Driving struggles

"never"
"I only got my licence a year ago"

:P

Your time will come.

^^^^^ Sounds like me, we last had a car 7 years ago (Mrs GB had it mainly to visit her elderly grandmother) but it got stolen and so we used the insurance money to have a party for all the people that we couldn't invite to the wedding.

Early members of Streetcar (now Zipcar) so we don't pay a yearly membership fee. Probably get a car from them 10 times a year, there are about 15 within a mile of our house, very handy.

Never had a point on my licence (speeding or red lights) despite years of riding a motorbike like an utter twat. Two parking tickets[1]. Never clamped. Never towed. No bus lane infractions. Car and motorbike license for 20 years (passed my CBT aged 16 years and 1 day).

Simply no need for a car in London, even with one kid. We go 99% of places by walk, bike, train and/or bus. Some jaunts do require a car which is where Zipcar comes in, we spend less on Zipcar in a year than we used to on car insurance/servicing/MOT. Can see how it would be different with 2 or more children though. We do shopping as we need it from local shops/supermarket (3 or 4 times a week) with a big delivery (heavy stuff like washing powder, cans of food, etc) once every 2 months or so.

Parking is another pain in the arse thing in London for some (most) people but we have no problems (when we do rent a car or have visitors) as it's not so densely populated nearby us. Never had to park further than 30 yards from our property. Parking bays 80% free most of the time.

Can't see myself getting a car again ever in the future (as long as I live where I do, and no plans/need to move in the next 10 years at least).

1. Once for not getting up early enough to move the car (hungover), the other for parking a rental car in the bay I'd paid to be suspended due to moving house (despite leaving a note to this effect for the traffic warden). Argued with council about the latter saying that I couldn't have informed them in advance what the registration was because it was a rental and I only collected the car on the morning of the move and the council was shut then. Pointless arguing and just paid it (what's another £70 on top of buying a flat, 3% stamp duty, estate agent fees, moving costs, etc).
   

Parking for me is no trouble, and I don't pay congestion charge either.
(bobbinbird has a blue badge - in fact the only reason I took my test and bought a car was because she needs to be driven to places these days)

I really enjoy driving, actually I love driving.

I'm a strong believer in 'time and a place' for speed. I own pretty nippy car which is so much fun around the country roads and blasting down the motorway at stupid o'clock. I'll only speed if I'm 100% sure of what I'm getting myself into, i.e, nobody else in the car, nobody behind me or infront of me be it a country road or the motorway.

I think doing 40mph in a 30 past a school is more dangerous than doing 120mph on a clear motorway by yourself. I've lost a handful of friends due to road racing over the years and I've seen some un-pretty things which always stops me when there's a car I know I could drop a gear and smoke. I'd like to think I know my car very well and I know its (and my) limitations, I never push either.

Is it possible to drive fast at appropriate times putting nobody in danger but yourself? Yes.

I really enjoy driving, actually I love driving.

I'm a strong believer in 'time and a place' for speed. I own pretty nippy car which is so much fun around the country roads and blasting down the motorway at stupid o'clock. I'll only speed if I'm 100% sure of what I'm getting myself into, i.e, nobody else in the car, nobody behind me or infront of me be it a country road or the motorway.

I think doing 40mph in a 30 past a school is more dangerous than doing 120mph on a clear motorway by yourself. I've lost a handful of friends due to road racing over the years and I've seen some un-pretty things which always stops me when there's a car I know I could drop a gear and smoke. I'd like to think I know my car very well and I know its (and my) limitations, I never push either.

Is it possible to drive fast at appropriate times putting nobody in danger but yourself? Yes.

IMHO constable
M'lord

120mph on a clear motorway by yourself.

Your tyres. Rated to 120 mph are they...

149 I believe.

How can you be sure there's no one ahead on a country road?

By not thrashing it around corners

So far so easy it seems

Slight frustrations with cost of petrol, parking and congestion, and a little stress and frustration

... No real 'struggles'

Interesting to compare with people's stories about their attempts to cycle:
http://thinkingaboutcycling.com/2012/10/02/cycling-struggles-1/
http://thinkingaboutcycling.com/2012/10/16/cycling-struggles-2/
http://thinkingaboutcycling.com/2012/10/26/cycling-struggles-3/
http://thinkingaboutcycling.com/2012/11/08/cycling-struggles-4/
etc...

Anyone got any genuine driving struggles to share (or I may have to invent some for drivetoworkday.org)?

So far so easy it seems

Slight frustrations with cost of petrol, parking and congestion, and a little stress and frustration

... No real 'struggles'

Interesting to compare with people's stories about their attempts to cycle:
http://thinkingaboutcycling.com/2012/10/02/cycling-struggles-1/
http://thinkingaboutcycling.com/2012/10/16/cycling-struggles-2/
http://thinkingaboutcycling.com/2012/10/26/cycling-struggles-3/
http://thinkingaboutcycling.com/2012/11/08/cycling-struggles-4/
etc...

Anyone got any genuine driving struggles to share (or I may have to invent some for drivetoworkday.org)?

Have you posted this question (Driving struggles) on a car forum ?

Yes that's good idea. I'll do this
(Any car forum recommendation?)
Found these so far:

• http://www.motoring.co.uk/forum/
  
• http://www.autoinsider.co.uk/forum/
  
• http://www.advanced-driving.co.uk/forum/
  
• Car appreciation forum
  
• http://www.rac.co.uk/forum/
  

Your tyres. Rated to 120 mph are they...

Don't forget the correct pressure too.

Is it possible to drive fast at appropriate times putting nobody in danger but yourself? Yes.

Ah, sweet memories of when I was young and stupid

Yes that's good idea. I'll do this
(Any car forum recommendation?)
Found these so far:

[]http://www.motoring.co.uk/forum/
[]http://www.autoinsider.co.uk/forum/
[]http://www.advanced-driving.co.uk/forum/
[*]Car appreciation forum
[]http://www.rac.co.uk/forum/

Pistonheads.
There's a user on there, Dammit, who seems awfully familiar.

Not to mention mmccarthief.

^^Grass!

Have you found me there yet?

Is Pistonheads the lfgss of the car forum world?
I can't find you there BQ.

So far have joined the IAM forum (Which is perhaps the CTC forum equivalent) and RAC (Bike radar?)

Se even the telegraph thinks driving should be harder
#wow
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/11064416/Motorists-have-ruined-England-and-they-need-to-pay-the-price.html

wow! totes amazeballs

That's the human race for you,supposed to be the most intelligent life form on the planet.Says who I wonder???
causes more damage than any other life form on this planet.You get out what you put in.Fuck em I say,and by the way I don't own a car.Lazy bunch of fucking fagots.

That's the human race for you,supposed to be the most intelligent life form on the planet.Says who I wonder???
causes more damage than any other life form on this planet.You get out what you put in.Fuck em I say,and by the way I don't own a car.Lazy bunch of fucking fagots.

Drivers are lazy fucking fagots (sic)? Nice sweeping homophobic statement there, you'll go far here

Maybe a bit strong but I am the one that breathes those fumes in every day,what do you think that does to my health and just about everybody else.My reaction to the ignorance of the damage it causes.Do you have kids and drive a car,do you think of their future.

Everything in moderation please. Vehicles still serve a purpose, just aren't necessary in every case or quantity.