#446369
Postby Clitheroekid » September 29th, 2021, 6:02 pm
I think I may be the only one to say that I own a car (well two, actually) largely because I actually enjoy driving.
One of them is a Merc convertible, and for me there are few more pleasurable experiences than driving it on good roads through great scenery in the sunshine, or on a summer's evening, with the scent of summer heavy in the air. It's a powerful car, and although I never really drive it to its full potential (which significantly exceeds mine!) I do enjoy driving it quickly on the odd occasion.
One of the many advantages of living and working in rural Lancashire is that the roads are not clogged with traffic, and it's perfectly possible to drive for miles along really good roads without any traffic issues at all.
My other car is a Fiat Panda 4x4 with winter tyres, and it's an absolute hoot driving it in the snow. It has amazing traction, and I actively seek out uncleared roads just for the pleasure of driving on them. I regularly drive past great wallowing behemoths - Range Rovers, X5's and their like - with a smug expression, as their drivers sit glumly spinning their summer tyres and wondering why their 4WD badge and a cheque for £70k hasn't given them their expected snow capability.
And the total flexibility of cars is a huge part of their appeal. Many's the time that driving from A to B I've seen a sign pointing to Bumpkin Magna or some such, and diverted on a whim to go and have a look round. You can't do that on a bus, and although I suppose it'd be technically possible in a taxi it would rather take the edge off a casual saunter round the village and perhaps a pint in the village pub (though sadly that's a rarity nowadays) if you had the image of the taxi meter ticking up as you sauntered / supped.
I should say that I'm also a huge fan of public transport, and I regularly use - and enjoy using - trains and (though much less frequently) buses. But although they're fine from going from one large town to another they're hopeless for travel from one small town to another, which involves horribly complicated route and timing calculations. In a car you just get in and go wherever you want.
I used to live in London, and I completely agree that a car is not only unnecessary there but an actual liability. The public transport is fantastic, and when I wanted a car I just hired one. I'd probably be the same if I lived there now, but to misquote L P Hartley, London is a different country; they do things differently there.