Anyone afraid of Driving? (1 Viewer)

[DeathStar1]

As I'm sure some of you who frequent my posts know, i have OCD. A few years ago, it was about cleanliness. Now, it's into my driving. I'm OK when I'm with someone, who acts as an extra brain/set of eyes. But when I'm by myself, I'm just way too damned slow and nervous.

At this point, I don't think I'll ever go back to my old comfy way of driving. Just wondering how other people who may have gotten in this same situation have dealt with it

 

[Jason Seaver]

Yeah. Even though I grew up in a small town, I didn't even take Driver's Ed until my senior year of high school, and then never took the test. I went to college in the city and don't ever intend to be in a situation where you need to use a car to get a gallon of milk again.

 

[Tim Hoover]

I have plenty of confidence in my own driving abilities, but I'm basically afraid of all the other people out on the road...

 

[Ruz-El]

I got a bum eye, that plays all types of tricks in the dark. I think I've drivin a car maybe 5 times in my life, and don't really plan on ever owning a vehicle.

 

[mylan]

Neil, I don't think you are afraid of driving per se but lack self confidence, which i'm sure having OCD magnifies. When I was learning to drive a stick and even once I had mastered it, I seemed to drive worse when the guy who taught me was in the car. I was critiquing my skills and seemed to get nervous. I no longer drive a stick but STILL get nervous when he is riding with me.

 

[Jay H]

I am not so happy about driving long distances (I'd rather bike them!) but sometimes I'm afraid of driving home after say hiking for a long day in the Adirondacks, etc. for fear of falling asleep more than anything.... Driving down the northway or the Thruway can get somewhat monotonous and then you get to deal with some crazy drivers too south of the tolls.

jay

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

I am deathly afraid to drive, which is why I don't. I can't envision myself in control of this huge machine along with hundreds upon hundreds of other driving machines.

I'm 33 and have never driven, I am 100% POSITIVE that I would get into an accident the first day. It's just better for everyone involved that I don't drive, it's a public safety courtesy.

 

[Mort Corey]

I try never to drive after dark and avoid driving on the freeway almost completely....barring an emergency. I've been working on eliminating left turns but it takes too long to get home.

Mort

 

[Ken Chui]

What Tim said. Nevertheless, despite my confidence, I don't think I'm capable of passing any of the driving tests under Ontario's graduated licensing system (I know because I've failed twice; it's also why I'm here in Ohio ).

 

[Ryan-G]

I'm completely fine driving myself, I've got extremely good hand-eye coordination.

But I *hate* getting in a car with someone else, so many people freak when faced with a problem and can't react. Or stomp on the brakes. Both of which are the wrong choice, if it's snow, you need to be able to react. If it's a possible wreck, you've gotta make the move that gets you out in a split second not freeze. If it's a guaranteed wreck, that split second is all you have to change the direction to the one that hurts you the least. Just a change of a degree can drastically alter how much damage is done and where it goes.

 

[Dick]

Everyone SHOULD be.

Our chances of being involved in an auto accident, serious or fenderbender, are almost 100% in the course of a lifetime, I suspect, whether our fault or the fault of that person coming toward you who you have to trust is as attentive - and sober - as you are (but who often is not). But most of us obviously manage to relegate our fears to the "I must drive, therefore I will" space and we go on auto pilot. If we couldn't do that, we'd probably be too frightened to get behind the wheel, which (especially these days) would be a positive thing, encouraging better mass transportation and driving down our dependence upon oil by a HUGE amount.

Wishful thinking. I truly envy those who do not have to drive. No excise tax, no insurance payments, no accidents (unless of the pedestrian variety), no road rage, no repair work.... God, what's not to like about not needing a car?

 

[Max Leung]

I like highway driving - but I hate city driving! Going downtown kind of freaks me out unless I do it very frequently...all those one-way streets, pedestrians everywhere, taxicabs that insist on cutting you off when pulling out of a side street, and the parking - I hate it all!

If I lived in Vancouver I'd probably never drive at all - the thought of driving there (or Montreal, or Toronto...) is just too stressful!

