Cars & Transportation At what age does not having a drivers license become pathetic?

Kipz

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Jun 5, 2008
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Now, driving for whatever reason would have to be the most common daily activity shared by the general population. Convenient, at times can be a prick but also quite enjoyable too. Its a sport, hobby or even a career to some. Personally i'd be a fair way up s**t creek and after not too long i'd feel restricted, frustrated and if it were to not change short term - i'd say less of a person living less of a life in a way. With that an increasing lack of confidence across my entire personality. Shameful to admit but the mental strain would more than likely morph me into a bedroom dwelling card collecting, yabbie breeding hermit or turn to safely, somewhat anonymously remodeling myself through the e world, social media - as many do. Having control on how you appear, though being the complete opposite, may well distract you from reality. A random message of kindness, a surprise friend request or like would temporarily lift spirits. The dating scene is far easier and you can have magazine models as friends.. what a world.

Having a license means independence and control, the perks are so heavily favoured on the positive side and its generally the first life related goal teens strive for. I'm not talking about losing it here though, i'm talking about putting literally no effort in at all from those teen years and beyond and being a burden on others. I know some people are physically incapable and thats fair play. I guess you can also get late teens who mature slightly later than others... But at what age would you consider it pathetic? How do you feel toward characters along those lines in your own life and real world? This is not a dig, i've seen it and for the record have not kept in contact with such unmotivated generally unreliable dead weight. From talking to females for their perspective on a male in these circumstances, its an instant "no thanks" and comparable to dating a high school student (subjects and I are mid 20s) without the potential or hope. I mean, have you ever heard someone at a bar walk up to a bird and say "hi, hi im whatshisface and i dont have a drivers license".

Interested in broader views on this, If there happens to be anyone who has never legally driven and manages to live in a content and happy manner i'd love to hear from you.
 

shurg123

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Apr 25, 2009
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Got my learners the day I turned 16 and my Ps a week after turned 18 (would have been earlier if not for the VicRoads backlog). I've never even considered what it would be like to not have a license, it's something I've taken for granted, and I tend to assume every other adult has one as well.

Lost it for a month a little while after getting my first decent set of wheels, opened the taps on a bright sunny day on a mostly-empty Eastlink. I'm generally careful with my speed when I notice an SS or SV6 with a few too many antennas near, but the LEO in question on the day was in a bog standard XT Falcon behind me as I merged on. Turns out it was a police inspector on his way to the city with his PA. Nice bloke, even said if I had only been doing 120 kmh-ish he would have ignored it. Was my own fault for not noticing, didn't care about the fine but not driving for a month was excruciating, felt like I had lost a limb.
 
Apr 2, 2013
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Don't know. I'm impatient so got my Ps literally the weekend after my 18th. I'd say 25 thou is pushing it. I read once a sportsman (so not short of a $) didn't bother getting their licence till 26. I just think why? Unless you literally can't drive/haven't learnt what is possibly the hold up?
 
Apr 2, 2013
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My grandparents never had one and I would never have thought of them as pathetic. My brother-in-law is almost 30 and doesn't drive. He gets along fine on public transport and has a pretty active social life. Depends where you live I guess. Countries like Australia seem reliant on it.

True. Hadn't considered. In Melbourne and where I work I need one. But if I was inner city/ just used t/sport I probably wouldn't have had the same urgency.
 
Apr 27, 2008
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I'm 25, so based on my experience 23.

Reason is I had no one around to teach me and no money for instructors.

Been working on it in the last few months though as some time has opened up.

I wouldn't say I come from a bad family at all, I've got a great family, but it riles me up when I hear people talk about how much they dislike their parents and they're distant/don't get along, and it's like, they found time to teach you to drive right? It's a luxury some of us didn't get. They in a literal sense, can't even fathom it.

Addendum: Women talk s**t. The amount of times one has knocked me back, reason being not having a license, is zero.
 

Reynolds Number

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Reason is I had no one around to teach me and no money for instructors.
For that reason I didn't get mine til I was 20.

People with certain mental and physical disorders can be excused. I have an autistic brother who is unlikely to ever get a drivers licence because of his condition.
 

JD Tomahawk

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I was late to the party due to trouble getting my real birth certificate. Ls at 17, Ps at 19 and 3 months. Had to use the hours book because I missed some cut of date. Had no one to teach me either so at 18 i forged the book to 115 hrs and paid for driving lessons until over 120 hrs.
 
Late twenties to early thirties. Although most of my friends got theirs at eighteen, and it's pretty hard watching them rock up to school in cars. I guess at uni it was pretty bad because i depended on other people to get into town as res was just outside of town. I was 20 at the time and it seemed really pathetic then. I guess the world moves pretty fast, if you get left behind it's going to look pathetic very quickly
 

briztoon

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Some narrow minded, ill thought out, selfish comments posted here. Very much a me first, don't understand the world post and comments, from people who haven't really experienced the world.

There are many people who don't have a drivers licence for medical reasons. They could have epilepsy or dissociative disorders that cause random attacks, and legally for medical reasons they can not hold a drivers licence as they are a potentially lethal driver through no fault of their own.

There are people who lose their sight early in life, or simply through old age. You are calling these people pathetic.

There could be people like my brother (43) and myself (44) who do not drive for purely psychological reasons. Both my brother and I were involved in two horrific crashes growing up. The first was when we were in first and second grade and a police car hit our car, while during a pursuit. My brother, myself and my mother who was driving all ended up in hospital. Second accident was a result of road rage from another driver when we were teens, who went at our father with a tyre Iron. And then when we were 15 and 16 we witnessed a hit and run walking home from school that killed a mother and daughter. My brother and I have never talked about it, but neither of us have ever driven.

I've also been hit by a truck while riding my bike on a 3 lane major road, where the only two vehicles on the road at that time was me on my bike and the semi. There are a lot of idiots and ******* on the road.

My biggest fear is that if I get behind the wheel of a vehicle is that I'll kill some one in an accident. That is what stops me from driving. Call it emotional/psychological scaring if you like.

Hasn't stopped me living a life. I have managed to get around on public transport fine all my life. You learn patience and read a lot of books.

I've hitch hiked from Townsville to Hobart. I've caught the train up and down the East Coast. And flown further.

You get to meet people and interact with real characters. You couldn't imagine all the places I've "hooked up" with girls when I was younger and more adventurous.

Not driving has meant I ride my bike a lot. I've been over to France on a Tour de France tour with Cycling Australia. We got to ride the race course each day through some breath taking scenery and country side of France, watch the the race in the afternoon in corporate hospitality, stay in the same hotels as teams and tour organisers. And stay in 5 star hotels and Chateaus across France.

Life is what you make of it. And if you "need" a car to live a life, well you're really relaying on a crutch and are some what limited by the space between your ears.
 
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briztoon

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Oh, and having a sh!t in the morning is probably the most common activity shared by the general population.

I wonder how many activities people can think of that are more common than driving, shared by Australians.
 
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