Driving and Being on the Spectrum

[Sportster]

. . .

 

[wanderer03]

Driving a big rig is only fun on the open roads with little traffic. It's tons of fun on some of the open roads out west. But city driving in a 74 foot vehicle....no thank you.

 

[Nitro]

My driving history started very early on in my life. My first experience was cutting the grass on a lawn tractor,then I graduated to a go-cart the same year. By 13,I built and rode my own crude mini-bike. A year later,I built and drove my first high performance vehicle out of two different cars.

When I was a kid,I had free run at my Dad's fuel tank in his truck and began to enjoy the taste of gasoline from siphoning it a few times a week. As I got better at it,I could use that credit card and come out of it kissing sweet

I was handed the keys to Dad's 1969 SS 396 4 speed El Camino when I turned 17 and started doing performance modifications on it to street race it.It was fast out of the box,but I wanted it to be faster. The stable of rides had a slew of high performance vehicles over the years,some being very rare examples of muscle cars.I dragraced in NHRA for years and have a '66 Chevy Caprice dragster project that is about 85% complete setup to run in the 10.90 seconds in the quarter mile Super Street class.It will be my first wheel standing racecar in a semiprofessional class. My two wheeled events were nothing to sneeze at either.My 1200 cc Harley Sportster cranks out a lot of power from various mods done to it and will clean the clock of most of their lineup of bigger bikes.

During the course of vehicle repairs in my days,I drove and built tow vehicles and dabbled in vehicle recovery for finance companies. My crowning build was a F700 Ford with a Holmes 500 twin boom with a Tolle wheel lift package that was capable of hauling any car and up to a school bus in size. I called it my 14,000 lb. sport coupe because it handled so well

Over the years,I did repairs on cars,trucks and motorcycles as a side job and sometimes as a full time job. As close as we are able to determine using very low ball estimates,I have test driven over 30,000 motor vehicles and have registered and driven over 300 personal motor vehicles.I lost track of how many vehicles I took possession of that never got to see the road that were either sold,traded,parted out or scrapped. Those numbers may exceed several thousand
My final act with motor vehicle repair was as an owner/technician of a modern progressive shop that specialized in electronic engine control and no code driveability issues. I could troubleshoot and fix problems that the dealerships couldn't with the very cars and trucks they sold.

You could say that I have a bad case of gasoline azz that still exists today and will continue to drive until they take my keys away

 

[King_Oni]

I don't drive, don't have a license or anything. I had lessons and it was a bit of mixed bag.

I don't ride a bicycle for the same reason I don't drive a car; I just can't deal with the stupidity of other people in traffic. I'm terrible with anticipating other peoples behaviour and it would just set me off into a fit of rage, making me want to run them off the road.

I've noticed that driving late at night, when it was quiet went all fine actually. It's a lot more relaxing and I could handle it better, but passing a driving exam revolves around being able to drive day and night, not on certain times.

I had some issues with manual transmission, especially when it came to slowing down. Changing gears on the highway worked fine and I actually excelled driving higher speeds, my instructor remarked.

What a big issue for me with driving became was forgetting things since I didn't drive regularly. Lessons are crazy expensive here (and mandatory) and as such the instructor questioned if I was even suitable to drive (around 40 lessons in) and since I had no job, I was struggling to afford a weekly lesson. (driving lessons and exam fees here cost me somewhere between 2k and 2.5k; either dollars or euro, considering the exchange rate is laughable now; lessons are somewhere between 40 and 50... each, exam fees easily 300).

So in addition to "forgetting" some essentials to driving safely (I mean, flooring the pedal isn't hard, but doing it safely you don't run someone over might be, lol) I was somewhat concerned that when I had a license, I wouldn't drive anyway. Driving a car is reasonably expensive over here.

I did pass my theoretic part of the driving exam on the first go. It was mostly rules and traffic signs.

That all said; I do own a license to drive a moped, but I never been on one. Back in 2008 when I got it, I just had to do a written exam, no driving required (heck, people born before... I believe 1980 could just apply for one for years without an exam; since needing a license became a low somewhere after 2000). So technically... I can drive a motorized vehicle to get around, I just never bothered.

And in my current situation; I doubt I'll pursue getting a license, as it's pretty much saving up for it and starving myself for the next year... I know my priorities.

To chip in a bit with the poll; it's not that I hate driving in general, it's just that I can't deal with traffic in every situation. Last weekend my friend and I drove back from a concert for about 3 hours mostly on the highway and it was really quiet trafficwise. It's in such situations where I wouldn't mind driving I suppose...

 

[On the Inside]

I drive for recreation, not daily. I am not a car enthusiast; they are merely a tool for transport, so I like simple, reliable, and practical vehicles.

I was unhappy for the short time I had to commute by car and have arranged my life for the past 20+ years to allow me to ride my bike, walk/run, or take a bus to work. I actually went over six years without owning a car.

I do like long road trips and am able to drive for long periods of time without stopping except for gas/restroom/snacks.

I've only been in two fender-benders, both times an inattentive driver ran into me. I've never had more than a parking ticket.

 

[Rayner]

I like like driving. The worst part of driving for me is filling the Saudi Arabia sized gas tank my truck has. Oh and buying tires is like pulling teeth I literally wince as I was paying lol.

 

[Odd Duck 1357]

I love driving under normal conditions on freeways or country roads. City traffic brings the Aspie in me. NYC, Boston and LA driving terrifies me when I'm just the passenger!

I trained as a mechanic once, to prove a point. All I really learned was how to fake understanding sexual humor (I still don't get most jokes).

