on being an eternal passenger princess
One of the many things I get judged for on a regular basis is my refusal to learn how to drive. While I am aware that it is an indispensable life skill, I never warmed up to the idea. I keep a fleeting list of goals in life and learning how to drive doesn’t make the cut. Now that I’m in my 30s, my opinion of it hasn’t changed.
I come from a family that has owned at least one car since I was a kid. My dad loves his automobiles, particularly the 15-year-old Volvo that chugs along to this day. We always kept a spare car or two for my siblings’ personal use. Despite all this, I never caught the driving bug. Cars and driving do not interest me, much like basketball or cryptocurrency. No one has successfully convinced me to learn how to drive, not even my repeated viewings of Mad Max: Fury Road.
A major reason why I’m reluctant to get a driver’s license is my modest enjoyment of public transportation. Yes, commuting in Manila sucks. No, I don’t care and will continue to do so. I am so used to living in hard mode1 in the Philippines, what’s another layer of oppression? I may be squished in a UV Express van with sixteen other people but I sleep well at night knowing I have less carbon footprint and impact on traffic than my car-driving peers. I can't blame them though, with the sorry state of local public transport. The daily commuter to private car user pipeline is real.
My stubborn refusal to drive doesn't mean I'm ignorant of its perks, however. Some things are unthinkable with the commute such as buying groceries, going to the bank with a hefty sum, and taking your dogs anywhere, unless you’re willing to shell out for a taxi or Grab. (This is also why I'm unable to use public transportation exclusively – I hitch a ride from my family when doing these kinds of errands). There’s no safer and better alternative to driving your children to and from school either, with school buses/services waning in popularity and private cars becoming a non-negotiable for new families. Long drives for a quick retreat are easier with your own private vehicle as well, and medical emergencies are far less anxiety-inducing with driving skills and a car on standby.
All that said, the singular con still outweighs the pros. My finances would take a huge hit once I start driving, what with the costs of driving lessons, getting a license, gas, maintenance, the imminent repairs – it’s a money pit, a source of anxiety and stress that haunts every car owner I know. I haven’t even mentioned paying for the vehicle itself, which has always been the plan instead of using the spare family cars, both of which are being used by my siblings anyway. Why go through all the hassle of getting a license when I don’t even have a vehicle of my own, not now or in the near future?
This isn’t a manifesto or any of the sort. I’m not shutting the door on this important life skill – after all, change is the only constant in my life. I could wake up one day and think a steering wheel looks sexy. My naive self is probably missing exciting opportunities, a whole world, an entire life by not learning how to drive. I know I'd bite the bullet someday, the question is when and how. Maybe when I get bored of sitting on my ass and writing about it.
This might come across as an insult to people actually living in hard mode in the Philippines but in reality, everyone who isn’t part of the 1% is suffering. We're all one major medical event and a few missed paychecks away from struggling in this economy, if we aren't already. I recognize my privilege in even having the choice to commute or not, which a lot of Filipinos don’t have.↩