Re: People are forgetting how to drive
I was among the last batch of people who got my bus pass at the age of 60, before they started moving the goalposts
After a few months I did my sums and worked out that if I gave up my car and just used free bus travel I could afford to retire early
I had been claiming an occupational pension since I was 60, and I could manage on that till my State pension and another private pension came in at 65
So I retired at 61; things would be a bit tight, but it was possible
Mostly I used the bus for those few years, plus hiring a car once or twice
When I got my State pension I was able to afford a car again, but it felt very awkward driving after a break of 4 or 5 years
Still, I got back into it OK
I don't do a huge mileage each year, and still use my bus pass for some journeys, but a car is convenient
Something I have noticed over the past few years is the state of our motorways
They were getting busy a few years ago, but now they are absolutely packed, and terrible - frightening even
This is not helped by doing away with the hard shoulder, which must surely be one of the most stupid, senseless ideas ever to be foisted upon the motoring public
That, and the endless roadworks make driving a most unhappy experience
I notice this when travelling on the M6; it is a nightmare from about the Cheshire/Staffordshire border, right across Spaghetti Junction, and you're not clear of it till you get a way down the M5
So much so that if I want to visit friends & family, or other events in Warwickshire or Gloucester I really weigh up whether it is worth the effort
Now with the Lockdown I only use my car for shopping, but I try to make a slightly longer, more circuitous route to keep the mechanicals turned over a bit, and to keep up my ability (such as it is).
I filled the petrol tank at the start of the Lockdown, and it's still over 3/4 full