Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: scared $hitless about driving

  1. #1
    Member Poesia's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2015
    Posts
    15
    Thanks
    9
    Thanked 11 Times in 7 Posts

    Default scared $hitless about driving

    Hi ladies!!
    I'm in desperate need of some calming forces. I've lived my entire life in New York City and so I never learned to drive. Recently my hubby got offered a job in Tampa and it looks like we're moving. I'm looking forward to moving to a warmer climate but i'm SCAREEEEEEEED about driving. Living in the city, we have some of the worst drivers (or so I thought) in the country. Crossing the street as a pedestrian here is like playing a game of frogger. Cars don't believe in giving pedestrians the right of way here and we have a ton of pedestrian accidents almost on a daily basis.
    I was excited about learning to drive in Tampa thinking it is so much easier than New York only to find out that Tampa is considered soooo much worse than New York. I don't want to have to rely on my husband (who btw only drove a car maybe a twice in his life after getting his license) to take me places once we are in Tampa but at the same time reading how bad driving is out there and how it's even worse for pedestrians there than it is here has me drinking a bottle of Rioja and praying to Jesus.
    Words of encouragement, virtual hugs and bottles of wine are welcome

  2. #2
    Moderator Genoveve's Avatar
    Joined
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Wonderland
    Posts
    4,585
    Thanks
    6,576
    Thanked 12,758 Times in 4,231 Posts
    My Mood
    Psychedelic

    Default Re: scared $hitless about driving

    I learned to drive when I was 18 I think, I didn't even want to get my license but I had to because I didn't live in an area where there was tons of stuff within walking distance, there was no good public transportation and I didn't have anyone that was going to give me rides. I hated it and was extremely anxious about it for a while but eventually after doing it enough I got over it and even learned to love driving. I wish I had some good tips for you but I don't, you just keep doing it and over time you become more comfortable, it doesn't happen overnight. There's a 6th sense that eventually develops with which you can predict what other drivers on the road around you are going to do.

    ETA: I do remember that my driving anxiety greatly decreased once I started driving on the freeway. I remember one of my friends who was a nervous driver telling me about how she would never go on the freeway even if it meant quadrupling the length the drive and I was thinking that maybe if she could learn to drive on the freeway her anxiety would then actually dissipate.

  3. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Genoveve For This Useful Post:


  4. #3
    Moderator
    Joined
    Sep 2012
    Posts
    2,508
    Thanks
    4,404
    Thanked 3,977 Times in 1,532 Posts

    Default Re: scared $hitless about driving

    LOL a game of frogger!
    Where Am I? Missing NYC

  5. #4
    Member
    Joined
    May 2016
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    16
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 14 Times in 8 Posts

    Default Re: scared $hitless about driving

    I agree with the highway comment. Perhaps because there are no pedestrians. Gurl if you can drive in NYC, you can drive any where!!!!!
    GL! Its just anxiety. You just have to jump in!

  6. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Diedre For This Useful Post:


  7. #5
    Featured Member luvnrockets's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Twue Pvt
    Posts
    889
    Thanks
    1,827
    Thanked 2,098 Times in 617 Posts

    Default Re: scared $hitless about driving

    I got my license at age 21. My fear of driving was probably the most obvious part of what probably qualified as generalized anxiety disorder. Learning to drive was therefore so freeing for me.

    I had previously tried to learn from a boyfriend, but that boyfriend brought me anxiety already, and it's generally not a good idea to have your SO teach you things like this. So, years later when I tried again, I took classes. I highly recommend you do the same, even if you do have your license. Get a lesson or two and the instructor will show you how to drive in Tampa specifically. I agree with Genoveve, once you can drive (and merge, specifically!) onto the freeway you feel like the queen of the interstate. Good luck.
    "Do you do tech support in exclusive?"

    Don't call me BB...I'm not the prime minister of Israel!



  8. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to luvnrockets For This Useful Post:


  9. #6
    Moderator Aurora_Sunset's Avatar
    Joined
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    6,430
    Thanks
    19,846
    Thanked 18,507 Times in 4,919 Posts
    My Mood
    Breezy

    Default Re: scared $hitless about driving

    I think it's one of those things you just have to keep practicing until you're comfortable. I had a friend who, from 16 onward, got more and more terrified to drive. She went from being the kind of person who would take the long way instead of the freeway, to being the kind of person, 10 years later, who would throw a hissy fit if her boyfriend wouldn't drive her 3 miles down the street to get ice cream because she "couldn't" drive herself. That the was the point that confrontation happened. I pointed out to her that she always used the excuse that she was too scared to drive anywhere in order to get out of driving, and instead of making her feel more secure, it had just increased the anxiety even more because she 1) never got any practice, and 2) had developed a mantra in her head over the course of 10 years that "she was scared of driving," and she had actually gone from "mildly cautiously driver" to "completely helpless."

    She tackled the fear, started driving more again with other people in the car to assuage her anxiety. And eventually was forced to drive to work and back on the freeway after graduating college. Literally within a week, she was like "I love driving to and from work now. The freeway is so easy - I don't know why I was so scared of it. Oh you're only 350 miles away? That's not so bad, maybe I'll visit sometime!"

    If she can do it, you definitely can! It's just a matter of forcing yourself to practice and get used to it, like any new thing.
    Don't try to win over the haters. You are not the Jerk Whisperer.

    Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.






  10. The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Aurora_Sunset For This Useful Post:


  11. #7
    Member Poesia's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2015
    Posts
    15
    Thanks
    9
    Thanked 11 Times in 7 Posts

    Default Re: scared $hitless about driving

    Thank you ladies so, so much for your encouragement and sharing your stories. It definitely helped calm a lot of fears and got me pumped and excited about driving!!

    I suffer from mild anxiety which i'm convinced is hereditary as my both of my parents were born in Eastern Europe (mom immediately after ww2 and dad during) and they have so generously chosen to share all of their wonderful irrational fears with me.

    i'm taking my permit exam on Tuesday and will be taking as many lessons here in Ny as possible before moving to Florida. The thought of never having to wear my down winter coat, 3 sweaters, long johns and jeans, hat, scarf uggs and still be freezing my tits off is just so magical!

  12. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Poesia For This Useful Post:


  13. #8
    Featured Member lilylilylily's Avatar
    Joined
    Mar 2015
    Posts
    1,171
    Thanks
    7,496
    Thanked 2,800 Times in 937 Posts
    My Mood
    Angelic

    Thumbs up Re: scared $hitless about driving

    I just got my license 2 months ago. At age 39. If I can do it anyone can do it cuz i'm a super nervous person and never thought I would be able to drive. I bought a used cheap car on kijiji to practice with. I failed my first test but passed the 2nd and it doesn't hurt to be extra charming with your driving instructor on the day of your exam.Good luck! You can do it

  14. The Following User Says Thank You to lilylilylily For This Useful Post:


Similar Threads

  1. Driving Traffic
    By adreama in forum Other Work
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 12-05-2010, 10:27 PM
  2. Driving!!
    By pacman in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 38
    Last Post: 06-07-2007, 04:05 PM
  3. Driving Manual vs Driving Automatic
    By GoldCoastGirl in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 48
    Last Post: 03-26-2007, 09:33 PM
  4. Drunk Driving....
    By Vyanka in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 11-02-2004, 12:12 AM
  5. Driving Drunk doesn't mean driving a car....
    By Gynger in forum Stripping (was Stripping General)
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 06-14-2004, 04:08 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •