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[quote=Anonymous]I haven't read the chain, but I'll answer for myself, personally:

I (a very type-A, studious person) took learning to drive really seriously as a teen. I read all the info from the DMV, I took drivers ed very seriously, I took a defensive driving course that I took very seriously. In addition, where I'm from (NY) driver's ed was a big deal - two hours after school twice a week for a whole semester, once a week in class, once a week in car - and the drivers test was challenging. Lots of people didn't pass on the first try. I had my learner's permit for a year and drove through lots of challenging situations (highway, city, unfamiliar areas, in rain and snow and ice) with my parents during that year.

By the time I got my license at 17, I was a skilled, confident driver. I know I'm not immune to issues and things can happen to anyone, but I've never been in an accident, and never gotten a ticket. Never even been pulled over.

The idea of driving in a foreign country, where I don't know the rules and may not understand all the road signs, does not sound safe to me. And forget about driving on the "wrong" side of the road - all my driving instincts, honed over more than two decades of driving, would be wrong. In the event of a dangerous situation, I might swerve into more danger without even thinking about it. Driving is one of the most dangerous things that people do, and yet they treat it like it's no big deal. It IS a big deal, and you could easily get hurt or killed, or hurt or kill someone else.

If I was going to drive in another country, I would want to do some serious studying ahead of time to make sure I understood all the safety signs and any key differences in road rules and customs. And so, I don't bother, I just take public transit.

I also add that I'm a city person, it's my preference to visit cities, and I like trains and busses anyway. I actually think public transit is a really good way to "see" a city. So it doesn't feel limiting to not drive in other countries. If I was someone who preferred to travel to small towns and the countryside, that might change my view on this. Right now, my reticence to drive in other countries isn't costing me anything I want anyway.

You're right that breaking down or getting lost are non-issues, I don't care about that, particularly in the cell phone age. [/quote]

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