{"id":258593,"date":"2025-07-29T11:31:28","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T01:31:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.russh.com\/?p=258593"},"modified":"2025-07-29T11:31:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T01:31:49","slug":"im-in-my-20s-and-still-dont-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.russh.com\/im-in-my-20s-and-still-dont-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m in my 20s and still don\u2019t drive… and I\u2019m tired of explaining why"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you drive? You should just get a car. It makes life so much easier.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve heard these sentences more times than I can count. It\u2019s usually delivered with wide-eyed disbelief, as if I\u2019ve somehow never considered that cars are convenient. In my mid-20s, not driving is often treated like a red flag \u2013 immature at best, irresponsible at worst. For many, it\u2019s seen as a marker of adulthood or independence, a practical milestone to look forward to. And I get it. It was for me too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Right before I moved from Perth<\/a> to Melbourne<\/a>, I took my driving test for the first (and only) time. Back then, I didn\u2019t know I was about to relocate interstate. With my future thought to be in Perth, I knew I needed to get my <\/span>licence<\/span> if I wanted to do, well, almost anything. Perth\u2019s public transport system is notoriously limited, and at the time, driving felt like the only option.<\/span><\/p>\n

“In my mid-20s, not driving is often treated like a red flag \u2013 immature at best, irresponsible at worst.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I remember the test itself being nothing short of horrifying. Already an anxious person, I found myself trying to follow instructions while the driving instructor casually asked me about my Year 12 ball, what I planned to study, and whether the pressure of my final year was getting to me. In the end, I failed because I stopped the car slightly too far from the curb. I haven\u2019t taken another test since.<\/span><\/p>\n

After I moved to Melbourne, the urgency to drive quietly faded. Public transport here was far more accessible. Even now, seven years later, I still find myself enchanted by the <\/span>coloured<\/span> maps showing elaborate tram, train and bus routes \u2013 a stark contrast to what I\u2019d known in Perth, where there\u2019s still nothing comparable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, Melbourne comes with its own complications. The traffic is worse, and needing to account for trams, hook turns, and (way more) cyclists made me <\/span>realise<\/span> I didn\u2019t actually want to drive here either. Although public transport<\/a> is often unreliable and late, I still find it far more manageable. During peak hours, I\u2019d rather be on a tram, where there\u2019s at least some pressure on the service to run on time, instead of being stuck behind the wheel in gridlock.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Between the rising cost of fuel, parking fines, maintenance, insurance and registration, owning a car just seems like a constant expense I can\u2019t easily justify. I regularly hear friends complain about how expensive it is to run a car, often moments after telling me I should get one.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, while moving through the world without a <\/span>licence<\/span> isn\u2019t something I chose out of social defiance, it does come down to a mix of caution, cost and circumstance.<\/span><\/p>\n

You could argue, \u201cOkay, you don\u2019t want to drive, but isn\u2019t it handy to have a <\/span>licence<\/span>?\u201d And I\u2019d agree, to some extent. It would be handy. But for the most part, I can chalk up my non-driving mindset to anxiety \u2013 the kind that insists if something goes wrong, it will be entirely my fault. The thought of being responsible for a vehicle and everyone\u2019s safety in it feels overwhelming. I\u2019ve not only heard but witnessed the devastation of car accidents: lives lost in freak incidents, <\/span>lifelong injuries caused by a moment\u2019s distraction, the insurmountable grief and regret that follow \u2013 even if or when it wasn\u2019t technically your fault.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which makes it kind of pointless for me to get one. I\u2019d have to go through multiple paid lessons, then sit a stressful (and expensive) driving test, with no guarantee of passing the first time. And let\u2019s be honest, I \u2013 and probably many others \u2013 wouldn\u2019t want an anxious driver behind the wheel in an emergency anyway. <\/span>So<\/span> what\u2019s the point?<\/span><\/p>\n

“In a way, relying on public transport forces me to slow down. Trams and trains, while imperfect, give me time to read, text or call people back, zone out or find inspiration.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There\u2019s also the financial burden. Between the rising cost of fuel, parking fines, maintenance, insurance and registration, owning a car just seems like a constant expense I can\u2019t easily justify. I regularly hear friends complain about how expensive it is to run a car, often moments after telling me I should get one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, factors like having dependents or living in newly developing or regional areas with limited public transport access don\u2019t apply to me or my lifestyle (at least at the moment). <\/span>So<\/span> the most convenient option remains public transport, where it\u2019s still manageable to carry a bag or two of groceries, or head out for drinks.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a way, relying on public transport forces me to slow down. Trams and trains, while imperfect, give me time to read, text or call people back, zone out or find inspiration. I can credit eavesdropping on public transport as the starting point for many of my articles and stories.<\/span><\/p>\n

“There\u2019s an avenue of connection there \u2013 waiting together in the cold for a train to arrive, sparking up conversation over whether the next tram is coming, helping an older woman with her bags as she gets off the bus.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Plus, some of the most interesting people I\u2019ve met have been at bus and tram stops. There\u2019s an avenue of connection there \u2013 waiting together in the cold for a train to arrive, sparking up conversation over whether the next tram is coming, helping an older woman with her bags as she gets off the bus. Little moments that keep me tied to the people around me and grounded in reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

And so, while for many people driving might be the most convenient, cost-efficient and practical option, it isn\u2019t for me and mine. Driving instructors and the test itself aren\u2019t going anywhere any time soon, and if things change \u2013 if it\u2019s no longer viable for me to use public transport \u2013 I\u2019ll do what I\u2019ve got to.<\/span><\/p>\n

For now, you can rest knowing I didn\u2019t just forget to get my <\/span>licence<\/span>. I continue to (at least for the moment) choose not to.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n