Ash UK/US

Driving in the US... is it a right or a priviledge?

I was always brought up to think it was a priviledge and I still do... however in the US it seems to be seen as more a right

An example one of my neighbours just turned 91 and she is still driving and seems to think it is OK to do so even though she is as deaf as a post (her rear wheel jammed one day and was screaching extremly loud, I thought it was someone skidding to avoid an accident... she did not hear it and only stopped because her car would not go any faster :scared She is a lovely old lady but certainly should not be on the road. Then there is my husbands niece who seemed to expect a car when she turned 16, I have noticed that seems to be the way with most kids here... by the way who in their right minds thought it was OK for kids to start learning to drive at 14.5 years anyhow?

whatda ya think?

Ash

Manc

Parents will go out and buy their kid a Ford Mustang and then bollock me because their insurance bill went through the roof........

We're bringing up a nation of pussies whom expect life on a plate for them. My kids are in for a shock when they turn 16.

I have the 401Manc system.
I'll match whatever they have to pay for a car. but they have to insure it.

Big D

too bloody right!

standard of driving down here is very poor - and all the locals agree with me! test is a joke - what do you expect!

paddingtongreen

Legally, in PA, it's a priviledge

woodsey

have to agree its a scary thought that my daughter can start driving in 18 months, she still can't wipe her own arse properly.. I do believe though that kids do have to undergo at least 30 hours in a simulator then several hours with an instructor before being allowed to take the test...not that it shows.
driving should definitely be a privilege, having just got back form the UK, there was an article in the paper about a 100 year old thats just had his licence taken away on the advice of his doctor, he said it was outrageous and only he should decide when to stop driving...my old next door neighbour was and still is driving I'm led to believe and she's about 86, never have I heard anyone rev a car so loudly just to get it out the garage, she used to kangaroo all the way up the road..she also managed to burn down her garage but thats a whole different story.

Celtic_Angel

oh dear don't get me started on old people driving :scared: I almost hit an idiot who cut me off..it was an old biddy..and she was wearing a neck brace and couldn't even turn her head

but what can you do? life's different here..no car no life....you take an old person's ability to drive you might as well starve them to death..who's gonna take them to the store? the doctor? it's not like the U.k you definitly need a car...I know they have those bus sevices just for old folks to take them places but I very rarely see them?

Celtic_Angel

that's me trying to drive a stick shift

Guelder Rose

You remind me of my father ... although he wouldn't match anything ... it was a case of, "If you want a car, go out and earn the money for one!" I loved him to bits ... and his way of teaching taught me the value of money and how to stand on my own two feet ... something that is sadly lacking in the current younger generation who expect everything for nothing!

Guelder Rose

I thought the driving test was a joke too .... but then again, I looked online at what is currently expected of you if you are taking the UK driving test ... and it's the same as the US one ... you can make 15 mistakes and still pass!!!!

Big D

At least they take you on real roads in the uk though, not round some 20mph housing sub division!!

Guelder Rose

When I took my test here in CA I was taken on real roads ... but the test itself only lasted 10 minutes max ... you'd have to be a total idiot to make more than 15 mistakes in 10 minutes! Would be interesting to know what the failure rate is, because I find it hard to believe that anyone could fail!

USBound

my test here in LA lasted 6minutes, involved going around the block on a housing estate and back to the test centre - when we returned I thought I'd failed the bloody thing.

Celtic_Angel

PMSL!! it sounds just like my test!!! I figured we were going back because the instructor had forgotten something!!

FlyergirlUK

My test was on a closed course - of all things! I found it totally ridiculous and would like to know exactly how you can judge someone's driving skills by taking them on one of those?!

As for the old biddies, well, there's an old people's home down the road from me and the cars you see coming out of there are either driving like bats out of hell, (that would be the carers - probably can't wait to get out of the place) or the old gits in whacking great big cars that refuse to go over about 25mph!

LeedsGirl

I only took the written test out here and was given a drivers license. I still have my British License which runs out in 2039 :scared: