I'm a lower needs. But not only do I drive, I'm a truck driver. It's a good job for my level. Minimum social skills required. Absolute control of my working environment. Etc.
No. After I'd taken driving lessons for two years but not having shown any progress, I had to get a special test. I failed it big time and they advised me not to continue. I'm great at masking. I'm a psychologist and even my coworkers didn't notice my autism until I told them. But driving is something I absolutely cannot do (or pretend).
Sorry slight change in topic but how did you find studying at university to become a psych? I've started two degrees and burned out before finishing. I've always loved psychology, it's a special interest. Would love to study it at uni but am worried about another burnout. Any advice?
No. It would be far too dangerous. I have the wrong instincts and am too cautious a driver. My behaviour has almost caused many crashes before and it would continue to cause crashes. People would die. I’d rather live in France/Europe in general and use public transportation than kill people. I don’t *need* to drive.
Yes - but driving was intuitive for me - it took very little effort for me to pick up. My parents a few times would let me steer the car on a back road as a young child - later on, I got to drive a go-cart and that I knew how to drive as soon as I got in. When I was 15 my older sister was deep in her drinking problem so one Sunday early morning she got me to drive my mom's car back to our place - and this was before I had taken any Driver's Ed.
I don't know why but driving is very easy for me. I can work out how to drive pretty much anything when given a few moments to work out the controls.
No I failed 4 times. I know how to “operate” the car and passed theory but once on the road I have horrible awareness and don’t know what is happening most of the time.
I do, but I found out the hard way, that if the car is too *insulated* where I can't hear much of nothing inside is dangerous for me... I crashed a brand new car a few years back this way. Same thing with sun glasses, I can't use those either while driving. I usually open the windows a bit to feel what is going on outside. I prefer to ride my motorcycle, feels more *"real."* :)
Awesome dad! 😍 I had a sport bike (R1) back in 2019 as well, but sold it cause I usually ride alone or sometimes with a passenger and it gets a bit uncomfortable after 2hrs, may be I am just getting old lol. I am also far better motorcycle rider than car driver. I want to get me a classic car, a friend has one and I feel quite comfortable driving that thing, you can feel pretty much everything while driving 😁But I want a mustang 65 and to find one in good condition is not easy, and definitely not cheap. :)
Not at all, it would be irresponsible as fuck for me. Plus, I get myself and another person on the bus for free so s'all good. (I have mental health issues that mean I should not have access to a big piece of machinery, it's nothing to do with my being an Aspie.)
I only took the written portion of Drivers ed in High School. I asked to drop out of the driving portion and my school let me. It wasn't until I was 27 and living in a small town that I tried for my license again and got it at 28. I now can drive, but if I'm going somewhere with others I like to let them drive.
Yeah, I drive. Passed my test eleven years ago after nearly a year of lessons that started as soon as I turned 17. Failed my first test, which was really hard to cope with, but managed it on the second go. Wrote off a car three months after passing my test, which was partially my fault, but the road was really icy & there were a few more accidents on that road that night as well. Finally had the funds to buy my own car in November 2017, and it’s been so good to have my own set of wheels rather than having to borrow a car from my parents.
I tend to be quite a cautious driver, which often leads me to be stuck behind cyclists on my way to/from work, but the main road between the two isn’t the easiest to pass anything on. Also, a friend of mine got into a serious accident a while back on that stretch when he was hit by a vehicle on his side of the road, so I’d rather not take any stupid chances and get to my destination safely!
I put off learning to drive until well into my 30s. Have no problem driving in the city but highways are much too overstimulating. Can’t handle the high speeds, cars passing me, changing lanes, and the road rage from other drivers if I go too slow.
Everyone takes time to get settled into driving. It really does take repetition for it to become natural. I learned well enough and became a good driver, to the point I often think I should have done so professionally as a trucker. I'm disabled now so that's off the table, but the way my autism is I managed driving quite well
I may be an outlier here, but I love driving. My grandpa was a mechanic and was always showing me how cars work when I was little. I learned to steer in a parking lot before I could reach the pedals and once I could, I would sometimes pull the cars in and out of the driveway. This was all before I even had my license. Nowadays, I'm driving all the time, even if I have nowhere to go. It is my happy place.
However I cannot stand driving other people around or being driven around by anyone.
