I Waited Til Age 26 To Start Driving!
6:04 PM
Hey guys it's Kyrae and I have a story for you.
Any time the topic of driving enters a conversation it always leads back to me not driving.
This is followed by people asking me why I don't drive.
So this story is going to be the full explanation of why I don't drive.
Any time the topic of driving enters a conversation it always leads back to me not driving.
This is followed by people asking me why I don't drive.
So this story is going to be the full explanation of why I don't drive.
Where I live, you can get your drivers permit at age 16 followed by your drivers license.
In high school, a large handful of kids would park their own cars in the student parking lot and they were the top dogs. There's always that hierarchy of student cliques and clubs but being one of the junior or senior students with your own car and the freedom to drive added another layer of popularity and awesomesauce to you.
Remember when you would open a pack of gum and your classmates would surround you like vultures hoping that you'd share a piece with them? Well this is exactly like that except students want you to drive them to the movies, the mall, restaurants, concerts, etc... It adds a special kind of flare to going out on a date with someone instead of relying on awkward family car rides.
Driving your car and being a student with your own car makes you feel like an adult.
In high school, a large handful of kids would park their own cars in the student parking lot and they were the top dogs. There's always that hierarchy of student cliques and clubs but being one of the junior or senior students with your own car and the freedom to drive added another layer of popularity and awesomesauce to you.
Remember when you would open a pack of gum and your classmates would surround you like vultures hoping that you'd share a piece with them? Well this is exactly like that except students want you to drive them to the movies, the mall, restaurants, concerts, etc... It adds a special kind of flare to going out on a date with someone instead of relying on awkward family car rides.
Driving your car and being a student with your own car makes you feel like an adult.
When my classmates and I turned 16 we were hyped for driving.
Some of my friends already had cars stored for them by family members and other friends were getting cars as a gift. Most of us were thrown into the situation of having to share our parents cars or attempting to buy our own. Because my family was not wealthy I knew that I would be responsible for buying my own car and making every payment along with it.
Some of my friends already had cars stored for them by family members and other friends were getting cars as a gift. Most of us were thrown into the situation of having to share our parents cars or attempting to buy our own. Because my family was not wealthy I knew that I would be responsible for buying my own car and making every payment along with it.
I
have an older sister that is 12 years older than me and I remember her
going to take the permit test/drivers tests and failing several times. Because she had failed numerous times I started to build up a fear that I was going to fail just as much as she did. I developed this fear because I never do well taking tests. I always
panic and second guess myself and my mind goes blank even if I study.
Eventually my sister started driving at age 26. I'm 14 at this age and thinking to myself that I will DEFINITELY have my license before that.Flash forward to being 16 and I convince myself that I'm going to study the manual and I'm going to get up earlyget to the DLC (Drivers License Center) and pass the test on the first try.
Eventually my sister started driving at age 26. I'm 14 at this age and thinking to myself that I will DEFINITELY have my license before that.Flash forward to being 16 and I convince myself that I'm going to study the manual and I'm going to get up earlyget to the DLC (Drivers License Center) and pass the test on the first try.
I was never popular in school. I didn't participate in clubs or sports. I wasn't wealthy or extremely intelligent. I was really good at art and really good with computers so my last option for recognition was having my own car. This was a really sad attempt to get some superficial friendship action.
When I asked my mom if I could go take the permit test she gave me a verbal box with a big fat no inside.
She went on to tell me that her parents made here wait until she was 18 to start driving.
Like any other teen, I begged and whined about how all the other kids at school were getting their permits and I wanted to fit in. But my mom was stubborn and no was no.
When I asked my mom if I could go take the permit test she gave me a verbal box with a big fat no inside.
She went on to tell me that her parents made here wait until she was 18 to start driving.
Like any other teen, I begged and whined about how all the other kids at school were getting their permits and I wanted to fit in. But my mom was stubborn and no was no.
When I realized she was not going to budge, I pushed the manual aside.
By aside, I mean...shoved under my bed with all of my other school papers and junk.
Flash forward to me turning 18. At this point in my life, my priorities were scattered.
I was driving my grades into the grave, and fumbling around trying to figure out what I wanted to do for college. Video games and chatting on social media sites were my #1 priorities and everything "real life" didn't matter or exist to me.
I had lost interest in so many things up to in including the act of driving.
