What do you love about driving? (Inspire me.)
 

At the end of August, I have my final road test to get my full driver's license.

I'm 33, and I've only started driving a few years ago, and even then, I've only driven sporadically, and for a few hours in total (probably less than 20).

I've been relatively apathetic about it. I think I even have a bit of a phobia. I have issues with multitasking and spatial awareness, so I get anxiety. I have to learn how to drive manual eventually, because my SO has a manual transmission Mazda3 Sport.

I don't know what it's like to use a car as a tool or as a device for pleasure, as a driver, as I've only been a passenger for most of my life. Most of my vehicular travel is by bus and subway at the moment, but I do occasionally get car rides on weekends here and there, and then there is the occasional road trip with about 2 or 3 hours in the car.

I have yet to experience highway driving at length. I am a bit nervous about city driving in cramped and congested areas (I live in Toronto).

Help me get over this.

What do you love about driving?
Why would you be devastated if you could never drive ever again?

I love investing time and effort into maximizing the performance of my vehicle. It doesn't have to be really expensive or flashy (work or vehicle). I drive a little hatchback POS, but I've modified it enough to where I'm happy. It handles well, sounds great, and doesn't look half bad compared to more expensive cars. Consider it a weekend project where you take something stock and Guru it.

Make a car your own, instead of just a generic something you use to carry your ass around.

...

It isn't a car, but I would be sad if I couldn't drive again because I've recently discovered the joy long highway rides on my motorcycle.

Two words: road head.

That's dangerous. Especially on I95 south of Richmond. But, yeah, I agree with the Jazz here. It's a great thing.

Road head is pretty damn awesome. I'd recommend enabling the cruise control so you don't floor it during the Oh-YEAH moment.

Wind in my hair. Driving down the highway, windows open, radio blaring. That's pretty much my idea of heaven (well, no. heaven would be driving next to the ocean, but since there aren't any oceans around here, I'll take what I can get.)

I live out in the sticks (kind of), with no public transportation, so driving represents a certain amount of freedom-- moreso when I was 16, granted, but I still love to go out driving just for the hell of it (well, I do in theory. Gas prices mean I don't do this as often as I used to.)

I think Neil Peart put it better than I ever could...

Rush—very nice.

Oh, all of you feel free to share your favourite road tunes as well. I love music, and to associate the two would certainly help.

Thanks for the ideas so far, guys.

If I was put in a position where I could never drive again, I'd try to get a horse. I think it goes back to our primal feeling of success in learning how to finally bypass walking and move on to something much, much more efficient. It's a symbol of how we've increased our capability as a species significantly. Moreover, unlike planes and trains and buses, you get to have one of these wonderful machines all to yourself. You can listen to the music you want to listen to as loud as you want. You can roll down the windows or crank the a/c. You get to decide at any given moment where you want to go and you get to go there in customized comfort. Beyond that you can modify your car's appearance and performance in myriad ways. My previous car was this ostentatious rice burner that would hiss at people as my blow-off valve released excess pressure from the turbo, presumably to the chagrin to the automotive conservatives. It was a blast to drive. As soon as the turbo lag finally gave way to the boost, the car would accelerate like it was an Alaska governor moving into the public eye. Not that I ever breached the rules of the road. Safety First.

Good luck with conquering your fears. Try to get out one the freeways - it'll build your confidence.

The best thing about driving is the feeling of control, power and speed, speed, speed!

Shitting myself when trying to put 1200hp down on an 8.5" tire.

Haahaha - Rev, that's hillarious.

There is nothing better than finding a long stretch of empty road to just drive for the sake of driving. Doesn't matter the time of day. Its a type of meditation for me, clears my mind and calms me down. Its even better when the radio is playing a sting of songs I like.
Might take you awhile to reach this state. I've been driving for 30 years now so I've gotten over the new driver anxiety and can relax and enjoy the ride.

I don't know if this will pertain to you and your anxiety, but you have to understand right now that you WILL be stranded at some point and time. Years ago, I drove a Pontiac that overheated at every single stop light. But due to me being poorer whiter trash at the time, my options for repairing the vehicle were slim. So I just kept gallons of water in the car and always left about 20 feet between me and the car in front of me in case I died.

Good news is today, there are cell phones. Back then, you were rich if you had one of those bag dealies lol. I still fear breaking down worse than contracting VD but not as much as I did back then.