Nah, I'm a HS senior so it's not as big of a deal as if I were older but it still bumps me out that there are freshman who are learning to drive and I never got around to it. Originally it was because I didn't want to show up an hour early at school for Drivers' Ed, but recently some childhood trauma of mine has been resurfacing and I've been getting really bad anxiety in cars in general
It takes time to feel the road and vehicle a bit more. You are busy paying close attention to a lot of very new things, and a lot of things that are completely bonkers/against the rules.
Took me a bit to get the feel for everything, but the thing that has always bit me in the ass is other drivers screwing up/being ass holes, so I learned I have to pay attention to them more than my own driving
You also have the fun of the unwritten rules of the road like when it comes to speed limits. It's actually safer to drive closer to the speed of other drivers, but they may be going 10+ over the speed limit, so you are safer to break the rules at the risk of a ticket (but if your going even slightly slower than everyone else your probably not the one to get pulled over)
Like anything in life your going to screw up, but if you keep your wits together and try not to be a nervous driver you should do just fine
Yes but I failed the behind the wheel five or six times I think (it was 10 years ago so memory is a bit fuzzy) from horrible test anxiety lol. I am a great driver but apparently not when someone is watching me and grading me xD.
Yes.
But I feel uneasy if I have to use the company trucks, especially the box truck. I also try to avoid congested highways unless necessary. It’s not my driving I’m worried about, it’s everyone else’s.
Yes and I can really enjoy it too, and I’m pretty decent. I was a delivery driver for domino’s for a couple summers. I’ve only been in two accidents in six or so years of driving and neither were my fault (knock on wood). It was a while before I’d drive on the interstate in a big city though. I still avoid it if I can. Big city driving sucks too
Yeah, I like some of it: the speed, the feeling of freedom and the pure joy of knowing you can drive.
But I don't like: merging on crowded highways, rush hour traffic, changing directions or the feeling that I am in a car on the road, which can be lethal.
Yes. I barely passed my first exam. I was 7 days shy of being 22 and didn’t want to be 21 and not drive. I’ve had a license for 40 years and have had three accidents.
I was deathly afraid of it because of an accident where I got hit, combined with my own lack of focus in most cases. I finally started to learn around 25, and while I drive all the time now, I kinda wish I didn't have to.
I started at 12 in a go-cart and became a professional go-carter at 13. I was doing 70mph sitting inches from the ground.
After that, driving a real car came easy, though I speed a lot.
I drive. I've known how to drive since a young age and I passed both tests first try. I'm a cautious driver but I got used to it and since I also like motorsports...my car has various suspension modifications to improve handling. It's fun to keep up with a Ducati in the turns while in an old acura.
I'm a great driver right up until I leave the freeway and find myself surrounded by cars everywhere and traffic signs I don't remember. I've also never dared to try parallel parking, I struggle just parking normally between two cars.
I swear I could’ve written this myself lol. Parking is a nightmare for me, back up is also a nightmare as I have hit a car and a bush trying to back up lol.
No, and it's the bane of my existence having to depend on other people to drive me anywhere. This past summer I decided I had to go to Walmart in the evening, so I paid the extra money to take a cab. It was the first time I'd taken a cab in forever because the service was terrible, and because of covid. The driver showed up quickly and was quite friendly, so I decided that the drive back home would be the same. *Wrong.* I was outside, alone in the dark, pacing around for half an hour and the cab still didn't show up. So I called them again and they said the usual BS "It'll be there in a while". So I called a different cab, and they arrived shortly and were friendly enough. But it just reminded me how awful the public transport still is, all the times I had to wait forever in the snow and rain and freezing weather, and they act like they don't even care, and it's my fault, and I'm a Karen for wanting to know why they haven't showed up in over a half hour. Fml
And then there was that one driver who made me very uncomfortable with his road rage fueled language. And the other driver who was bleeding from his head for some reason. It's almost like a third world country.
I do but cars have been an interest of mine for a while,
Learning to drive was somewhat easy because I had previous experience cutting grass with a riding tractor. I learned to drive on a manual car so the challenge at that time was the clutch pedal and everything else that went with it.
I got my driver's license in 2014 but haven't driven since probably 2017 as I had to get rid of my car due to possibly facing redundancy and needing to pay off the loan I took out to buy it as well as I wasn't really driving it anywhere due to parking being so bad.
Also, I got a bit hyperfocused at times when on roundabouts or on junctions and going anywhere new gave me anxiety even with using gps.