By aside, I mean...shoved under my bed with all of my other school papers and junk.
Flash forward to me turning 18. At this point in my life, my priorities were scattered.
I was driving my grades into the grave, and fumbling around trying to figure out what I wanted to do for college. Video games and chatting on social media sites were my #1 priorities and everything "real life" didn't matter or exist to me.
I had lost interest in so many things up to in including the act of driving.
I was legally an adult now and could go get my permit & license and begin adulting.
If I was arguing with my mom, I could drive and go out and do things alone and feel FREEDOM.
But inside of me, I just didn't care. I didn't care about driving.
All of my friends were constantly posting about how they're going to this event and that party etc...
If I wanted to participate in these things I got rides from friends & paid for gas money to cater to my lack of driving.
If I was arguing with my mom, I could drive and go out and do things alone and feel FREEDOM.
But inside of me, I just didn't care. I didn't care about driving.
All of my friends were constantly posting about how they're going to this event and that party etc...
If I wanted to participate in these things I got rides from friends & paid for gas money to cater to my lack of driving.
After finally settling on a college, most people would assume this is where I would finally embark on my quest to drive! Sadly... it's not. Instead, it was WAYYYYY more convenient for me to hit up my friend from school. He and I were attending the same college as well as the same major. For a low price of $20 every so often. Why would I want to take on a car payment, car insurance, gas costs, and emergency costs, when I can just shove money into someone's hands and they do all of that work for me?! It sounded like an excellent deal.
The entire time at college we carpooled together until eventually I met my current boyfriend in college. When we began dating, my friend and I stopped carpooling and my boyfriend took me back and forth for a bit. During the final semester of college we were required to do a 3 month internship.
My internship was in the inner city area of Harrisburg where business was boomin.
My area has a public bus system called the CAT (Capital Area Transit) bus and these buses travel from station to station much like a subway would.
Outside the front lawn of my college was a CAT bus stop. So at 8am I would get onto a CAT bus.
It would drop me off in front of the Harrisburg Train Station which was directly in front of my internship. My internship was at DCNR (Department of Conservation/Natural Resources) which is a branch of the state government. Because I worked for the state government during my internship instead of paying the regular fee of $21/month to use the CAT bus service
I only had to pay $12/month. So for that low low fee I could literally go anywhere I wanted at any time on these buses.
Once again, that offer is WAYYYY too good to pass up for the luxury of driving.
My internship was in the inner city area of Harrisburg where business was boomin.
My area has a public bus system called the CAT (Capital Area Transit) bus and these buses travel from station to station much like a subway would.
Outside the front lawn of my college was a CAT bus stop. So at 8am I would get onto a CAT bus.
It would drop me off in front of the Harrisburg Train Station which was directly in front of my internship. My internship was at DCNR (Department of Conservation/Natural Resources) which is a branch of the state government. Because I worked for the state government during my internship instead of paying the regular fee of $21/month to use the CAT bus service
I only had to pay $12/month. So for that low low fee I could literally go anywhere I wanted at any time on these buses.
Once again, that offer is WAYYYY too good to pass up for the luxury of driving.
When I finished the internship and graduated college, I lived with my boyfriend.
I had trouble finding jobs in my field so I ended up working at odd places here and there.
If I couldn't walk to them, I would carpool with my boyfriend on his way to work and he'd drop me off at my job.
Likewise, after he finished work, he would come pick me up and we'd go home together.
The job site was pretty close to his job and his boss is pretty down to earth so it wasn't really an issue.
After I stopped working there, all of my jobs have been within walking distance.
I had trouble finding jobs in my field so I ended up working at odd places here and there.
If I couldn't walk to them, I would carpool with my boyfriend on his way to work and he'd drop me off at my job.
Likewise, after he finished work, he would come pick me up and we'd go home together.
The job site was pretty close to his job and his boss is pretty down to earth so it wasn't really an issue.
After I stopped working there, all of my jobs have been within walking distance.
From the age of 16 to now 26, I have had the absolute lack of desire to drive.
I always had a convenient situation in my hands that never required me to begin driving.
I also had this underlying fear of driving.
When I'm a passenger in a car, the drivers around us give me anxiety.
It's not extreme anxiety where I can't function anymore but I get nervous.
