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As a kid - we all piled into the family stationwagon and went for Sunday drives - in rural Wisconsin. THAT was pleasurable. Oftentimes it was the fun of getting lost and making discoveries that made it wonderful.
While that's do-able today - there are inherent risks. I think of all the truckers on meth or other pharmaceuticals... and it's even more difficult to find areas of true rural seclusion... you really have to drive a long way to find that.
When we moved from Los Angeles to here - the culture of driving was enormously different. The I-15 was a two lane highway in 1990 and the sidewalks were rolled up at 6PM.
The I-15 is now a 6 lane - each way - monolith. And we have 24 hour open stores.
And 10 years in here..... I moved from a 45 minute commute to living 3 miles from work.
I did this - not only for gas savings - but for my sanity.
I used to LOVE to ride my bike. I would NEVER do it here. The distractions are too huge.
Driving is fun for me only when I cruise out into the countryside. My BIL drives a motorcycle and I envy him for it, he takes it out into the country for long drives but not in the city. Driving around the towns here on two-lane roads is scary, as cars weave in and out with texters and oldsters, and those probably on a lot of meds. Highway driving used to be OK for me until the advent of power drivers doing passing on the right and weaving-passing at high mph. I cannot imagine negotiating the highways in the state of CA. My older sister lives there and has road rage. Beware.
Negotiating the highways is quite scary for me. I live in a very large metropolitan area and used to be I didn't mind driving the freeways. Not anymore. I now take alternate routes to avoid them. I love to drive but not when everyone is going way over the speed limit and weaving as you mentioned. Since I have all the time in the world I can avoid the stress! I'm a defensive driver. 66 yrs of age, never had a ticket or been in an accident! (not saying that maybe a time or two I didn't deserve a ticket) LOL
When I'd be scared to drive - oh well, I am scared right now - my first choice would be to move to a small town without the aggressive drivers who endanger our lives daily here in the OC - Orange County ( just another suburb of Los Angeles). Actually, we plan to move to such a place, called Paradise - no kidding - it is 10 miles north of Chico, CA; look it up.
Once I couldn't drive there where the speed limit is only 25 mph, and strictly observed too, I might plan to find someone who has financial difficulties maintaining and insuring a nice car, hand him the keys and in exchange he/she would drive us around to get groceries or for doctor visits.
As for keeping the dogs happy, I can to that without a drivers license- all I need is two legs and a leash.
My 2 cents.
Negotiating the highways is quite scary for me. I live in a very large metropolitan area and used to be I didn't mind driving the freeways. Not anymore. I now take alternate routes to avoid them. I love to drive but not when everyone is going way over the speed limit and weaving as you mentioned. Since I have all the time in the world I can avoid the stress! I'm a defensive driver. 66 yrs of age, never had a ticket or been in an accident! (not saying that maybe a time or two I didn't deserve a ticket) LOL
Well at least on a highway everyone is going in one direction. On two-lane roads, the chances of getting hit are probably higher, what with the elderly spacing out, front seat arguments, texting and phoning, teen drinking, new drivers, and people falling asleep at the wheel. If you don't tend to pass and stay in the proper lane, the only real challenge is easing onto the highway, getting harder and harder these days.
Charlton Heston said something about guns. "They can have my guns when they can pry my cold dead fingers from the barrel"
For me, you can just substitute Steering wheel for Barrel. I just turned 76 and I'm going out for a drive in a few minutes.
Charlton Heston said something about guns. "They can have my guns when they can pry my cold dead fingers from the barrel"
For me, you can just substitute Steering wheel for Barrel. I just turned 76 and I'm going out for a drive in a few minutes.
Well at least on a highway everyone is going in one direction. On two-lane roads, the chances of getting hit are probably higher, what with the elderly spacing out, front seat arguments, texting and phoning, teen drinking, new drivers, and people falling asleep at the wheel. If you don't tend to pass and stay in the proper lane, the only real challenge is easing onto the highway, getting harder and harder these days.
Drives me crazy (pun not intended) when urban types come to my area and drive like old ladies (no offence intended) because they are on a two lane mtn road and go 25mph on a 55 mph section-why?- because they are not used to two lane roads. Scared of cars. Yet they're cool playing bumpercars on the urban freeways.
I guess it is all about what you're used to. But locally I don't see seniors giving up driving due to traffic conditions on our mellow two lane roads. My FIL, who lived locally, drove till he was 89. Driving in my area is not stressful.
Maybe I am too pessimistic, morbid, or fearful, but reading in the Retirement Forum will sooner or later bring one to the subject of giving up driving. I simply cannot imagine myself not driving. I value my independence of movement, I am often on the go, and it is beyond scary to contemplate life without a car. This is true for me even though I live within easy walking distance (one mile) of a great number of things - library, banks, supermarket, barber shops, restaurants, post office, and more. But my life as presently constituted at age 69 takes me beyond those places, and fairly often.
Emperor Hirohito rather famously spoke to his subjects about "thinking the unthinkable and bearing the unbearable" in his radio address of August 15, 1945.
How are you doing with that? I am handling it by being in denial that it could ever happen.
My eyesight is very bad, to put it mildly, and it may not be that long before I have to stop driving. In the meantime I am researching various resources in my community for getting around.
And if I do have to give up driving; instead of mourning my loss of independence; I prefer to look at the positives: no more expenses for car maintenance; auto insurance; car tags; gasoline.
Will I feel bad when it does happen? When I can no longer drive myself? Possibly, but I'll do all I can to not let it control me.
I have had a real life experience of this. I live in Denmark. At age 70 you have to get a medical check-up and apply for a new license, good for 4 years. The next license is good for 2 years. After that, it's every year.
Well, to make a long story short: my family doctor is required by law to give the medical oversight board every part of my history and they can also check this on a medical data base for every resident of Denmark. One item - a short-duration (a few seconds) black out - triggered a stroke warning. License denied! The old one was invalidated.
My first reaction: move back to the US. I could never imagine not driving again. This would involve divorcing my wife; moving back to a country I have only visited (2x yearly) for 17 years; living alone in W. Podunk Missouri (where housing prices cheap); paying for sex;.....you, the OP, know the drill.
One can appeal these decisions. I went to a neurologist a number of times. He required a MRI scan. Sure enough, there was 1 small lesion on my brain. It could have happened from 3 months to 60+ years ago. He sent to an ultra-sound examination. No issues at all with my arteries to the brain. All this was sent to the oversight board. Shortly later, I received a letter from them that they had no record of my case! Back to the family doctor: another check-up; and then to the neurologist; another MRI; and other Ultra Sound (just to be on the safe side).
About 4 months later ( about 7 months after I had originally applied). I finally got cleared and my new license would be sent to me by the police. Add another month. I still have not received it.
But a happy ending. However, in the mean time, I became crazy, fixated, certain of failure, looking forward to my dismal future without out my wife...jus to drive a FU--ing car when i am on vacation (we have excellent public transport in Denmark).
Yes, I understand.
That is true in Texas but to tell you the truth its not very strict as to what can mean you fail to get license renewed.Even a police officer that observes you driving can request you be reexamined for cause for license in between the renewal times.
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