Crunch

[poliphilo]

 We backed out of our drive. There was a crunch of fibreglass on fibreglass. We stopped and pulled forward- and found we'd gored the flank of a car that was parked across the street. 

It was the last straw. We've been bumping into rather too many things lately. We're dangerous. Next time it could be an animal or a child. So we decided to stop driving. 

And having had the thought, we acted upon it. Motability- from whom we rent the car- will be taking it away on Monday. Ailz's driving licence has already gone in the post.

Bridges burned. No way back.

And now we have to accommodate ourselves to public transport. Taxis, buses, trains...

It's no hardship (we tell ourselves). We've lived without a car before. All we have to do is get ourselves back into the mindset. One of the reasons we moved to a town was because we saw this day coming...

By the way, the neighbour whose car we damaged was very understanding. We sorted out compensation. Then we had a get-to-know-you session which concluded with us offering to babysit her cat and she offering to babysit ours....

Comments

[conuly]

It's good you made this choice and nobody had to make you make it. You can be pretty proud about that.

[poliphilo]

Thanks.

[cmcmck]

We've never owned a car and I don't actually 'officially' know how to drive one (I DO know how, but...)

It's one way to get to know a neighbour and I'm glad she was understanding.

[poliphilo]

I don't drive- and have lived much of my life without access to a car. Readjusting shouldn't be too difficult.

[shewhomust]

Thank goodness for cats!

I am dreading this day, and hope we handle it as well as you have!

[poliphilo]

There have been times in my life when I went everywhere by public transport. I'm hoping it won't be too difficult to get back into that mindset.

[heleninwales]

Much better to give up voluntarily than have to be forced into it by concerned family. You won't have the cost of running a car, so you can spend that money on the occasional taxi when the buses and trains aren't available. I'm still driving, though not as far or as fast as I used to, but G gave up even before he had to renew his licence when he reached 70. He was a rather reluctant driver in the first place so he's happy for me to chauffeur him around.

[poliphilo]

We've managed without a car before- and we can do it again. Public transport seems more than adequate in and around Eastbourne.

[basefinder]

Glad you have some public transport options.

I dread getting to that point, because for us that will mean moving somewhere else. No busses out here, no stores or restaurants within about 3 or 4 miles.

Maybe we'll all get taken out by a meteor strike before then... such is wishful thinking in the U.S. suburbs.

[poliphilo]

We couldn't have made this choice- at least not comfortably- if we'd still been living out in the country- as we were a year ago.