I have a feeling that it's just one of those things; either you enjoy it, or you don't. I can think of half a dozen people off the top of my head who don't like to drive, and who are in various circumstances requiring to do so on a more or less regular basis. If you don't like driving now, it's quite possible that you're simply not that type of person and never really will.

Being comfortable with driving is a different animal, though, and is more about practice than anything else. You have to get a feel for the vehicle around you, how it moves and reacts to your inputs, and how much space you have. It's not very intuitive to begin with, but gets that way with enough experience.

Contrary to what most people seem to believe, driving standard isn't really more difficult than auto -- it's different, but not substantially harder. If the vehicle you're going to be driving the most is a stick shift, than I'd suggest learning on that from the get go. The caveat here is that if you have any tests ahead of you, you'll want to do those in an automatic regardless; if you show up in a standard you'll be graded on things like proper clutching and shifting technique, and you really don't need to give the tester more reasons to fail you.

Important question -- do you have your G1, or your full licence? If it's only a G1 the queen's series highways are out. I wouldn't exactly recommend them as a starting place anyway -- it's not that highway driving is hard, but when you're going 100 kph or more the stakes are a bit higher, and congestion during rush hour can be a bitch. Either way, I'd recommend getting out to the back roads first, and getting comfortable with the vehicle there. Parking lots are also good -- if you can find an empty one (possibly at 3 am on a Saturday night, if you can stay up that late without being too tired to function) you can practice braking and maneuvering at low speeds. It's a very handy skill for city drivers to have. Once you've got those skills mastered, you can try your hand at honest to goodness city roads, or if you're a G2 or higher you can get onto the 401 and get a feel for that.

Learning to drive as a city dweller is a bit more challenging in general. You have to be a bit more aggressive and a lot more aware of what's going on around you. Spend as much time as you need to driving outside the city, and get comfortable with that first. Even places like Oshawa or Whitby (or, if you don't mind a road trip, Port Perry) are good to start with, since you'll be moving a bit slower and have a bit more space around you for the most part.

Go full screen and put on your headphones. If you either find it relaxing or exhilarating, you'll probably like driving. If you find it boring or disconcerting, you may not.

Okay, Will, I really like the video. Thanks for posting. It's amazing how games such as the Gran Turismo series manage to capture the physics and feel for real-life driving. I've always liked racing games, and I always assumed that the real thing is quite the opposite. A friend of mine told me that it's much easier to crash in racing games than in real life, so that gave me some hope. (This is the same friend who taught me to treat the shifter as though you were palming a nipple. :thumbsup:)

Ahem. That said, I think I will eventually like driving once I get over the initial anxieties related to learning and my underestimating of my abilities (everyone who's cared to comment has told me I'm actually a good driver, both technically and in demeanour/courtesy).

Martian, I have my G2, so I can go on the highways by myself and anytime I want. I just can't drink alcohol at all and there has to be as many seat belts as passengers. I've been on the highway, but only a limited time, and it was a few years ago. It was, however, while driving a late-eighties model manual-transmission Toyota Celica. I have several hours of professional in-car instruction driving in the City of Toronto. I just need to grow my wings, as it were.

My ultimate problem is what I mentioned about anxiety regarding multitasking and spatial awareness. Once I get used to driving, I'm sure this will go away. I'm fine on a bike in traffic, but riding a bike is so automatic to me now. I need to get over my issues of taking responsibility for control. I'm so used to someone else driving the vehicle I'm in. I'm just not that used to piloting so much metal and so much power on the roads.

I can pretty much say that once I get enough experience, driving will be quite a pleasure to me. I just need the inspiration to encourage me to practice and put in the time to get to that point. I want to be calm and confident for my test.

I do have a (mainly closeted) fascination for cars. I've obsessed over Subarus and a few other Japanese makes. I love the throaty growl of the Porsche engine, and the raw, sheer power of the American muscle car. I obsess over well-made and highly efficient automobiles such as the Japanese compacts. High-end European models turn my head. (Yes, this is, and is becoming, a great city for sighting fine automobiles.) I've been living in a fantasy world with regard to driving. Making it a reality has been a big step for me to take.

I'm old school. I like a poor handling car with a ridiculous amount of displacement that tries to shed its skins and go sideways when you floor it.

And it sounds like it eats babies.

That sounds like the opposite of the Mazda3.....

