Are you comfortable driving?

[Livemylife]

By comfortable, I mean does driving make you socially anxious in any way?

I ride the bus because I don't drive (there are a few reasons for this). Everything about riding the bus makes me socially anxious including waiting at the bus stop, boarding the bus, and sitting on the bus. I wonder if I'd be less anxious just driving. I can imagine maybe being anxious at the gas station.

 

[FountainandFairfax]

Overall, I'm comfortable driving, but certain situations, like sitting at stop-lights can be challenging. Gas stations can be another challenge, but most of the time I pay with a card anyway, so there's not much interaction there.

I didn't get my license until I was almost 20, and even then only because my grandmother drove me to the DMV and basically told me I wasn't going home until I went inside and took the test. I'm sooooooo glad that she did, because driving is the most liberating thing in the world to me. Even now, after seventeen years of being behind the wheel, I get a little thrill every time I start the engine.

I only drove late at night for years, essentially when no one else was out, but gradually I started driving during the day, and now 90% of the time I feel fine driving.

I couldn't imagine riding a bus, like you do. Once, ten years ago, I had to get on one and I went straight out the back door, leaving my family to take the ride without me. :/ It's funny now, but being confined like that with nowhere to go was overwhelming.

So, anywhooo... I recommend you give driving a shot, because I know what a great thing it's been for me.

 

[jc972]

By comfortable, I mean does driving make you socially anxious in any way?

I ride the bus because I don't drive (there are a few reasons for this). Everything about riding the bus makes me socially anxious including waiting at the bus stop, boarding the bus, and sitting on the bus. I wonder if I'd be less anxious just driving. I can imagine maybe being anxious at the gas station.

I'd be a nervous wreck with public transportation. I couldn't deal with it. I've rode in taxi cabs in big cities before and that was kinda fun because I could take in the sights and not have to worry about traffic or other people besides the driver and I chat with a taxi driver like I would a barber. Back to driving, it gives you more choices in that if you get nervous or are having a day you don't have to interact with people. You could drive on pretty, clear days and take the bus or whatever when it's bad weather. I can see good and bad points with it. Personally, I drive everywhere and we don't have public transportation anywhere within 200 miles of where I am. I find it relaxing to be heading down the road, listening to the radio (when they play something worth listening to, that is), without a care in the world until I reach my destination.

 

[Steiner]

No not really.

 

[MikeyC]

Yeah, I love driving. I used to take trains to Sydney, but then I realised that public transport sucks. :ironicsmile: These days I prefer to drive, even if the traffic in the city is treacherous.

I've even driven to Melbourne, which is an eight hour slog down the motorway. I just really enjoy it.

 

[Flanscho]

I have no drivers license. I use the bicycle 95% of the time to get to where I want to. 4% I use the train and the 1% is the car by having some friend drive. Though none of my friends owns a car either. The public transportation system is good enough.

 

[Kiwong]

I'm Ok with it, sit back and listen to the radio, on the way to somewhere interesting in the bush.

 

[ReclusiveGirl22]

Driving causes me some anxiety still, and sometimes none at all.

Compared to when I first started, I was terrified. Now I only get a little nervous when I'm somewhere new.

Don't be worried about getting petrol. I used to be so shy I had to get someone else to do it..... but after HAVING to do it myself, I realised... the guy at the counter doesn't care, he's half dead and so are the other people in the cars behind.

Everybody when out in the public are going somewhere, they don't have time to stop and evaluate every person they pass by. I just came back from the supermarket and I can't remember one person I walked past, or who was beside me in the line.

 

[nothingmuch]

Driving doesn't cause social anxiety for me, but buses and airplanes are stressful.

 

[jaim38]

I do experience some fear and anxiety when driving. My main fear is accidents. I just hope to dear God that I don't accidentally injure anybody or myself. After all, driving is a privilege, not a right so it could be taken away from me if I mess up. Anxiety occurs when I feel a lot of pressure to speed up, especially when there's a car tailgating my car and seeming impatient that I'm driving a bit slow. Speeders and daredevils give me anxiety. Also, sitting in the intersection where everybody could see each others' faces is sometimes a bit intidimating.

But ReclusiveGirl is right. Nobody cares or gives a d*mn about me. At the end of the day, I just want to get home safe and sound, without hurting anybody.

 

[SmileMore]

I do experience some fear and anxiety when driving. My main fear is accidents. I just hope to dear God that I don't accidentally injure anybody or myself. After all, driving is a privilege, not a right so it could be taken away from me if I mess up. Anxiety occurs when I feel a lot of pressure to speed up, especially when there's a car tailgating my car and seeming impatient that I'm driving a bit slow. Speeders and daredevils give me anxiety. Also, sitting in the intersection where everybody could see each others' faces is sometimes a bit intidimating.

This.

I also won't drive on a motorway (highway) as i have a huge fear of them.

 

[Dennis1980]

I never had any desire to drive until I was 26. I took driving lessons, and I just felt horrible. I couldn't drive straight, or turn or do anything. The teacher, who seemed like a nice guy, got more and more frustrated by my shitty driving. And whenever I came back from driving I had a big headache and I felt like the biggest loser ever, because if 16 year old idiots can drive, and I can't. I 've never felt more worthless. So, 7 years later, I've never even considered driving again. Hopefully I never will.

 

[LostViking]

I enjoy driving, it's the traffic that scares the noodles out of me. Give me an old rusty volvo and a narrow scandinavian forest-road filled with gravel and neurotic deer and I'll have a blast (and a tow-truck on the way probably). Ask me to drive anywhere I might bump into other cars and I'll start sweating.

Probably because traffic is actually just social interaction, you know just with people strapped inside metal containers moving at high speed. See why it freaks me out?

 

[spearhunter]

Yes i also have some driving anxiety, like when some one is on your rear end, I always try to thing of what he is saying about me in his car. but the worst for me is the police, i get kind of paranoiac when I see them, always thinking they will pull me over because i have done something wrong.I should stop thinking this way, because 99.99% of the time it doesn noty happen.

 

[spearhunter]

Damn me too i hate traffic, but rolling down an empty highway in the middle of mother nature, is a complete blast for me.

 

[Bo592]

I feel people don`t get train good enough to drive " It well o.k you can steer. " then your off.

 

[girlinthecorner]

I'm 26 and still don't know how to drive. I never cared to learn until a couple years ago because I just never went anywhere and always had a ride if I did need to go somewhere. I started wanting to be more independent though and took a driving class and that went horrible. I have way too many fears and just don't feel like I'll ever be able to drive. Also LA is just a horrible place to learn how to drive, at least for someone like me.
I use the bus to get around now. I used to have a fear of buses too. Buses still make me very uncomfortable but I think my fears associated with driving are worse.

 

[MikeyC]

Also LA is just a horrible place to learn how to drive, at least for someone like me.

Los Angeles is the car capital of the world, apparently. Driving is just like anything else: the more you do it, the better you'll eventually be. It is scary at first, but after a while you do get the hang of it. Don't give up.

 

[theoutsider]

By comfortable, I mean does driving make you socially anxious in any way?

I ride the bus because I don't drive (there are a few reasons for this). Everything about riding the bus makes me socially anxious including waiting at the bus stop, boarding the bus, and sitting on the bus. I wonder if I'd be less anxious just driving. I can imagine maybe being anxious at the gas station.

For me driving is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable ways to spend my spare time. I'm not crazy about heavy traffic but an open road and some free time are ideal to me. :thumbup:

 

[Aron]

I love driving, it's very relaxing for me. Well, not in huge traffic of course, but that's not too bad either.

I think what I love about driving the most is the freedom it gives you, to go anywhere, anytime you want. You can go hiking, see interesting places, do a lot of stuff, which otherwise, for example with public transport, would be too troublesome, you would have to conform to departure times, put together with a lot of people in a small space, etc.
As so beautifully put by my favourite pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow:
"Wherever we want to go, we go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and sails; that's what a ship needs. Not what a ship is. What the Black Pearl really is, is freedom."

I also like the driving itself, and fooling around a bit too, like driving sideways in the snow (not in traffic, but in empty parking lots, and such), sometimes accelerate with full throttle from red lights when noone is around (not exceeding the speed limit). I'd also like to go to a track day in the future.

What I hate the most about the car, not even the driving itself, but when there's something wrong with it, and I have to take it to the mechanic. It's a social interaction which I really hate, plus I always think that because I don't have good practical knowledge about this stuff, he will scam me.