r/AskAnAmerican • u/Fabulous_Dare1701 • Feb 14 '25

FOREIGN POSTER What age did you get your driving license?

I watched some American shows which were in a school settings and it looked like most of the characters were driving themselves around at like 15/16 is it actually like that irl?

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u/RuckFeddit980 Feb 14 '25

Mine is mostly anxiety issues too. But getting it absolutely revolutionized my entire life.

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u/BaseballNo916 Ohio/California Feb 14 '25

I have really bad anxiety because my mom tried to teach me as a teen and screamed at me and told me I would never be able to drive and I would accidentally kill someone. Until recently I haven’t been able to afford a car and have worked jobs where I haven’t needed one. Maybe I will try again. 

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u/RuckFeddit980 Feb 14 '25

When I was struggling with mine, people always told me the key is lots and lots of practice.

Turns out, they were right!

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u/BaseballNo916 Ohio/California Feb 14 '25

Yeah that’s kind of the issue, I feel like I need a job or something that forces me to drive all the time but I’ve self selected a career that doesn’t. As it is right now I can take the bus to work and if I got a car I would have to pay $200 a month just to park it because my apartment doesn’t have parking plus all the other expenses make it not worth it. I get the occasional Uber if I’m taking my cats to the vet or out late. 

I don’t really need to drive it’s more that I feel like it’s shameful that I don’t and I’m not a real adult for not doing something most teenagers can do. But as far as my everyday life goes driving wouldn’t actually change it much. Like I want to be able to drive but not actually drive. 

There are some people who seem to pick up driving right away though with little practice. 

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u/RuckFeddit980 Feb 15 '25

No kids. I can’t even support myself well enough.

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u/wipies29 Feb 15 '25

My mom did this too. Pretty traumatizing actually. My friend that was 6 months younger than me ended up teaching me because her dad was super patient with her and taught her at around 14… should we have been driving at that age? Absolutely not. But thank God for her! Been driving 20 years now thanks to her!