It's insane how much that sounds like something I'd say. Ask Crompsin, he'll tell you.

A little anxiety is understandable, but look at it this way: statistically, the dumbest person you know has probably only been in maybe one or two minor fender-benders.

This is important, and I need to keep it at the fore. Well, something like it anyway. As a pedestrian, I'll observe drivers as safe pedestrians are wont to do. Every so often, I'll inwardly criticize mistakes, bad techniques, or idiotic/ignorant/inconsiderate things people do on the road, and I vow to never do such things.

I then think to myself: Hell, I'm a better driver than they are, and look how confident they look!

It is...BUT, I've driven a few Mazdas, and they are tight, responsive, fun drivers. :thumbsup:

First cars, then motorcycles, then guns.

You come see me about the guns, bro.

If I ever squeeze off a single round from an actual firearm, I hope it is under your wise tutelage, Crompsie.

I'd sooner come to you regarding crotch rockets, though.

So I've heard. But it's hard to tell that from the passenger seat. :sad:

Think of the freedom. So far you have been relying on public transport, or others that take you where they are going. There are a lot of roads out there to explore where public transport don't go. Enjoy the scenery!

The sooner you are fully licensed, the sooner you can blow major doughnuts in snowy parking lots (preferably in an AWD Subaru!).

I love the ability to just go somewhere, most times nowhere. I''ll go through a tank of gas taking a road trip somewhere just because I wanted to see where it goes. I've found some great places that way. I love attacking a twisty road, although attempting to do so when I had my work truck was not so enjoyable. I love plugging in the iPod, hitting "random" and driving until the music stops, and if the music stops before I get back, I just hit repeat. To me, there's just that connection between man, machine, and asphalt that when it all lines up, it's simply euphoric. Playing GT4 on the PlayStation just doesn't cut it.

To me, it's like a stress reliever. I can clear my head, and be temporarily relieved of stress. I actually enjoy the commute to and from work. When my car was jack-stand ballin' and I couldn't do those things, it left me miserable like a smoker who hasn't had a cigarette all day.

Now that you've got me thinking about driving, I think I'll go on a midnight run right now.

What I love about driving is not being a passenger.

Were I given the choice of testicles and the ability to drive, I'd have to think long and hard.

Cheater -- Have you ever been to Toronto? The public transit in that city pretty much does go everywhere.

That said, I misunderstood the issue. Clearly I had thought you had much less experience than you actually do, Mr. Guru, and had you pegged as someone like my sister (who finally completed her licence at 27 this year, after beginning the process at 17). If you have a fascination for cars, closet or otherwise, then it's possible to make a driver out of you; my hypothesis for a long time has been that this is what separates drivers from passengers.

So the issue is to inspire you to practice. That's doable.

My favourite ever drives are the ones out on open roads. I like to drive at night in particular -- there's something about a back country road after midnight that's just like nothing else I've ever experienced. Good company is optional, but does enhance the experience. Good tunes are absolutely mandatory.

I've also been known to take random road trips with a very good friend of mine. Kingston on a day off for no particular reason has been done. We also once drove north, just for the hell of it -- we hit Bobcaygeon, decided we didn't particularly feel like turning around, and so we just kept going. I couldn't tell you the name of the town we ended up in for the life of me, but there was a little stand there that made mighty fine burgers. As I recall it ended up being about a ten hour round trip.

That's the kind of driving I enjoy most. City driving is, at best, mundane. Getting out somewhere with no traffic, no distractions, and just getting away from life for a while, that's what I like about driving.

There's also an element of geekiness involved. Cromps pegged it up above. You get a car, you take care of your car. You get to know it's quirks, it's ins and outs. Maybe the passenger seatbelt lock grabs unless you tug it just so, things like that. The car takes on a sort of personality, and every little piece of maintenance or upgrade factors in. I can still list the rated horsepower, torque, curb weight and average fuel economy of every car I've ever owned, among various other random figures.

I'm not really sure how this applies if you don't have a car of your own, though.

Enough of my rambling. In any case, the biggest thing is to go Nike here. Like everything else, my man. Just Do It.

