There is one thing I keep getting asked by people time and time again, and that is ‘’why don’t you drive?’’. It’s a question people just love asking me, I get ask by family members, people at my old job would asked me, even sometimes the people I would see at the bus stop. It’s often the case of people asking me if I have a car and how do I get from point A to B. Why is there a need for people to stick their noses in on whether I drive or not? For the record, I don’t drive – so what?! I think it’s about time I explain to everyone why I don’t drive and why I think it’s very unnecessary to actually own a car.
I don’t drive because of an incident that happened to me when I was younger, I’m talking about when I was 11 or 12 years old and it wasn’t pleasant.
My parents decided to drive from London to Scotland one year, looking back on it, the drive itself was an ambitious exhibition. My parents had never been to Scotland before so they thought it would be a fun journey to take and it would be educational for me. I personally didn’t care as at that age I didn’t really pay attention, for me it was just another family holiday and being stuck in a car for hours upon hours wasn’t exactly my idea of fun.
I can’t remember the journey from London to Scotland as I was young and it wasn’t exactly memorable, but I do remember that the drive wasn’t all in one day but split into two. So let me just cut to the chase. My dad drove all the way to Edinburgh and we planned to stay there for a week before coming home.
There was one day that was really scary, we went out that morning to get breakfast and to mooch around the shopping stores. As we was coming back our car got hit and was involved in a car accident.
I don’t remember too much about it apart from dad pulling away from the traffic light and hearing an almighty crash, I remember in the seat clinching up covering my face. We collided with another vehicle and skidded along the road at the junction.
Luckily, none of us was hurt, a bit shaken but no real damages to ourselves. The car itself was another issue, it was properly trashed. The next thing we knew a police car pulled up beside us and took our details.
I remember my dad walking to a phone box (we didn’t really have mobile phones back then) getting a tow truck, mum then was also stung by the wasp. I was feeling surreal that this crash just happened.
The car ended up having to have major work done to it as it was bashed quite severely, so by that point our holiday was over and we all wanted to get back home. The car insurance gave dad a replacement car to help us drive back, once again I don’t remember too much details about that either.
We (my parents and I) laugh about it and will talk about the danger of road accidents to anyone who will listen. My dad found out a couple months after that if his tyre hadn’t been pumped to full capacity then it could have been worse.
It’s amazing really how one incident can transform you, and this is why I don’t drive. I don’t drive as I’m scared at the thought of being in a car accident, one single second and it could have been worst for us. Afterward, the guy who crashed into us ended up having whiplash and losing his license. I don’t want to take the risk.
If I was driving, then it would be my responsibility to look after my vehicle. I would have to think about MOT, if the tyres still have adequate tread, my road tax and etc. I know one little slip and it can be more damaging and expensive to fix.
I lecture anyone I can about looking after their vehicle, are the brakes worn? Are their tyres properly pumped? Has it passed its MOT? Point S car tyre dealers in London even let people book car tyres along with related services online without any prior payment
So I don’t drive, I use public transport to get me everywhere, I’m lucky that I live near London where there’s a bus or a train every 5-10 minutes. I’m also lucky I live in town center where anything I need is within a short walk. If I do need to travel outside of London, no big deal! It’s easy enough to plan routes and what transport to use.
I don’t think it’s necessary to own a car per se, as many of my friends who do drive say they hate actually driving and that it’s more a chore then a pleasurable experience. They often complain about the costs, and I completely agree, I can’t afford a car or the ownership costs. In the end the insurance, road tax, petrol, along with running costs including replacement tyres, brake pads, etc, do mount up.
So there you go, this is why I don’t drive and have no plans to start.
(Collaborative Post)
