Why I’m smug about being a non-driver

I don’t drive either, partly because I hate it, partly because it’s expensive, and partly because (I know most people don’t like to admit this) I am extremely bad at it.

But because I’ve never owned a car, and have only driven a few times after I passed my test, it doesn’t seem like much of a loss. I can understand why people who don’t live near a train station, or who travel to out-of-the-way places regularly, might want one, but I think some people become used to having a car (or a friend with a car) on hand that they forget the joys of public transport.

Linda – I think your comments are a bit unfair – the trains are for everyone, whether you choose to use them or not, so there’s no real problem with them being part-funded by the taxpayer. Taxpayers fund so much – children’s centres, sports groups, car parks – that no individual could ever get round to using all of them, but they still provide value to society even if they don’t benefit everyone individually.

so LINDA, use your initiative, if you live on an island, buy a boat! 😉

a) Because a boat is cheaper than a car
b) There is a train station in Mallaig

But having said that, I guess that living on the island of Skye, commuting to anywhere other than on the island probably isn’t in your list of priorities. So I stand by my point of buying a boat

Seems to me that this thread has provoked a lot of indignation from a small number of very selfish people on the Isle os Skye and in London. I’m glad I don’t live and won’t ever through choice go to live in either place.

That aside, I have not drive once since my driving test because I fail to see how I can afford, still less justify affording, a car when it costs so much compared to public transport and feet. My partner, a driver for over 15 years, has recently sold his car and reverted to public transport because of the crazy cost of running a car coupled with the fact that traffic jams and lack of parking spaces make travel by car much harder work and less reliable than public transport.

I accept that offshore island dwellers don’t have access to trains and mostly not busses either, and if they will insist on living off-shiore but also trying to work / send the kids to school / shop on the mainland I can see that the ferry alone is probably not completely practicable, but for the vast majority of the British Public that is not the case.

And regardless of whether you really do need a car, or just fancy a Chelsea Tractor as a status symbol, there is no justification ever for the sort of selfish and ignorant comments that have come from at least one poster on this board.

You wouldnt pay teenage premiums if you started driving in your mid 20s. You may have an expensive premium in your first year but at that age, 1 year NCB can cut alot off next years policy. Pay £2500 for year one, £750 for year two. It comes down fast the older you are. I have no problem with people who decide to not drive thats up to them but can they not accept different people live differently rather than try and provoke some sort of war over it? Neither method suits everybody, nobody will win this argument.

Nothing would make me go back to buses and trains. Ive known alot of people who say they ‘have no need to drive’ but when they do, within a year they say they couldnt live without it. But i live in an area where not having a car affects you, jobs are harder to come by, less choice, employers here prefer car-driving employees as they’re more reliable, i can go to cheaper supermarkets out of town with a car and my mother is disabled and she couldnt leave the house without a car. Theres no such thing as ‘enjoyment of public transport’ as i remember taking buses and trains to college and work over 10 years ago and 2 out of every 5 days one of them was either late or cancelled, its too unreliable.

I’d be lost without my car, i can go where i want, whenever i want, i dont need to rely on anybody else. That is worth a huge amount to me but you never miss what you never had. And ive calculated if i used buses and trains to get to where i work, which isnt particularly far at all, i’d be spending around £50 a week in a combination of bus and train fares, and it would take me three times longer as a round trip but i can drive it on about £25 of petrol. Tax is only £20 a year and my insurance is under £300 a year. In total motoring costs me around £1600 a year at most, without MOT/servicing etc which has been very cheap and reasonable with this car. Public transport would cost me almost £2.5k and thats just commuting, nothing else. Yes i had to buy the car in the first place but its bought now and serves more uses than a use-once rail ticket. I could take three people with me in my car into the next town for less than it would cost for one of us to buy a rail ticket. And it’d be quicker. £1600 a year for commuting, shopping, going anywhere i like at any time vs £2400 purely for work commute for me alone? No brainer.