You remind me of Henry Bowman racing a Porsche (driven by a slimy Customs looter) in his GMC truck in Unintended Consequences.

Yep, and when I coerced my wife into getting her own license (at age 35), she was amazed at why she waited so long...

On the other hand, there were two situations where I disliked driving, on mountain roads with logging activity and in the winter.

The writer of the piece is either atrociously sloppy, or ignorant, or both. Hill holder clutches were in the 1949 Studebaker, and I'm sure they weren't the only one. His discussion of shifting, which was a mishmash of automatic and manual transmission terms (you don't need a clutch to put a car in drive) was ridiculous.

That aside, I was jealous of my friends in South Carolina, where I went to high school. I had arrived from out of state after the state changed the age for a driver's license from 14 to 16, and was one of the few in my sophomore class without a license.

I'm a good driver, with a good record, but renting a car has become a problem in some states, as they demand any driver over the age of 75 purchase the additional insurance in the rental agreement instead of relying on his own auto insurance (which in my case covers any accident I have while driving a rental vehicle). It's another way for the government to exercise ageism, a crime for which they've absolved themselves of responsibility. Now when we vacation I have to let my wife drive, since she's younger. Fortunately she loves to drive, especially in a convertible, and I'm getting accustomed to being navigator and photographer, so she doesn't have to take her eyes off the road.

Love driving, but NOT in traffic! Got my license 20 minutes after turning 15 (in FL). Always liked fast cars. Finally got a real handling car (STI), and became addicted.

Now have a Lotus 7 kit car (200 hp, 1,400 lbs), Focus RS (350 hp). Wife has a Mini Cooper S Convertible. These all handle very well. We also have a Jeep Grand Cherokee for lugging us and luggage around, and I have a 2004 Ranger with torsen axles that can drive up the side of a tree. They are a nice relaxing change, but always great to get back to the performance cars.

My brother has a CTS-V, and races it. He has been bugging me to track my Focus RS or Lotus. Will have to do that someday, when I have the time. We are both thinking of building a Factory Five '35 Hot Rod truck kit. Would be pretty cool to lap a BMW in a truck!

We also like working on cars. My brother and I pulled an engine, put it in another car, and turned the key in <2 hrs when in college. I have a spare engine and transmission for my Ranger. Cool, 4.0 SOHC Cologne engine, first produced in 1962, and makes better torque and HP than a modern 4.0L Toyota truck engine. Plan to rebuild and port it, to reinstall in the Ranger.

I like driving but these days I must be on guard when driving the back roads here. Lots of idiots on their phones and on my half of the narrow path. As a retirement gift I bought my wife a new Lexus RX350 that rides like it is floating. I have never had a speeding ticket but this car is one I must employ the cruise control in at all times. The learning curve of all the bells and whistles is a tuff process for this old analog guy in a digital world. I have to sit for a few minutes in the driveway before venturing out just to get all the systems set for me.

Small town, Dad was assistant fire chief, later fire chief of the volunteer dept. Single car family so zero chance of using the car. Sophomores were required (not an option) to take Driver's Ed before the risk management lawyers scared the school boards. Even with passing driver's ed. I bought a car before I could legally drive it and that was 4 years later! Better jobs required transportation. D Ed car was dual controls, manual clutch equipped with a glass milk bottle between the instructor's feet. Starts and stops had to leave the bottle upright or it was back seat for the next rotation of drivers (typically 4 plus the instructor in the car). Ended up with many automatics as wife didn't want a manual. When we could we bought a P U with manual transmission for me. 90's kid drivers learned to drive manual transmissions with me telling them the automatic's were not being driven, only aimed. With three generations of drivers out there with little or no formal driver training they really are aiming their automatics! I could go on but it is getting longer than planned.

Of course you weren't going 35....probably more like 50mph...8^)

Him be me da dino him say yeth.

Interesting that you mention Gulf Coast. We just got back from a trip to Gulf Shores Alabama for a couple of nights. Some good seafood, and some great back roads going and coming back!

Your last statement ... So true.
I'll enjoy driving again as soon as I can get the repair done on the wiring the mice gnawed through. [grin] Nice weather for a fall drive in the foothills. Or a drive to the Gulf Coast.

I admit to being ambivalent about driving. I can certainly enjoy driving cross country without a lot of clutter to deal with. Driving from stoplight to stoplight in the city isn't a lot of fun.

I have to admit, though, that I look forward to self driving cars becoming more reliable and common. Sitting in my car with a good book as I travel across the country, looking up at the scenery from time to time does sound attractive.

And there is a very good chance that I will never have to face the idea of becoming too old to drive safely and losing that ability to get around -- assuming I can still get to the car.

I DO enjoy driving, especially backroads in the right car (something low and quick, with a manual trans). I could go on for days about why, but I won't bore y'all with that.

I will say that considering that driving is an activity that doing poorly can get you killed, there seems to be very little interest in doing it well.

I don't know where this person lives, but I got my full DL at the ripe old age of 14. So did everyone in my Drivers' Education Class. I made a perfect score on the written test and the Highway Patrol Officer who observed my driving complimented me. I have had one ticket in my entire 70 years of driving. It was in a little town in Central Texas that paid their one officer from traffic fine revenue! I laughed when he told me I was going 35 in a 30 mph zone! Paid the ticket though.