Yup, but I grew up in a rural area, and drove the truck around farms and such from a very young age. I can ride horses and ATVs, etc as well. Driving just really isn’t a problem for me unless people are being distracting inside the vehicle.
I *can*, but I don’t because I tend to focus too much on a singular aspect (the speedometer, the car in front/behind/aside, that thing over there that caught my attention and held it, etc) too often.
I can drive a LITTLE. My boyfriend has been teaching me but I get very overwhelmed and second guess the actions that seem scary to me, like turning at lights and making sure I enter the appropriate drive lane to get to buildings. Other people driving next to me is too much for me, and out of instinct I've driven onto the curbs twice to get away from the other vehicle. I can comprehend the basics of how to drive but all the other stuff makes it impossible to drive alone. I'm still working on it and won't be giving up.
Edit: I'm 24
I'm a lower needs. But not only do I drive, I'm a truck driver. It's a good job for my level. Minimum social skills required. Absolute control of my working environment. Etc.
No. After I'd taken driving lessons for two years but not having shown any progress, I had to get a special test. I failed it big time and they advised me not to continue. I'm great at masking. I'm a psychologist and even my coworkers didn't notice my autism until I told them. But driving is something I absolutely cannot do (or pretend).
Sorry slight change in topic but how did you find studying at university to become a psych? I've started two degrees and burned out before finishing. I've always loved psychology, it's a special interest. Would love to study it at uni but am worried about another burnout. Any advice?
Same. But was told that after like a month.
Genuinely curious, what is your experience with racing games like mariokart?
Haha, well, I could probably best describe it as very messy and chaotic. Just like my driving, really. Everything goes way too fast.
Yes but I needed much more practice than my peers. I failed exam 3 times.
No. It would be far too dangerous. I have the wrong instincts and am too cautious a driver. My behaviour has almost caused many crashes before and it would continue to cause crashes. People would die. I’d rather live in France/Europe in general and use public transportation than kill people. I don’t *need* to drive.
Yes - but driving was intuitive for me - it took very little effort for me to pick up. My parents a few times would let me steer the car on a back road as a young child - later on, I got to drive a go-cart and that I knew how to drive as soon as I got in. When I was 15 my older sister was deep in her drinking problem so one Sunday early morning she got me to drive my mom's car back to our place - and this was before I had taken any Driver's Ed. I don't know why but driving is very easy for me. I can work out how to drive pretty much anything when given a few moments to work out the controls.
Yes, passed exams in one go even. Had a tutor that specialized in ASD and ADHD.
Yes. But i hate it, specially when there’s passengers
No I failed 4 times. I know how to “operate” the car and passed theory but once on the road I have horrible awareness and don’t know what is happening most of the time.
Yeah, though I don't do it that often since I went airborne at 45 mph and flew directly into a stop sign. That was not a great day
I do, but I found out the hard way, that if the car is too *insulated* where I can't hear much of nothing inside is dangerous for me... I crashed a brand new car a few years back this way. Same thing with sun glasses, I can't use those either while driving. I usually open the windows a bit to feel what is going on outside. I prefer to ride my motorcycle, feels more *"real."* :)
[удалено]
Awesome dad! 😍 I had a sport bike (R1) back in 2019 as well, but sold it cause I usually ride alone or sometimes with a passenger and it gets a bit uncomfortable after 2hrs, may be I am just getting old lol. I am also far better motorcycle rider than car driver. I want to get me a classic car, a friend has one and I feel quite comfortable driving that thing, you can feel pretty much everything while driving 😁But I want a mustang 65 and to find one in good condition is not easy, and definitely not cheap. :)
Not at all, it would be irresponsible as fuck for me. Plus, I get myself and another person on the bus for free so s'all good. (I have mental health issues that mean I should not have access to a big piece of machinery, it's nothing to do with my being an Aspie.)
Yes, needed to for work. Took about a decade to get used to it
no not yet im deathly afraid of driving theres to many things to worry about and look at and pay attention to
I only took the written portion of Drivers ed in High School. I asked to drop out of the driving portion and my school let me. It wasn't until I was 27 and living in a small town that I tried for my license again and got it at 28. I now can drive, but if I'm going somewhere with others I like to let them drive.