But on home turf in the mountains, I'm pretty aggressive because I think the ideological "flat landers" and "sticker people" 1)don't have the right vehicles so they're a traffic hazard, 2)can't drive in the mountains so they're a traffic hazard, 3)I hate their Coexist/Save the Whatever stickers and 4)they drive below the speed limit in the fast lane to teach us mountaineers a lesson, so they're traffic hazards AND jerks. As an Aspie, it's all about principles and I intensely dislike those drivers. On principle. Otherwise I love driving.

 

[wanderer03]

What is it about Prius and Fit drivers driving slow in the left lane? I mean it's like a disease or something

 

[clg114]

Do I like to drive? Well, that depends on where I am at. I seem to be getting less and less tolerant in my old age. Driving in traffic drives me crazy(crazier?). It amazes me that people can be so stupid while driving. The main problem seems to be that people are paying attention to everything except what they are doing, namely driving. On the other hand, if I am driving with no one around, I enjoy it. When it is my wife and I, in the truck, up in the mountains, exploring, that is a good time. My wife gets a little nervous when I reach for the transfer case shifter, but I have not killed us yet.

 

[Crossbreed]

I neither love nor hate it. I am glad for the convenience and availability when I have to get somewhere. I have come across some senseless drivers, like tailgaters (just pass me, already), but they have been the exception rather than the rule. I took the driving test about four times before I finally passed it, but I'm pretty comfortable behind the wheel, now.

 

[David Larson]

I love driving. Got my license at 14 (North Dakota) and I've probably driven more in the last 11 years than most people will their entire lives. I have a Mustang right now, and I gotta say, I can never go back to regular cars. It's an absolute blast to drive through winding country roads, and gives me an edge when I have to do a little aggressive driving in the city.

But out of people I know on the spectrum, most don't drive. I can't imagine a life like that, without the freedom of just being able to get in your car and go wherever, whenever, whyever.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

I ride a motorbike at the moment and I absolutely detest it now. It's cold during the winter, you get wet, it hurts when you come off it and people don't look out for you. Going over to a car soon but I have to learn first.

 

[wanderer03]

I have a motorcycle endorsement but I am a fair weather rider. I couldn't imagine depending on it in all kinds of weather. That is the true motorcyclist.

 

[Mia]

Can't stand driving although I do drive after many years of not doing so. In fact it had been so long that I had to do the driver's course all over again, relearning everything. Lived in a city for so long that I had no need of a car, buses, subway and trains took me everywhere I needed to go. Now I have to drive, for appointments and groceries.

 

[Ronin82]

i actually drive for a living. My job is to deliver auto parts in a certain area of my city. I love the feeling of moving, but sometimes feel like the truck should be going as fast as my brain. Road rage is an issue unfortunately. I have only gotten one speeding ticket (took defensive driving, so its not on my record) and have only hit two people (rear-ended one in bad weather, backed into the other one). I sometimes wonder if I should be driving, since I have a hard time judging distances at times, but I wouldn't give up my job or my truck for anything. This is the only job I've been able to really hold down without major problems!

 

[wanderer03]

i actually drive for a living. My job is to deliver auto parts in a certain area of my city. I love the feeling of moving, but sometimes feel like the truck should be going as fast as my brain. Road rage is an issue unfortunately. I have only gotten one speeding ticket (took defensive driving, so its not on my record) and have only hit two people (rear-ended one in bad weather, backed into the other one). I sometimes wonder if I should be driving, since I have a hard time judging distances at times, but I wouldn't give up my job or my truck for anything. This is the only job I've been able to really hold down without major problems!

Hello fellow professional driver! It's about the only job that I've been able to hold on to for some time as well. It's an elegantly simple job that keeps me away from an office and a supervisor. I have two driving jobs: one involves transporting train crews, the other is a corporate shuttle. No one ever talks to me beyond basic politeness so I love it.

 

[zurb]

I enjoy driving. When I did my driving class many many years ago, I was among the top students.
Back in the day when I was a general office gopher, I drove on errands regularly, and it was one of the best parts of the job.
Returning to my home city after 10 years I nearly did a career change to truck driving, but stayed in writing as I got a good job quickly at better pay. Only got as far as the Class 2 learner's license.

 

[Flinty]

The province has licensed me to drive, but I have chosen not to do so since 2003. I consider private car ownership to be a blight on society, if only because so many people work to drive.

 

[wanderer03]

I don't object to private car ownership so much as I object to people using cars as status symbols. I look for low mileage, older cars because that is about what I can afford and I am grateful for access to it. America's public transportation system is woeful when compared with other nations in Europe and North America.

 

[Nitro]

Even when I was younger,I always kept two vehicles on the road. One was a street racer and the other was usually a VW Beetle or some other reliable clunker car. The racers would break often and I would still have a car to drive to work and gather needed parts in to stay on top of my game on the street. The gearhead car was always a spotless and perfect machine purpose built with the intention of beating it into submission and the utilitarian car was the backup plan.

Having a spotless racer was the only way to fly in my opinion and my status symbol machine in my circle. I have often said if i could ask for anything back from those days,it would be half the money I spent on high performance parts and the gasoline I burned to be the fastest.

One particular night,just out on a joyride with my girlfriend in my '72 455 Pontiac GTO,we came across an early Shelby American AC Cobra entering a four lane bridge at a stop light. I said to Amy,side oiler or 289? She said I guess we are going to find out huh?
My old goat had never lost a street race ever and would shred a 289 Cobra,but a 427 side oiler in a tiny car would have destroyed my warmed up 455. When the light changed,all we ever saw was the tail lights

It is important to remember that we all have our reasons for either loving to drive,having to drive or choosing not to.

Where I have always lived, a private form of transportation was a necessity as public transportation was not an option. Even when I lived in the city of Pittsburgh where public transportation was available,my jobs required traveling outside of the city in order to work,and while in the course of repairing them,a test drive is all a part of the game. I cannot fathom the idea of never driving an automobile as it was never an option to not for me.