I really hate driving, but I don't know why. Every one of my driving fears is irrational.

Are you a good driver? Do you like to drive? Or does it scare the bejeezus out of you?

-- Anonymous, September 14, 1999

Answers

I love to drive. Other than the shower, the car seems to be the only place where I can guarantee that I am alone if I want to be, so I often sneak out for late night drives when everyone else is asleep. (It's good to be an insomniac sometimes.)

I think I'm a good driver. I have never caused an accident (I've been in several but they have always been someone else hitting me.) and I rarely get honked at or flipped off. I try to be conscientious about watching the road more than my passengers or my radio or my air conditioner settings, and I've learned that I cannot use my cell phone when I'm moving. Those are my biggest trouble spots, so I try to keep them under control.

I think it also helps that I have, for the past several years, been an SUV driver. (Not much else can fit all of our kids, anyway.) Not only do I feel much more safe in an SUV in wet weather and fog and whatnot, I think that people have a tendency to be more cautious around SUVs because they are so big. That, in turn, adds, as far as I can see, to the overall safety of everyone. Anything that forces people to be more alert and cognisant of how they behave in relation to the people with whom they must share the road is a good thing.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 1999

I haven't driven since I was 17, and if I can avoid it, I won't ever drive again. In other words, I hate it. I don't have a license and don't want one.

But even though I don't drive, I see people driving around SF every day who do it so badly and so recklessly, I know I'd be a better driver than they are even if I haven't done it in 30 years. How they ever got licenses is a mystery.

We had a car here for 15 years and got rid of it about 5 years ago, and the benefits of not having one here outweigh the downside by far. When we want to get away for a few days, we rent one.

But in the city itself, it's very easy to get around in other ways, by walking, taking the bus and cabs, and the amount of money and stress saved by not driving here is easily worth $1000 a month (payments, gas, insurance, maintenance and repairs, parking garages and meters, parking tickets, etc.).

-- Anonymous, September 14, 1999

I love to drive. I used to be terrified of it, mainly because I didn't do it very often. Then my life changed so that I had to drive more and gradually I got more comfortable with it.

For several years I had a 50 mile each way commute. Lucky for me it was on a freeway that's very scenic and not terribly crowded, so most of the time it was a pleasure. Parking when I got back to San Francisco, now that was no pleasure.

I don't know if I'm a good driver or not. I think I am, but doesn't eveyrbody? I don't blame you or anyone for being nervous about it, beth. It is serious, potentially dangerous, and can be pretty tension producing.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 1999

I used to love to drive. I would just go out and drive when I didn'y have anywhere to go, just go down and drive down Twin Cities road until I reached Rancho Seco, then take little roads up to Wilton, and then home, wandering around and figuring out where things were, and just enjoying the road.

My Hyundai was fun. It accelerated like nothing else, and even if it didn't want to go over 65 without rattling, it still was pretty nimble. And every since that nitwit turned in front of me and killed my car, I haven't much liked to drive. I don't feel safe doing it, and while the Neon likes to go fast, it certainly takes its time getting there (better than my old Honda, which went from 0 to 60 in about a minute, but still). And, well... and automatic just isn't as much fun. I even liked driving in San Francisco in the Hyundai.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 1999

I love driving as long as it is not in the city.

I went for years being able to run the outskirts of the larger cities, doing all of my chores in the smaller neighboring towns that was until last month. Now I work in a big city, an hour away. I am fine until I hit the city limits. Then I start freaking out. I imagine getting in a wreak, tense up in the bumper to bumper traffic. By the time I get to work, I am a freaking wreck.

I hate driving in the city; I love driving in the country. The new car I bought last Sept. already has 21,000 miles on it, and I have not left Texas.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 1999

I like driving. I'm doing my best to make myself sick of it, though. Near-weekly trips to San Francisco, a recent stint driving delivery, a recent drive to Southern Califronia, and an upcoming drive to Portland all seem to be plotted by my subconscious as a means of eventually tiring me of driving and getting me off the road where I'm nice and safe.

It has yet to work. I am an endangered youth.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 1999

That's tough. I love driving my Bug, it's fun and comfy and it's the only time I get to really think and listen to music. When I lived in Kalamazoo, there were plenty of places to get away from the city and just drive and drive. In the fall, with the colors, it was especially nice. I'd sometimes just hop in the car and drive about twenty minutes to the beach on Lake Michigan and watch the sun set.

Now that I live in Detroit, driving is making me crazy.

-- Anonymous, September 15, 1999

17 years ago, shortly after my 18th birthday, I had my first and last driving lesson. When it was over, the instructor turned to me and told me in a very calm fashion that some people just weren't meant to drive cars. 'And I suppose I am one of those people?' I replied. As if I didn't know we barely got away with our lives.

It's mainly a coordination thing - I just can't remember where everything is. Which is a strange thing, as I do play the drums, which, in a roundabout sort of way, involves the same principles.