The lack of understanding the whole driving experience has developed this fear of the unknown within me.
So when you mix fear with being lazy, you get a 26 year old girl who has never driven in her life.
I always had a convenient situation in my hands that never required me to begin driving.
I also had this underlying fear of driving.
When I'm a passenger in a car, the drivers around us give me anxiety.
It's not extreme anxiety where I can't function anymore but I get nervous.
The lack of understanding the whole driving experience has developed this fear of the unknown within me.
So when you mix fear with being lazy, you get a 26 year old girl who has never driven in her life.
For the last 3 years I have made my New Year Resolution: Getting my license & driving.
But the year passes by and the next thing I know, I'm writing down the resolution again.
I pep-talk myself into believing that it's going to happen FOR REAL this time.
And every year it's the same excuses. Oh I was busy, Oh I forgot, Oh I'll do it next week, Oh I want to sleep in.
But the year passes by and the next thing I know, I'm writing down the resolution again.
I pep-talk myself into believing that it's going to happen FOR REAL this time.
And every year it's the same excuses. Oh I was busy, Oh I forgot, Oh I'll do it next week, Oh I want to sleep in.
2016 had to be different.
My boyfriend and I are looking to become more independent and we want to further our careers. In order to do that, I need to get my license so that I don't have to depend on him to take me places. Likewise, he needs his independence back so that he can get a better job without thinking about how it affects me.
So I've mustered up the courage and discipline to sit down and read the entire manual front to back. I have the drivers test app on my phone and took practice tests time and time again until I scored 18/18 every time.
After 3 weeks of pushing off getting my permit, today I finally got it.
My boyfriend and I are looking to become more independent and we want to further our careers. In order to do that, I need to get my license so that I don't have to depend on him to take me places. Likewise, he needs his independence back so that he can get a better job without thinking about how it affects me.
So I've mustered up the courage and discipline to sit down and read the entire manual front to back. I have the drivers test app on my phone and took practice tests time and time again until I scored 18/18 every time.
After 3 weeks of pushing off getting my permit, today I finally got it.
We woke up at 7:30am because apparently you gotta get there MEGA early or else you'll be there for hours. And we got there pretty early and we were still there for ages.
I think the center opens up at 8:30am and we got there at 8:41 and there was already 14 people ahead of us.
We were there for 2.5 hours until they finally called my number #15.
I got into the exam room and I took the exam.
I was only on question 5 or 6 and I answered wrong.
I WAS going to pick the correct answer but then I second guessed myself and got it wrong.
My school days are coming back to haunt me was all I could think about.
A few more questions go by and then I got a 2nd one wrong.
By this point I was only on question 9. There's 18 questions.
So the last 9 questions I HAD to get right because I believe if you get 3 wrong...you fail.
The one girl before me literally went into the exam room and walked out with her dad all pissed off. They were talking to each other in the lobby and she was saying how she got to question 4 and it ended the test.
Her dad went in there talking to the exam people asking why she was only allowed to answer 4 questions. And the person was like - well if she got 3 wrong, it ends the test automatically because it's an instant fail.
I think the center opens up at 8:30am and we got there at 8:41 and there was already 14 people ahead of us.
We were there for 2.5 hours until they finally called my number #15.
I got into the exam room and I took the exam.
I was only on question 5 or 6 and I answered wrong.
I WAS going to pick the correct answer but then I second guessed myself and got it wrong.
My school days are coming back to haunt me was all I could think about.
A few more questions go by and then I got a 2nd one wrong.
By this point I was only on question 9. There's 18 questions.
So the last 9 questions I HAD to get right because I believe if you get 3 wrong...you fail.
The one girl before me literally went into the exam room and walked out with her dad all pissed off. They were talking to each other in the lobby and she was saying how she got to question 4 and it ended the test.
Her dad went in there talking to the exam people asking why she was only allowed to answer 4 questions. And the person was like - well if she got 3 wrong, it ends the test automatically because it's an instant fail.
Side note: Okay if you're going to go there and spend 2 or 3 hours waiting to take your permit test.
Why would you screw around like that. There is an entire rack of manuals along the wall that you can pick up and look at while you wait.
You could have flash studied for the exam until it was your turn and you get to the 4th question and blow it?
I think a few people in the room were pissed off because we're actually serious about getting this stuff done.
And she's just a fresh 16 year old with no clue. Sitting in that room for hours waiting for them to call your number
is so exhausting. I didn't want to put myself or my boyfriend through another session like that if I failed the test.
Why would you screw around like that. There is an entire rack of manuals along the wall that you can pick up and look at while you wait.
You could have flash studied for the exam until it was your turn and you get to the 4th question and blow it?
I think a few people in the room were pissed off because we're actually serious about getting this stuff done.
And she's just a fresh 16 year old with no clue. Sitting in that room for hours waiting for them to call your number
is so exhausting. I didn't want to put myself or my boyfriend through another session like that if I failed the test.
But back to my actual story...
Aside from the 2 questions I got wrong, I breezed through the test and suddenly I'm greeted by these flashy green letters. I closed my eyes and opened them and surely enough it said PASSED!
Mentally in my head I was standing up and screaming a cheer. There were balloons and confetti shooting from the computer speakers. Everyone in the waiting room was cheering for me and then I snapped back to reality and the room was dead silent. Everyone looked like they needed coffee and wanted to strangle the rest of us in the room for "taking too long."
The guy 2 computers down for me was in there for like 15 - 20 minutes taking the test.
I literally finished the test in 4.5 minutes. The automated voice would read the question and the 4 answers and I would pick my answer and submit before she would even finish saying the question. I probably could have had an 18/18 if I sat there and REALLY reflected on the questions I second guessed. But I figured the longer I spent time on those two, the more I would question things and just went for it.
When I told the exam instructor may age, he was a little surprised.
Aside from the 2 questions I got wrong, I breezed through the test and suddenly I'm greeted by these flashy green letters. I closed my eyes and opened them and surely enough it said PASSED!
Mentally in my head I was standing up and screaming a cheer. There were balloons and confetti shooting from the computer speakers. Everyone in the waiting room was cheering for me and then I snapped back to reality and the room was dead silent. Everyone looked like they needed coffee and wanted to strangle the rest of us in the room for "taking too long."
The guy 2 computers down for me was in there for like 15 - 20 minutes taking the test.
I literally finished the test in 4.5 minutes. The automated voice would read the question and the 4 answers and I would pick my answer and submit before she would even finish saying the question. I probably could have had an 18/18 if I sat there and REALLY reflected on the questions I second guessed. But I figured the longer I spent time on those two, the more I would question things and just went for it.
When I told the exam instructor may age, he was a little surprised.
He didn't make a facial expression or noise, but rather a silence.
So whatever he was thinking he kept it to himself in his head, but there was definitely something there. But honestly, there are plenty of people my age who don't get the drivers permit/license until adulthood.
Many people live in city areas where they have no reason to drive because of public transportation.
Some people come from other states or countries etc...
So I would hope that they don't judge people or their reasons for doing this and that.
So whatever he was thinking he kept it to himself in his head, but there was definitely something there. But honestly, there are plenty of people my age who don't get the drivers permit/license until adulthood.
Many people live in city areas where they have no reason to drive because of public transportation.
Some people come from other states or countries etc...
So I would hope that they don't judge people or their reasons for doing this and that.
All I can say is that I'm glad I got through this stage.
But this is only the first hurdle of the race.
I have my permit now but next is practicing driving and then taking the real test.
I will honestly say I am nervous. Driving and operating a heavy metal machine is terrifying. People die in these things and Pennsylvania drivers are complete jackasses.
But this is only the first hurdle of the race.
I have my permit now but next is practicing driving and then taking the real test.
I will honestly say I am nervous. Driving and operating a heavy metal machine is terrifying. People die in these things and Pennsylvania drivers are complete jackasses.
I can't quite cross this off of my list of fears.
But once I begin driving an drive regularly, then I can.
I just wanted to share my story and progress with you.
If you are in a similar situation, I hope that this assures you that it's okay to wait.
I hope it inspires you if you have the itch to drive but maybe fear or lack of interest deters you from getting up and doing it.
But once I begin driving an drive regularly, then I can.
I just wanted to share my story and progress with you.
If you are in a similar situation, I hope that this assures you that it's okay to wait.
I hope it inspires you if you have the itch to drive but maybe fear or lack of interest deters you from getting up and doing it.
Feel free to leave a comment down below sharing your thoughts and experiences!
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