Hi Michael!
I feel the exact same way as you do about driving, but I’ve never told anyone. I think driving is a waste of money, and obviously bad for the planet, but money is my biggest factor. There are just too many expenses associated with driving that I can’t afford. I mean, I can barely afford rent, let alone a yearly car service, petrol, registration or insurance. I try to avoid driving as much as I can and I even spoke with my friends about selling my car because I needed the cash, and they looked at me as if I was some sort of outcast. Even mentioning my dislike for driving very briefly made me feel like a social outcast. How do you do it? Don’t you feel like you’re being judged every time you take to the footpath instead of the road?
I’m being honest with you because I can’t really be honest with anyone else at the moment, but if I need one more brake repair or even the tiniest bit of car maintenance, I’m going to get rid of my car. I can’t afford it and it really isn’t worth me fixing a car that I don’t even want to have. I’m going to need your help learning to deal with the social stigma though. I’ve always cared about what people thought of me and knowing that I’m going to purposely put myself in a position where I look bad gives me a bit of anxiety. But, it doesn’t give me as much anxiety as not being able to pay my rent so I guess I know what I need to do.
I wonder if I can give my car to a mechanic in the Raceview area when it needs its next service. Maybe I could sell it to them for second-hand parts or something. Do mechanics do things like that? I’m not sure. What did you do with your car when you decided to give up driving?
Keen to hear from you soon mate.
– Jarrod