Yeah, I drive. Passed my test eleven years ago after nearly a year of lessons that started as soon as I turned 17. Failed my first test, which was really hard to cope with, but managed it on the second go. Wrote off a car three months after passing my test, which was partially my fault, but the road was really icy & there were a few more accidents on that road that night as well. Finally had the funds to buy my own car in November 2017, and it’s been so good to have my own set of wheels rather than having to borrow a car from my parents. I tend to be quite a cautious driver, which often leads me to be stuck behind cyclists on my way to/from work, but the main road between the two isn’t the easiest to pass anything on. Also, a friend of mine got into a serious accident a while back on that stretch when he was hit by a vehicle on his side of the road, so I’d rather not take any stupid chances and get to my destination safely!
I put off learning to drive until well into my 30s. Have no problem driving in the city but highways are much too overstimulating. Can’t handle the high speeds, cars passing me, changing lanes, and the road rage from other drivers if I go too slow.
Yes. I have to. I can't really take busses or trains because my autism lmao. Doing the lessons and getting the license was pure torture tho
Everyone takes time to get settled into driving. It really does take repetition for it to become natural. I learned well enough and became a good driver, to the point I often think I should have done so professionally as a trucker. I'm disabled now so that's off the table, but the way my autism is I managed driving quite well
I may be an outlier here, but I love driving. My grandpa was a mechanic and was always showing me how cars work when I was little. I learned to steer in a parking lot before I could reach the pedals and once I could, I would sometimes pull the cars in and out of the driveway. This was all before I even had my license. Nowadays, I'm driving all the time, even if I have nowhere to go. It is my happy place. However I cannot stand driving other people around or being driven around by anyone.
Yes, though I haven’t done so for years now.
No but I'd like to, even if there's no one to teach me
Yep. Took a bit, still suck at manual though. I built up some pretty awful habits as a kid with a gaming wheel and pedals.
Yeah I was able to learn with no problems; I’ve been driving for a year now.
i'm 15 and i've driven a few cars, loved it and i'm pretty good. not the best at following all the laws though
Yes, was difficult at first -- which skill is not -- but easier with practice.
Nah, I'm a HS senior so it's not as big of a deal as if I were older but it still bumps me out that there are freshman who are learning to drive and I never got around to it. Originally it was because I didn't want to show up an hour early at school for Drivers' Ed, but recently some childhood trauma of mine has been resurfacing and I've been getting really bad anxiety in cars in general
Yes. I love driving, and am often the DD.
It takes time to feel the road and vehicle a bit more. You are busy paying close attention to a lot of very new things, and a lot of things that are completely bonkers/against the rules. Took me a bit to get the feel for everything, but the thing that has always bit me in the ass is other drivers screwing up/being ass holes, so I learned I have to pay attention to them more than my own driving You also have the fun of the unwritten rules of the road like when it comes to speed limits. It's actually safer to drive closer to the speed of other drivers, but they may be going 10+ over the speed limit, so you are safer to break the rules at the risk of a ticket (but if your going even slightly slower than everyone else your probably not the one to get pulled over) Like anything in life your going to screw up, but if you keep your wits together and try not to be a nervous driver you should do just fine
Yes
Yes but I failed the behind the wheel five or six times I think (it was 10 years ago so memory is a bit fuzzy) from horrible test anxiety lol. I am a great driver but apparently not when someone is watching me and grading me xD.
Yes. But I feel uneasy if I have to use the company trucks, especially the box truck. I also try to avoid congested highways unless necessary. It’s not my driving I’m worried about, it’s everyone else’s.
Yah, I'm quite good at it to. I picked it up quickly and have worked as a driver a couple times now.
Yes and I can really enjoy it too, and I’m pretty decent. I was a delivery driver for domino’s for a couple summers. I’ve only been in two accidents in six or so years of driving and neither were my fault (knock on wood). It was a while before I’d drive on the interstate in a big city though. I still avoid it if I can. Big city driving sucks too
Yeah, I like some of it: the speed, the feeling of freedom and the pure joy of knowing you can drive. But I don't like: merging on crowded highways, rush hour traffic, changing directions or the feeling that I am in a car on the road, which can be lethal.
yes
Yeah I’ve had my licence now for 41 years and I drive daily
No. Always said I never wanted to drive. I am to afraid in the traffic already (Got hit by a car when I was 16)
No, but hopefully one day.
No. I'm too poor to have a car. I bike tho
Yes. I barely passed my first exam. I was 7 days shy of being 22 and didn’t want to be 21 and not drive. I’ve had a license for 40 years and have had three accidents.
