Ladies who like to be driven to places - why?

Your friend sounds a bit weird.
I drive thousands of miles each year, in fact I left home at 6 today and drove to Devon.... I prefer to drive than be driven although I do feel happy when being driven by my 3 DDs. I always volunteer to drive friends when we go out as A it prevents me from drinking which is no bad thing and B my friends are pretty useless drivers ?. Lane sliding and slowing down to an almost stop when talking being the main misdemeanours! If I want to leave my village I have to drive as there’s no public transport which I would use if it were available. I dread the time I may have to hang up the car keys and lose my independence

My enforced time of not driving was helpful in a way. I really made full use of my bus pass and taxis as required. It was good practice I think.
I gave myself a fright trying to drive in the dark one evening. My eyes were dazzled very badly by oncoming traffic and I had to get home at snails pace.
DH kindly drives me to my evening talks these days and I 'see him right' in other ways as thanks. Meals out I should say!

I often ask for lifts if our choir are going anywhere. It seems a waste driving alone in my car if there are 20 others going the same way. And parking is usually at a premium at most venues anyway.

I do also offer to drive others so I take my turn as well.

So far I am not worried about driving and drive on the left and the right with no problem. Will be driving less in the UK now my mother has died, and the price of hire cars is getting beyond me.

no she doesn't offer but that's not the issue

Maybe it is.
Margaret ought to offer even if you don't accept. Why doesn't she?
Maybe she's trying to economise by not using her car and therefore doesn't want to offer?

Maybe she suggests an ordinary café as she thinks that won't put either of you to too much expense?

Her 'exploding' sounds very unreasonable, tho, but I don't think there'll be any improvement unless you talk to her about it.

Offering lifts/ car sharing is environmentally sound, but expecting others to do all the driving is selfish.

I try to avoid journeys where parking is tricky and I never drive for more than about 1.5 hours, and I try to avoid journeys after dark on unfamiliar roads. I use my bus pass a lot and take the train for longer trips, much less stressful.

Having said that, I am a good driver but a terrible passenger. My husband drives too fast and brakes too late for my comfort. I feel tense when we are out on a journey but he insists on driving every time. The time will come when he needs me to drive him so that I can drop him off eg at the doctors, then go and park, as he can’t walk very far.
I am not sure what is going on with your friend Margaret, but it seems a bit odd to me.

Im 65 and drive as part of my work. Driving is sooo boring stuck in traffic every day but when im not working i love driving over the northumberland moors and lanes. I also take my mother for shopping my daughter for shopping dgd to swimming and school so everyone would be stuck if i gave up driving. I have considered getting rid of the car when im 66 and can get a bus pass. Maybe

I still have to drive locally and long distances, , but I can imagine that some people lose confidence as they get older and perhaps feel nervous about driving their friends.
Not a good move in my opinion, that independence will be hard to regain once lost.
Going out for a “nice drive” is a bit of an oxymoron these days though isn’t it?

I would have thought so Maw....the days of taking Mother for a spin are over, cars no longer a novelty.

I take two non driving friends out, one never learned to drive, the other has lost all confidence.
DH enjoys driving, I simply do it to get from a to b.

My second daughter and her husband each have a car, but he doesn`t like driving, the only time he does is to go to work. Whenever they go out anywhere she always drives.

I don’t think I’ve ever been a natural driver, and I can’t ever say I’ve ever really enjoyed it.

But for many years I covered a lot of miles with three children at different schools, all a good distance from each other, and weekends I would drive to sports events in places I didn’t know, long before the joy of google maps!

But now, I do prefer to be driven on long journeys, my husband enjoys driving, and is always irritated by my refusal to overtake anything, even a tractor, but I will definitely keep my hand in .

I love to drive and have my own car, infact I don't know what I would do without it.

I drive but don’t often enjoy it. I know my confidence is lower than it was a few years ago. It puzzles me as I don’t drive any less and there have been no accidents. On long journeys Mr C and I share the driving equally, he enjoys his share, I tolerate mine.

Has something perhaps happened to Margaret while she was driving? Perhaps she is losing confidence but doesn't wish to tell you the circumstances.

Other than that, I do think it's strange behaviour.

I am a confident driver and drive long distances but I do take the train or coach sometimes if I'm not going to use the car when I get to my destination.

I would take the train to London.

That is odd behaviour from Margaret. If she's lost confidence with driving maybe she'd be better off selling her car and taking taxis instead.

For myself, my car will have to be prised from my cold, dead hands before I give up driving, barring for health reasons. I enjoy driving and this past twelve months have driven 15k, only a small portion of which dh has done (he has his own car). Between us, we drove 620 miles on Monday just gone, taking about 12 hours. We'll do 620 miles back home again this coming Monday.

Margaret literally explodes

Problem solved then

Bradfordlass

It sounds to me that Margaret is worried about money. And maybe likes to manipulate people just a little.

Those of my friends who don’t drive never learnt, but my DD1 who isn’t a natural behind the wheel, hates driving so much she’s announced that she isn’t going to anymore. Everyone tries to persuade her to just have a practice once in a while ‘just in case’, but she prevaricated and now it’s become too big a hurdle for her to face. The funny thing is that because she has (had) to think carefully all the time when behind the wheel she was an excellent and very safe driver.

When we go out together DH usually drives - he’s a terrible passenger, I have to drive like a chauffeur to stop him wincing and then he tells me off for being too slow or not keeping up!

I ve never driven never owned a car but I ve never expected lifts either I have my cycle my bus pass and my legs and feel totally capable to get from A to Z without any expectations
If it’s too far or off the bus route I either won’t go or get a taxi if anyone is going and offers a lift I would accept but I would never expect or look fir one
For instance in a couple of weeks I m going to an evening party about three quarters of a mile away I will walk there if anyone offers me a lift home I ll gladly accept if not I ll walk back if just isn’t in my head to be concerned about not having a car I m sure I d have a much fuller life if I could just pop from here to there but that’s just how it is

I wonder if she has developed a fear of driving but doesn't like to admit it. I drive but avoid city centres as we have such good public transport here.
The fact that she explodes says something, doesn't it?

Good grief I’m heading down to 60 fast and I drive everywhere. Sounds like getting old before her time!

Never reamlly understand why so many people give up driving if they are fit and well. I am 84, a widow, and still drive everywhere. If I want to see many of my friends, now widespread rather than local, I have to drive as they have given up. No public transport where I live and very dodgy single track roads so no choice but still would want to drive for the sheer convenience of coming and going when I want.

I love driving but have recently moved to a new area so don’t know the routes so well. Like MiniMoon I have a cataract growing which makes me less confident and I don’t like driving in the dark too much. I insist on having my own car as I need to feel I’m not relying on others. I think “Margaret” needs a good talking to!!

I don’t particularly like driving but with living in the countryside my life would be very difficult without it. Just leaving now for a 90 min drive to one of my sons for the weekend and I’d go by train if not for the bus replacement services turning the journey into twice the time.

This lady does sound as if she has a problem, but then over the years I have realised that 'Everybody is somebody's wierdo' - we all have odd foibles that some won't notice, but enrage others. I am happy to drive, but equally if someone else wants to they are welcome. I have a friend who can't be driven by anyone else, and another acquaintance who will do anything to get a lift with someone rather than drive himself. (In that case I think it's meaness with petrol!)