Behind the Wheel (a fragment)

Hard to imagine a life without driving. I've informed my family that they'll take my car keys when they pry them from my cold, dead fingers.

I've not driven since I left the USA, 35 years ago! Funny how driving is so necessary in the USA, but isn't really so much in other places. Sometimes I wish we still had a car, but it's not worth the expense for the amount of time we'd use it and the yearly expense of maintaining it.

I no longer have a driving license. My Michigan one expired shortly after my arrival here, and in order to get a British one I'd have to start from scratch, taking driving lessons, pass a very rigorous practical AND written test (for a manual transmission ...urgh), and pay a fair amount of money as well. Just not worth it, as we no longer have a car. My husband still has his license (they don't expire here for 10 years, and renewal is easy), but HE hasn't driven since 1994, when we gave up the car ...so I doubt we'll ever use it again.

Public transportation (with taxi supplements for places the buses and trains don't go—like grocery shopping trips to the supermarket across town) is widely available and largely affordable. In fact, for people over 60 (or under 22, or on benefits) bus travel is free. It's a lot cheaper to take the bus/train/taxi than it is to maintain a car.