Having driven in Toronto many times I can understand your anxieties, driving in Toronto is almost as bad as NYC or LA (been there, done that).
My advise is to practice practice practice, any place at various times of the day/night.
Personally I love to drive, car bike or truck it don't matter. If I couldn't drive any more I would truly have no idea how to cope with that loss.
Long drives are what keeps me from killing not so random folks (even if they do truly deserve it) LOL.
When I go on vacations I plan to drive to where I'm going, not what plane or train I need to take, the drive there and back is usually the best part.
Getting your drivers license opens up new doors into the world.

What I love most about driving - finding some little road I've passed a hundred times without a second thought and seeing where it goes. That's the best way to find things.

If you wrote that^^ - you'll be fine. You clearly don't need anyone else to instill a love of cars and driving. You just need practice on the practical aspects...

Have fun :-)

I miss driving a lot. I enjoyed being in my own little meditative pod with music as loud as I want. I enjoyed acceleration and the roar of the engine. I enjoyed mastering the ride, being able to smoothly control the car through turns and traffic. I enjoyed the freedom of going where I wanted without planning or scheduling. When you drive, you're in control of this big, heavy machine and it gives you power.

Yes, but one cannot abuse that power. I think the interesting thing for me (and something I should focus on) is understanding the limits of that machine and working toward the mastery of keeping its navigation safely within those limits. The biggest hurdle for me and my anxiety is getting over the thought that I'm moving around in this huge contraption at this speed and I'm completely responsible for controlling it. I need to figure out and become familiar with the physics behind safely maneuvering an automobile in most situations.

I guess it also depends on your confidence in the machine itself. I only drove cars that I was confident with. Honda Accord, Acura TL. If you're putzing around in a wobbly beater, you won't be too confident. You have to know that the car will go exactly where you want it to go when you turn the wheel, step on the gas or press the brake. In this way, the car can become an extension of your body.

The wide open roads, the funny roadside attractions, the exploration of the world not accessible to most people on foot.

As I mentioned above, my SO has a Mazda3 Sport. From what I've read and what I've felt in the passenger seat, it should be a decent enough drive.

(Zoom, zoom....)

I like this last one. I think that might be my biggest motivator. Right now it's as though I have been ignoring the fact that "my wings are no longer clipped." I no longer have to rely on walking, bicycling, taking public transit, or inconveniencing someone by asking for a ride. My SO told me months ago that if I wanted to just take the car and go, I could. I haven't done this yet.

(I know, I know.... what's wrong with me?)

About multitasking: Don't. I'd hope what you meant was the myriad of little things you need to do to obey traffic laws, rather than the ability to text, call, fiddle the radio, while munching a burger and slurping a big gulp.

I've owned two cars without cupholders (I've heard 911's don't have them either). Why? Because the engineers of those vehicles didn't intend for you to do anything while you were driving them except DRIVE. Need a drink? Stop and get one. Finished your drink? OK, resume driving.

Driving allows you to be mobile on a day when you can't muster the energy to move more than 100 meters before sitting down again, thereby allowing you to infect your least-liked co-workers and classmates with whatever disease you're spreading.

Being able to drive my best friend around is a big perk - she can't drive due to epilepsy and we are far more mobile together - she doesn't risk having a siezure on one of the long public bus rides if she's in my car, and she wastes less energy expended in getting to the every-day tasks like grocery shopping.

By learning how to drive before going away to college, I was able to obtain fun, better-paying jobs where driving was required: campus events lighting design & produce delivery. Kinda random, but it helped me avoid debt.

Driving when you know you don't have to is the best - living in a city that is small enough for me to ride my bike everywhere I need to go, but knowing I have a car if I want to make an especially large grocery run. I'm not a fan of commuting. Driving a car for 30 minutes every morning is sheer torture in my mind. My dad, on the other hand, loves nothing more than to drive for an hour every single morning on his way to work - he feels less complete without this experience. It's a time for him to listen to books on tape and collect his thoughts - to be completely alone and yet productive.

You'll be shocked at how much faster you can get from one place to the next by choosing your own route with your car rather than taking a bus. A trip that would normally take 1 hour will be widdled down to 20 minutes, offering you more time to smell the roses.

I enjoy the coordination and mental attention driving requires of me. I love driving on challenging, roads that require my utmost concentration. Driving in crowded cities is more of an adventure than anything, driving on windy country roads is a light-hearted pleasure.

While it is more difficult to admire an individual wildflower as I drive rather than walk or ride my bike, I am much more likely to notice and appreciate the flashes of brilliant hues of chickory or lupin that coat a fallow field.