Highway driving - and merging onto the highway - is a no brainer for me. But then again, I took my driver's test in a small town in BC, and drove there for a year or two. Easy as peas.

Oh yeah - I do have a semblance of videogame reflexes. And I do drive rather aggressively, sadly enough. Really bad combinations when in the inner city...

 

[Ruz-El]

God, what's not to like about not needing a car?

2 things:

1. Shopping can be a pain in the ass, you either have to take a cab to bring everything home, or only get enough that you can carry. Groceries are a major pain in the ass.

2. No goodnik friends who agree to pick you up and than make a big deal about dropping you off back home, and completely villify you if you insist on leaving on your own.

Main benifit: Sleeping on the bus in the morning, reading on the bus at night on the way to and from work.

 

[Mark Sherman]

I am such an agressive driver that I cannot drive with some one else ( they are just to slow and do not pay attention as much as I do. My girlfriend yelled at me one day because I was always looking in my rear view and my side mirrors. WTF I do that so I know what the hell is around me so im not surprised.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

There are more benifits than that.

I'm what I like to call a 'professional pedestrian', I know what potholes and puddles to walk a wider birth around when it's raining as to not get splashed by cars, I know the shortest routes to take when i'm walking someplace and I also know that not having a car is single handedly responsable for my good health because of all the walking or bike riding, my stamina for tolerating severe weather (I don't complain much about heat or cold because I walk or ride my bike in both) and self reliance.

These are the things that walking, riding my bike or taking a bus all my life have taught and provided to me.

I'll take all of those things over a car any day of the week because a car would make me a weaker person, both figuratively and literally speaking, just IMO.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

I have a car but only drive it on rare occasions like when I have to drive out of town. Otherwise, I bike, walk or take public transport. It helps that I live in a neighborhood where almost everything I need is within walking distance (supermarkets, shops, post office, etc...) and I've found it really cuts down on the stress when I don't have to drive. I'm also 40 and I'm at an optimal weight for my height. I don't think that would have been possible if I drove everywhere.

 

[Lynda-Marie]

I never learned to drive for several reasons. My brother says it's just as well, considering I freak out easily.

I am also with the folks who are afraid of the other people on the road. My neighbor was giving us a lift to go to an auto parts store, because my brother's clunker at the time was broken down. On the freeway, we saw a woman tailgating a gasoline tanker, with her rear view mirror askew, applying eye makeup. My bro and I agreed, and we told our friend to put the pedal to the metal, we'd help him with any state trooper who pulled us over for speeding, or at least help pay for the ticket, just get us the hell out of here! He said, "I thought you'd NEVER ask!" and hit it.

Were I to agree to let myself be talked into learning to drive, I would insist on a fully armed tank, or James Bond's fully loaded Lotus from The Spy Who Loved Me.

 

[JeremyErwin]

I don't drive. I live a very short distance from a grocery store, and another is (very much) within walking distance. There's a couple of bus routes nearby as well. I suppose I am lucky to live in a pedestrian accessible neighborhood. I do, however, consider anything within a couple of miles to be within walking distance. Others might think that a tad insane.

The trick with groceries is to go every day or every other day. I'd never manage to lug a weeks worth of groceries home.

I'm edging towards "underweight" in the BMI.

 

[Scott W.]

I'm 27 and have my liscense, but I hate driving. I do not have the concentration to safely drive a vehicle at anytime. I never will drive, and am probably stuck with the busses and pick-up rides. Oh well...

Scott

 

[mylan]

Where do all you people live?? How can you get by without driving somewhere, at least once a day? I work on the north side of Atlanta and commute to the burbs, 28 miles one way. I work a 12 hour day and there's no way in hell i'm going to the grocery store every day, i'd never get anything else done. On my off days, even going to the grocery is a five mile trek.
If I didn't drive, I couldn't function. As far as being actually afraid, you ain't lived till you have driven the Atlanta downtown connector at 85 m.p.h. with six lanes, and no one signals, still I'm more afraid to fly nowdays!