a family without a car, so it was in no way unusual for me. I walked, cycled and used public transport.

I would not say that being able to drive is useless, not at all. But I can fully understand why people who have to option of decent public transport would happily give it a miss - handy as it can be, it's a fierce expensive bit of luxury to many.

I know it's not essential, but like being able to swim, but it's still a good skill to have.

Dravokivich · 20-02-2014 02:05PM

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

I can technically drive (my dad and an ex taught me and had some lessons as well) but I don't have a licence. :-/ I've lived in big cities for the past 10 years and there was never a need. Now I'm too scared to get on the road with Spaniards or do the test in Spanish. Fcuking MENTAL drivers here.

Does anyone know if I can learn here but come home to Ireland to do the test or do I have to live there permanently? I'm guessing I don't.

To do the test in Ireland you need a learners permit for a minimum of 6 months with 10 or 12 (can't remember which) verified lessons from a private instructor.

Irishcrx · 20-02-2014 02:33PM

Strange? No..I know plenty of people who are over 24 and can't dirve an or have no interest in cars/driving. Perfectly good reasons , financial , no need for them or just simply never bothered. It's the one's who can't drive and look for lifts everywhere that are annoying.

I think some may find it a little 'weird' for men in particular because men ar more associated with 'enjoying' cars/driving than women, it's seen as a mans thing really isn't it?

I got my licence when I was 18 and was driving from 17 but I was one of those can't wait to get a car/freedom people. I really enjoy driving, very relaxing and I love my cars...others love snooker, cooking etc each to their own but I wouldn't be without one and I'd feel demoralised having to ask my mammy or other half for a lift every second day.

noodler · 20-02-2014 02:41PM

Would I cause as much outrage if I asked if people think Women who let themselves go and get a bit fat by the time they are 24 are a bit weird?

Irishcrx · 20-02-2014 02:52PM

noodler wrote: »

Would I cause as much outrage if I asked if people think Women who let themselves go and get a bit fat by the time they are 24 are a bit weird?

Carefull now :pac:

Tomsh307 · 20-02-2014 03:07PM

Imo you lack drive if you are unwilling to learn how to drive.

20-02-2014 04:05PM

Candie wrote: »

I know it's not essential, but like being able to swim, but it's still a good skill to have.

I think swimming is an excellent comparison. I'd love to learn to drive for the sake of emergencies, holidays and to go on my C.V. It is a good skill to have, whether you want to use it all the time or not. Like swimming.

But imagine if learning to swim was as expensive and as much of an undertaking as learning to drive is, and you were someone who wouldn't be using the licence if they got it.

I was recently thinking of getting a provisional license just to get the ball rolling. After looking at everything I'd need to do, and how much of a payoff I'd get from it, I realised that for someone like me it would be completely foolish to pursue a license right now, so I'm putting off getting the provisional until a full license looks at least a bit more promising.

whisky_galore · 20-02-2014 04:26PM

It would be fine in NYC or inner city London where owning a car is a hinderance, but trying to do anything in this country outside of perhaps Dublin, without a car, is a right pain in the hole.

Grown Men who can't drive. Do you find them weird?

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