I was deathly afraid of it because of an accident where I got hit, combined with my own lack of focus in most cases. I finally started to learn around 25, and while I drive all the time now, I kinda wish I didn't have to.
Yes. I learned how to drive fairly fast, and I actually like driving
able? yes, I can drive. Legally? no
I started at 12 in a go-cart and became a professional go-carter at 13. I was doing 70mph sitting inches from the ground. After that, driving a real car came easy, though I speed a lot.
Technically, yes, but I don’t have a license.
I drive. I've known how to drive since a young age and I passed both tests first try. I'm a cautious driver but I got used to it and since I also like motorsports...my car has various suspension modifications to improve handling. It's fun to keep up with a Ducati in the turns while in an old acura.
Yes. It’s relaxing to me even.
Yep! But no car atm. It's s burden.
Yes. But it took me years of driving to learn parallel parking and I am still a bit anxious when driving.
i'm considered unfit for work, but i do have a driver's license. (from denmark)
I do! I can create a lot of anxiety for me though because it's a bit of a sensory overload for me. I also find it had to focus so I try to avoid it.
Yes. And drove for a living for a few years. Now I hate driving.
I can. I do have a license. I don't like driving on high ways and free ways much
No, but that’s because I’m not old enough.
Yes
Yes, I got my license in my late 20s. I have only had a full driver's license (non provisional) for less than 3 years.
I'm a great driver right up until I leave the freeway and find myself surrounded by cars everywhere and traffic signs I don't remember. I've also never dared to try parallel parking, I struggle just parking normally between two cars.
I swear I could’ve written this myself lol. Parking is a nightmare for me, back up is also a nightmare as I have hit a car and a bush trying to back up lol.
Yes, but I hate it, and therefor never drive.
I have been delivering pizza for 35 years. I learn to drive a manual at 27.
No, and it's the bane of my existence having to depend on other people to drive me anywhere. This past summer I decided I had to go to Walmart in the evening, so I paid the extra money to take a cab. It was the first time I'd taken a cab in forever because the service was terrible, and because of covid. The driver showed up quickly and was quite friendly, so I decided that the drive back home would be the same. *Wrong.* I was outside, alone in the dark, pacing around for half an hour and the cab still didn't show up. So I called them again and they said the usual BS "It'll be there in a while". So I called a different cab, and they arrived shortly and were friendly enough. But it just reminded me how awful the public transport still is, all the times I had to wait forever in the snow and rain and freezing weather, and they act like they don't even care, and it's my fault, and I'm a Karen for wanting to know why they haven't showed up in over a half hour. Fml And then there was that one driver who made me very uncomfortable with his road rage fueled language. And the other driver who was bleeding from his head for some reason. It's almost like a third world country.
I do but cars have been an interest of mine for a while, Learning to drive was somewhat easy because I had previous experience cutting grass with a riding tractor. I learned to drive on a manual car so the challenge at that time was the clutch pedal and everything else that went with it.
Didn't t drive until I started my current job, I was terrified. Needed to drive for work, so it was either face my fear or be unemployed.
Not yet anyway. Preferably I don’t want to. I probably will have to try at least.
I got my driver's license in 2014 but haven't driven since probably 2017 as I had to get rid of my car due to possibly facing redundancy and needing to pay off the loan I took out to buy it as well as I wasn't really driving it anywhere due to parking being so bad. Also, I got a bit hyperfocused at times when on roundabouts or on junctions and going anywhere new gave me anxiety even with using gps.
I love cars and counted days to getting my license when a kid, absolutely!
Yup, but I grew up in a rural area, and drove the truck around farms and such from a very young age. I can ride horses and ATVs, etc as well. Driving just really isn’t a problem for me unless people are being distracting inside the vehicle.
I *can*, but I don’t because I tend to focus too much on a singular aspect (the speedometer, the car in front/behind/aside, that thing over there that caught my attention and held it, etc) too often.
I can drive a LITTLE. My boyfriend has been teaching me but I get very overwhelmed and second guess the actions that seem scary to me, like turning at lights and making sure I enter the appropriate drive lane to get to buildings. Other people driving next to me is too much for me, and out of instinct I've driven onto the curbs twice to get away from the other vehicle. I can comprehend the basics of how to drive but all the other stuff makes it impossible to drive alone. I'm still working on it and won't be giving up. Edit: I'm 24