A car is often essential in the US but while owning a vehicle is better than not for life satisfaction, a study has found, having to drive too much sends happiness plummeting
I moved to one of the few places in Canada where you can happily function without a car, where in fact I leave my car parked because driving it around would be stupid. I keep it only because driving it on track is a hobby of mine and because I find myself needing to drive to my hometown quite often, to a place where sense has yet to reach, and so I can’t take the train.
Every time I need to drive somewhere, especially with any amount of traffic, it is a battle to keep myself thinking positive thoughts. All my journeys on foot or by metro have so much colour and life, even on grey, rainy days. By car it’s just sad highway for miles while being surrounded by angry, impatient people who wouldn’t allow another person to merge on threat of death.
I hate driving. It is a chore even when I get to drive my fun little sportscar and the fact you need to pay for the privilege makes it all the more absurd.
—
Oh, and I’m a better driver and mechanic than almost anyone else on the road(ignoring actual mechanics and race car drivers who might be driving around, obviously) and this is my stance. Meanwhile there are the worst people you know shitting their pants over a bike lane as if losing their car’s monopoly on the road would take a part of their soul away despite being far less than acceptably capable behind the wheel and despite having next to zero knowledge of how their vehicle functions.
I moved from MB to QC in 1999-2003 and I was so shocked by the differences I ended up giving my car to my sister back in MB.
Metro to work would be like 25 minutes including walk, where vehicle to parking to work would be like 1 hour.
edit: It didn’t last because I ended up shacking up with a woman who was too lazy to walk a block, so we ended up with another car. Yay. Now I get to spend 2 hours of every day constantly shoveling parking spots and driving in circles looking for parking :/
Yup, Montréal is top shit as far as North America is concerned. Metro is king, and so great for when you’re kinda tired and just want someone to drive you around. Like I said, I still have my car but I always choose not to bother with it unless I absolutely have to.
Also true. I will call myself that because I specifically make sure that I actually account for weaknesses instead of ignoring them.
Stopping at stop signs isn’t just for the law, it’s because no matter how good you are you’ll have tired or otherwise distracted moments and stopping helps manage those safely where rolling absolutely does not.
I keep a good following distance, and I figured that out on my own. It’s not just for safety but also it’s the contributor to rush hour traffic.
I’m not afraid to actually use the gas pedal. Driving slowly is not universally safe, especially when merging onto the highway. At the same time I also don’t go tearing it up everywhere as if I’m reliving Need For Speed. I can also take a corner without drastically slowing down or cutting lanes unlike the lady who squished my front end between her Corolla and the curb coming out of a two-lane roundabout because I dunno I guess she didn’t like her outside lane or something.
I know how to drift, quite well even. Yea it’s fun as hell but it also means that I don’t become a danger to myself and others in inclement weather and I can feel problems happening with enough time to address them instead of before it’s already too late. My sister says she’s afraid to learn how to drift because she’s afraid of sliding but not having knowledge isn’t going to save her from encountering snow and ice.
I can go on and on but ultimately these are basic things that other drivers routinely fail to execute and many will even argue against them. They aren’t just not doing the right things but willingly doing dangerous things. I admit that I will also make mistakes and I work hard to make sure that they are rare.
So yea, you’re right that most people think they’re good drivers because their threshold for excellence is not having been in a major accident/blaming others but I’m pretty confident in my abilities. Certainly confident enough to say what I said.
I moved to one of the few places in Canada where you can happily function without a car, where in fact I leave my car parked because driving it around would be stupid. I keep it only because driving it on track is a hobby of mine and because I find myself needing to drive to my hometown quite often, to a place where sense has yet to reach, and so I can’t take the train.
Every time I need to drive somewhere, especially with any amount of traffic, it is a battle to keep myself thinking positive thoughts. All my journeys on foot or by metro have so much colour and life, even on grey, rainy days. By car it’s just sad highway for miles while being surrounded by angry, impatient people who wouldn’t allow another person to merge on threat of death.
I hate driving. It is a chore even when I get to drive my fun little sportscar and the fact you need to pay for the privilege makes it all the more absurd.
—
Oh, and I’m a better driver and mechanic than almost anyone else on the road(ignoring actual mechanics and race car drivers who might be driving around, obviously) and this is my stance. Meanwhile there are the worst people you know shitting their pants over a bike lane as if losing their car’s monopoly on the road would take a part of their soul away despite being far less than acceptably capable behind the wheel and despite having next to zero knowledge of how their vehicle functions.
I moved from MB to QC in 1999-2003 and I was so shocked by the differences I ended up giving my car to my sister back in MB.
Metro to work would be like 25 minutes including walk, where vehicle to parking to work would be like 1 hour.
edit: It didn’t last because I ended up shacking up with a woman who was too lazy to walk a block, so we ended up with another car. Yay. Now I get to spend 2 hours of every day constantly shoveling parking spots and driving in circles looking for parking :/
Yup, Montréal is top shit as far as North America is concerned. Metro is king, and so great for when you’re kinda tired and just want someone to drive you around. Like I said, I still have my car but I always choose not to bother with it unless I absolutely have to.
That’s what they all say.
I mean, the car I work on successfully goes a race track just fine.
But I imagine that was a joke and yea, agreed.
More about the “I’m a better driver than” part. Everyone thinks they’re an excellent driver.
Also true. I will call myself that because I specifically make sure that I actually account for weaknesses instead of ignoring them.
Stopping at stop signs isn’t just for the law, it’s because no matter how good you are you’ll have tired or otherwise distracted moments and stopping helps manage those safely where rolling absolutely does not.
I keep a good following distance, and I figured that out on my own. It’s not just for safety but also it’s the contributor to rush hour traffic.
I’m not afraid to actually use the gas pedal. Driving slowly is not universally safe, especially when merging onto the highway. At the same time I also don’t go tearing it up everywhere as if I’m reliving Need For Speed. I can also take a corner without drastically slowing down or cutting lanes unlike the lady who squished my front end between her Corolla and the curb coming out of a two-lane roundabout because I dunno I guess she didn’t like her outside lane or something.
I know how to drift, quite well even. Yea it’s fun as hell but it also means that I don’t become a danger to myself and others in inclement weather and I can feel problems happening with enough time to address them instead of before it’s already too late. My sister says she’s afraid to learn how to drift because she’s afraid of sliding but not having knowledge isn’t going to save her from encountering snow and ice.
I can go on and on but ultimately these are basic things that other drivers routinely fail to execute and many will even argue against them. They aren’t just not doing the right things but willingly doing dangerous things. I admit that I will also make mistakes and I work hard to make sure that they are rare.
So yea, you’re right that most people think they’re good drivers because their threshold for excellence is not having been in a major accident/blaming others but I’m pretty confident in my abilities. Certainly confident enough to say what I said.
That’s what they all say.