h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh dear, I missed the 's birthday. Belated hugs and smiles to the littlest Lady.

And very good luck with your driving exercises, Old Man. Once the freedom of movement of a license is aquired, you sometimes wonder how you managed without.

*this from a lad who drove unlicensed for 13 years, and now legally for 22 more)*

Me Dad drove without a license for over 40 years in the IOM till someone smacked him from behind...and he had to go get a 'quickie' course and test in Liverpool....

Hi Unc
Seems ages since I posted to one of your conversations. Belated 1st birthday and 4th anniversary wishes!!

I drove my wife around during the later stages of both pregnancies and during the 3-6 months after giving birth as I had always promised. I could never pass the test despite being confident on the road before and after so drove happily with a provisional licence as well as any qualified person. My wife always bugged me about my L plates until she accidentally left them on the car one day when she was driving!! People were cutting her up, driving next to the exhaust pipe and generally bullying her. The plates never went on the car again!

We sold the car in 1995 and have never owned one since. We have 4 very fit children who will walk 4-5 miles on a day trip without a murmur carrying packed lunches etc!! My wife sometimes borrows my mother's car in a necessity but otherwise we don't miss it at all.

Hope you're all ok.

SBE

Hello non-car people!

I sold my last car in 1993, although up until two years ago, I did have occassional use of my (now ex) boyfriends car. Since he naffed off, however, I have managed quite well without car access. I hire a car a couple of times a year when I go to visit my parents because getting from here to there is just too painful otherwise. However, if I need to go anywhere else 'out of town' I use public transport. I live in a large town so can walk to most places that I need (work, doctors, dentist, hospital, shops) and now that all the big supermarkets offer a delivery service, heavy items of shopping aren't a problem.

If you live in a large town with good amenities, it's surprisingly easy to get by without a car. However, there are still plenty of isolated rural places in Britian where a car is essential. Where my parents live, there is a bus service but it only runs about 5 times a day and there is no service at all after 6pm or on Sundays!

This "city" has no internal public transit, and long-haul bus lines only make 2 or 3 stops a day, from either east or west. Our owning and using two cars is not at all uncommon.

Since I last went online we've all had 'flu, I actually passed my driving test (during which I could barely speak due to said 'flu) and Milly's taken her first steps, her current record stands at three without falling over. The trouble with being ill for a week is that it takes two weeks to get everything back to normal again , I've only just caught up with all the laundry.

The car is very useful for us as Washington's such a difficult place for transport links. To get to Newcastle it's half an hour on the bus and 20 minutes on the metro, plus the connection time. With the buggy it's not a good trip, it's just too busy. If you want to head towards Sunderland, which is technically nearer, it takes longer as you have to double back part way. When the old corsa broke down, and we were without a car for a couple of months, we really missed it. We normally go for a trip out at the weekend, but just couldn't get anywhere.

Woohay, well done on the driving test.
Glad you're all ok again.

Whooo-hooo and congrats, Old Man, on the driving test. Indeed, having independent mobility is really a benefit. Especially with a little who may need rapid transport to a doctor, or worse ... SHOPPING !!!