-- Anonymous, September 15, 1999

I adore driving! I will purposely go out of my way, or take the long way around, just to have more driving time. There is something about the economy of motion involved that makes me feel very competant.

In a few days, I leave for a driving trip through the Rockies...just 2 girls, a jeep, and a trunkful of CD's! I cannot wait!

-- Anonymous, September 15, 1999

I love to drive, especially long road trips. I like to rent an audio book and really put in some miles. None of these wimpy abridged versions either, we're talking "Crime and Punishment" or "Moby Dick". My wife is the same way, together we can go 24 hours virtually non- stop.

Driving in traffic isn't as much fun, especially if it is 105 and your car is black like mine.

-- Anonymous, September 15, 1999

I am the world's worst driver---even in Nashville, where driving is at an abysmal low. I had to take my test three times, this in a state where most chimps can earn a driver's license.

Barb has quietly asserted her rights here. She drives. The car is her baby. I am to drive only in emergencies, by mutual consent on both our parts, and we're talking like to the emergency roomemergency. She's SEEN me drive, and has no desire to have the car insurance rates go up.--Al

-- Anonymous, September 15, 1999

I hate driving. Period.

-- Anonymous, September 15, 1999

I don't mind driving, but get stiff from sitting too long. When I drove (by myself) from Indiana to San Francisco this summer I spread it out over 7 days. Had only one near miss.....had just merged onto I80 in Reno and all of a sudden, to my left, was a pickup truck going around in circles. I thought he was going to hit me, but he went into the median instead. I pulled over as did the guy in front of me, but the truck driver drove back on the highway and went on his merry way. I think I shook all the way to Truckee. I hope I didn't cause it by merging too slowly, but I am usually up to speed on the ramp. However, you can have California traffic. I felt like I was on the Dan Ryan (Chicago) from the time I came down from the Sierra's until I got off in Oakland. Too much traffic out there. I was also very happy to be back driving in flat Indiana after experiencing the hair-raising 191 from Rock Springs, WY to Vernal, UT and 120 coming out of Yosemite. I've lost my nerve in my "old age"

-- Anonymous, September 15, 1999

Oh yes... I have started to find myself with the road-trip urge again in the last few months. Thinking of driving up to Oregon to go to a store, etc. I'm starting to like driving again, but now I need a fun car.

-- Anonymous, September 15, 1999

i absolutely hate to drive. i barely got my license at 18, and i haven't driven ONCE in the five years since my driving test. i think it's a coordination problem, too...i tend to forget which pedal is which, and i get easily distracted and can't focus quickly enough on what's going on (especially when it involves the rear/side view mirrors in any way whatsoever...shudder).

-- Anonymous, September 15, 1999

I love to drive anywhere but Toronto and the surrounding environs. Unfortunately, seeing that I live in Toronto and we have to pass through the surrounding environs to visit the relatives, I'm basically s.o.l.

Once outside the big city influence, there are a ton of country roads to point the nose of wondercar down and just let the kilometres unwind.

I love long distance driving - given my druthers, I'd take a couple of months off work and drive from ocean to ocean to ocean (Atlantic to Pacific to Arctic) and back again.

I'm not going to even begin to describe the sheer joy (read HELL) of driving in Toronto.

-- Anonymous, September 16, 1999

i love to drive. love it love it love it. once i learned to drive stick, i loved it even more. however; i am a very self-conscious. and this spills over into my driving sometimes - i have moments where i'm not sure if what i'm doing is ok, or correct, or legal - and then i freeze up or err on the side of safety. it doesn't happen often but when it does, i am SO nervous of making other people angry - forget the fact that i might miss my exit or something - that i screw up even more. sucks.

and of course, most of these moments happen in the city.

when i lived in toronto, i didn't have a license - i got it out here in seattle. i've been back a lot since then, with a rental car, and i have to say the signage is about 50 times better in toronto then in seattle, the grid layout of the city makes it so much easier to find your way around (here it's like all these Y shapes that converge in the oddest ways) and people signal a lot more, and also stay to the right more then they do here. i can't believe how many times (in seattle area) i've been stuck behind three cars, all in different lanes, all going the same speed...

-- Anonymous, September 16, 1999

I'm a good driver, but I am absolutely terrified of strange or busy areas. I don't do Grand Rapids. Never. Nope. My driving instructor asked me if I had ever been in a serious accident (I hadn't), and I waited until I was 20 to get my licensce.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 1999

I hate to drive. I don't think it is because I am a bad driver but because everyone else is!

-- Anonymous, September 21, 1999

I love to drive. I drive a Taurus SHO. They feel so...YEAH!!! And it's so fun to have a car that can out-run cars that other teens drive. When I tell people I drive a Taurus, I know they think I'm strange. But I LOVE to drive it. (Leather...Great Sound System...Dark Windows...Cool Rims...Spoiler...it doesn't even look like a taurus!) It's top speed is 165 MPH!

-- Anonymous, November 28, 1999