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Child Item

26 yrs old and not driving.

IrishExpat

Thread title says it all. All 26 years of me and I haven't bothered to sort out this driving license yet.

In my defence I've been living in cities where the public transport usually runs well, so there's been no real pressure for work or social.

I probably should have just had it out of the way a few years back when it was cheaper/handier, and did have the provisional but then let it run out.

Now I'm seeing a lot of positions where they state a driving license is advantageous and can see the benefits if I want to head for a weekend away well away from trains, bus routes ... but I'm not 100% sold on it.

+ must have saved a small fortune over the years with no car to maintain ...

Have at it AH. Any other late-bloomers with this whole driving scene?

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Filmer Paradise

GalwayGirl26 wrote: »

Bit younger then you, but still not driving and it's really getting to me. I'm a teacher and have to get the bus with the kids So not cool.
It's just such a massive expense for something that I suppose isn't 100% a necessity.

It might not be an outright necessity in your life right now, but some day it might be.

I'll be getting my kids to drive & get their licences as soon as is legal.

Having a driving licence is an absolute must these days.

Summer wind

I started driving at 22 and passed my test first time at 25. I love driving and would never be without my car. The freedom is fantastic.

obezyana

Filmer Paradise wrote: »

It might not be an outright necessity in your life right now, but some day it might be.

I'll be getting my kids to drive & get their licences as soon as is legal.

Having a driving licence is an absolute must these days.

Im doing the same iv already told them their 18th Bday present will be a car as long as by then they have their full licence and they must learn how to service the car so they dont end up sending a fortune on mechanics and parts.

petes

Filmer Paradise wrote: »

It might not be an outright necessity in your life right now, but some day it might be.

I'll be getting my kids to drive & get their licences as soon as is legal.

Having a driving licence is an absolute must these days.

For who? You, or are you referring to everyone?

OneArt

24, I learned to drive and had a provisional. Moved to Germany where there is absolutely no need to drive if you live in a city.

I f*cking hate driving. Sure, I'd have more freedom to move but enjoying a spontaneous drink would be impossible. Plus the amount of money I'd spend on the thing, including the tax, insurance etc... Just can't be bothered with it. A monthly train ticket is much less hassle.

The only time I'd get a car is if I lived out somewhere remote. I love living in the city though so I can't see myself moving to the sticks any time soon.

Highflyer13

Had 2 cars and now I have none. Doesn't really bother me too much except the odd morning going out the door in the pissings of rain or when I want to go for the odd weekend drive. Great on the pocket I must say.

yosser hughes

Filmer Paradise wrote: »

It might not be an outright necessity in your life right now, but some day it might be.

I'll be getting my kids to drive & get their licences as soon as is legal.

Having a driving licence is an absolute must these days.

No it is not. In fact it's less needed now than ever before.
I have a licence but got rid of my car 2 years ago.

Filmer Paradise

petes wrote: »

For who? You, or are you referring to everyone?

Pretty much anyone.

I think some form of driver training should be on the school curricculum TBH.

Everyone should at least try to get their licence as soon as possible. You never know your circumstances a few years down the line.

Money laid out on getting your licence is a good investnent in my book.

As I said before, you don't have to buy a car the minute you pass your test.

I got my licence in my teens, but didn't buy my first car 'till I was in my mid '20s.

Filmer Paradise

yosser hughes wrote: »

No it is not. In fact it's less needed now than ever before.
I have a licence but got rid of my car 2 years ago.

You're missing my point altogether.

I'm not saying everyone should own a car.

I'm saying that everyone should learn early & try for their licence as soon as they can.

[Deleted User]

IrishExpat wrote: »

Thread title says it all. All 26 years of me and I haven't bothered to sort out this driving license yet.

In my defence I've been living in cities where the public transport usually runs well, so there's been no real pressure for work or social.

I probably should have just had it out of the way a few years back when it was cheaper/handier, and did have the provisional but then let it run out.

Now I'm seeing a lot of positions where they state a driving license is advantageous and can see the benefits if I want to head for a weekend away well away from trains, bus routes ... but I'm not 100% sold on it.

+ must have saved a small fortune over the years with no car to maintain ...

Have at it AH. Any other late-bloomers with this whole driving scene?

I cycled everywhere until I was 25/26 then got a crappy POS car to get going.

My advice would be to get the licence, drop a couple of G to buy a 1L Opel Corsa or something similar.

It opens up your options and gives you a richer feeling of freedom, as pompous as it sounds.

Plus you never know, it could save your life sometime having a car to hand.

seamusk84

Agree that a car can cost a lot of money. I learned to drive and got my license at 21 as had to have a car for work. At 28 I then sold my car as started work in the city centre and traffic was too bad. Instead I got a motorcycle license to cut through traffic.

I would agree with previous posters and say that you don't have to buy a car to learn to drive. Driving is actually a really useful and cool skill to have, think of it as like learning a new language. You never know when you might need to do it.

DAFbus

Learning how to drive gives you MASSIVE independance and freedom. Once you have a car you will never look back and think "how the hell did I manage without one".

Its such a hassle not having one when you're a busy person.

Filmer Paradise

obezyana wrote: »

Im doing the same iv already told them their 18th Bday present will be a car as long as by then they have their full licence and they must learn how to service the car so they dont end up sending a fortune on mechanics and parts.

Steady on there. I won't be buying them cars!:pac:

Pinch Flat

Chancer3001 wrote: »

Buddy is 30 lives at home, doesn't drive. Has to get a lift to work every day. And home again

It's a kick in the hool he needs, not a drivers licence

Scarinae

I'm 28 and haven't got a driving licence, but I don't really need one in London. I will go back to lessons at some point but right now it's not my priority.

Rubberchikken

I just paid 600 euro today for some chain to be fixed in my car.

I hate the darn thing:(:(
Tbh wished i never owned a car or learned to drive for that matter.

Op sorry for rant.
Learn to drive if you really want. If you don't, dont worry about it. Age has nothing to do with it.

[Deleted User]

Filmer Paradise wrote: »

Pretty much anyone.

I think some form of driver training should be on the school curricculum TBH.

Everyone should at least try to get their licence as soon as possible. You never know your circumstances a few years down the line.

Money laid out on getting your licence is a good investnent in my book.

As I said before, you don't have to buy a car the minute you pass your test.

I got my licence in my teens, but didn't buy my first car 'till I was in my mid '20s.

Agree 100%. Started driving at 18. Didn't really need a car at all then but i love cars and just wanted one. Only used it to go in and out to school at first (would have been quicker walking), then in and out to my summer factory job (they had a free local bus service which would have dropped me 5 mins from my front door) and the odd road trip.

Overnight I ended up going from that factory job to a new career which required me to travel constantly. At least 80 mile return journeys everyday and did so for 5 years. Moving 30 miles from the city to the country didn't help either.

The independence alone is worth the hassle of getting your license ASAP

long_b

Learned mid 30s. Sooner is better but no panic.

SeaDaily

Rubberchikken wrote: »

Tbh wished i never owned a car or learned to drive for that matter.

Saying you wish you never learned to drive makes no sense at all. Essentially you wish you could lose a skill that you have? wat.

thefishone

47 and never learned, no reason to.

my teapot is orange

As I've said to a friend who is considering learning, a drivers licence is a handy thing to have in your back pocket even if you don't use it right now. It opens up countless opportunities for moves you might want to make in life or in work. You never know when a new opportunity will come along and you might want to be able to grab it quickly. I say this as a person who passed 7 years ago and doesn't currently have a car because I don't need one.

shruikan2553

I started learning to drive when I was 18 I think. Then went to college so didnt have access to any cars and now my second provisional has lapsed. Been meaning to sort it out. No plans to actually buy a car, would be a waste of money for me at the moment.

GottaGetGatt

Haha!!! good look wearing yer N plates you noobs:pac:

jinxremoving

Only learning the last month or so and I'm 27. Never needed to before now and to be Honest was absolutely terrified. Never too late and no load to carry I think.

Sugar Free

Regret not learning sooner for sure. I see it as a life skill and everyone should have the ability to drive if they had to.

Of course actually owning a vehicle is completely optional and very much depends on people's personal circumstances.

[Deleted User]

Its great having the opportunity to hire a car if you're ever away too. A friend of mine who does or used to do alot of travelling has his licence years but only ever uses it abroad. He's never owned a car in Ireland.

shuffle65

Didn't learn to drive until I was nearly 40, agree it can be expensive but oh the freedom! To be fair it's a bit of a necessity where I live (wilds of Donegal), would definitely be an obstacle to getting to and from work.

GottaGetGatt

Even if you never intend on buying a car, you should get one anyway.It gives you more freedom and its a great feeling when you pass the test.

shruikan2553

GottaGetGatt wrote: »

Haha!!! good look wearing yer N plates you noobs:pac:

Thats only if you own a car, those of us who are just getting a licence for the sake of having one magically become non novices by doing nothing :P

I would love to get a motorbike but that would require a whole new test and crap I cant be assed to deal with.

Venus In Furs

IrishExpat wrote: »

Any perspective from the wimmin?

That's me!

Meh, no need until you have to (by that, I'd include having to ask people for lifts a lot) in my opinion. It's a good bit of work and commitment and can be stressful and patience-wearing and costly (lessons are quite expensive) so why bother going through the hassle of that if you have no need/interest?
I wouldn't say it's too late to start learning until your eyesight starts to deteriorate (although I've no doubt there is an age limit).
Scenarios where it's necessary would include having children, having to travel a lot (obviously) IMO.

My friends are 36 (female) and 35 (male). They have to rely on people a lot for lifts and they don't have the freedom to head off wherever they feel like e.g. on a day off. In my opinion they should learn to drive.