BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Chit-chat

Davina · September 5, 2012 12:21 pm

Yay indeed! Another ginger on the roads of Britain! They can learn to drive from the age of 17 here, which I also feel is generally too young.

kazza474 · September 5, 2012 12:24 pm

YAY!

Well, growing up in the country here, I was driving on roads from 12 years old ( don't think they can arrest me now for saying that in public... it was in the 70's lol!)
Age is not as relevant as maturity at that age. I am sure he is well matured by you Davvy!

ancientsgate · September 5, 2012 12:31 pm

kazza474 wrote:
Davina wrote:
I'm fine now. Still waiting to hear how he has done though. He's nearly 21 so long overdue for learning to drive!

OMG Ours all get their license 18!
I never found it scary, but then I taught them, lol.

Ours can get their license at 16, if they've passed a certified driver's ed course. Otherwise they have to wait until 18, but almost no one waits.

ancientsgate · September 5, 2012 12:35 pm

Davina wrote:
Yay indeed! Another ginger on the roads of Britain! They can learn to drive from the age of 17 here, which I also feel is generally too young.

Here in my state, they can start driver's education at 15.5. Also at 15.5 they can drive out on the road without a driver's ed teacher, as long as a licensed driver who's over 21 is with them. That is *very* young for a lot of kids. My boys were car freaks, driving circles and up and down in parking lots with us from age 13 on, so I didn't worry too much about the 15.5 thing. But they had some female friends the same age who were downright scary out on the roads, according to my know-it-all sons, lol. I'm glad those years are over, for all of us. I have earned every gray hair on my head.

kazza474 · September 5, 2012 12:37 pm

We often debate raising the age to 21; I see both sides of the argument. However being a country with huge space between cities & country areas I can understand why we don't raise it. If the Government could make public transport right around the country better I would lobby hard for a 21 yr age to be implemented.

A far better option would be what we have for motorbikes here; you have to have a certain amount of experience before having a powerful bike.

But I digress, and shall leave it saying, "WTG Davvy's boy!"

Banbha · September 5, 2012 12:38 pm

^^Same in Michigan and South Dakota (where I learned to drive)...15.5

Davina · September 5, 2012 12:39 pm

Yeah he is a mature young man. Also someone he knew was in a terrible fatal accident a few years ago (they were driving and had only recently passed their test) and that has made him very aware of the risks involved. In fact that may be what delayed him learning to drive...a bit.

kazza474 · September 5, 2012 12:42 pm

That's a hard lesson to learn, however a good one.
I learned it, 6 months before going for my licence. Very freaky you said that Davina.

We aren't as invincible as we think.

ancientsgate · September 5, 2012 12:58 pm

kazza474 wrote:
We often debate raising the age to 21; I see both sides of the argument. However being a country with huge space between cities & country areas I can understand why we don't raise it. If the Government could make public transport right around the country better I would lobby hard for a 21 yr age to be implemented.

Here in the states, it's been 16 forever. Long as I've been around, which is darned close to forever. Our state fairly recently raised the driving age to 18 unless someone's taken a driver's ed course, which is reasonable. I think the 16 year old drivers also have a curfew for the first 6 months after they get their license-- home by dark, as I remember.

The problem with a 21 driving age is that it's difficult to require young folks to go into military service if they cannot drive. We experimented with an 18 year old vote and an 18 year old legal drinking age back about 20 years ago-- the vote stayed, the drinking was put back to 21 pretty fast when it was shown to be a really bad idea. Nowadays we don't have a military draft (conscription) like we did back then, but whatever... a military enlisted man who couldn't drive wouldn't be of much use to anyone.

kazza474 · September 5, 2012 1:54 pm

Yep and it would be quite easy for the law to have allowances for those in military service.
Our legal drinking age is 18 and our voting age is also.

Some at that age are adults, some merely kids breaking away from home.
Hard choice but if you see what I see everyday, you'd agree on a 21 age being 'adult' for all things.

ancientsgate · September 5, 2012 2:02 pm

kazza474 wrote:
Yep and it would be quite easy for the law to have allowances for those in military service.
Our legal drinking age is 18 and our voting age is also.
Some at that age are adults, some merely kids breaking away from home.
Hard choice but if you see what I see everyday, you'd agree on a 21 age being 'adult' for all things.

Our society just plain could not support the 18 year old drinking thing. Americans do love their booze.... and the kids could not handle it-- traffic accidents and fatalities were up, accidental poisonings were up, booze-fueled teenaged crime was up, it was dreadful. After a relatively short experiment, the legal drinking age was put back to 21 by federal law, thank god.

The voting thing makes sense at 18-- back when we still had a military draft, the point was made (and heard) that we shouldn't require young men to go into the service who had no legal right to vote for the politicians who made the laws and policies that sent them into war.

sherlockskitty · September 6, 2012 3:35 am

me being hearing impaired...., I had a hard time with drivers ed in high school when I was 15. I didn't do too well but I passed. . So---At the age of 19, I hired a private instructor, and he taught me. I have never regretted doing that. I've been driving a long time now and I still love driving. I too wish they'd raise the drinking age to 21, as well as for voting and other stuff like R rated movies.

Davina · September 6, 2012 7:52 am

Our drinking age is 18 but lots of kids drink below that age. Voting is 18 as is marrying without your parents' consent ( it is 16 with their consent!).

Sammy · September 6, 2012 7:39 pm

I'm a bit late on the Parade's End conversation... but I just wanted to add this link for watching it online: watchseries.eu/serie/parades_end
(Am I allowed to post something like this here?)

Also: Yeah, well, I want it to air on German TV with German dubbing so my mother can watch it because she doesn't like watching English movies that much, you know ;).
So buying the DVD wouldn't do it. Okay, I might just buy it for myself anyway, but that's another thing.

People give me weird looks when I tell them I haven't even started taking driving lessons and that I don't plan to.
In Germany nowadays it's quite normal to get the driver's licence at 17 or 18...

Davina · September 6, 2012 9:02 pm

I guess it would depend where you live here as well. If you lived in a big city with really good public transport and poor parking or congestion charging then I guess learning to drive and owning a car just wouldn't make sense.

Last edited by Davina (September 6, 2012 9:14 pm)

ancientsgate · September 6, 2012 9:11 pm

Davina wrote:
I guess it would depend she you live here as well. If you lived in a big city with really good public transport and poor parking or congestion charging then I guess learning to drive and owning a car just wouldn't make sense.

Did you son pass his test okay yesterday Davina?

Davina · September 6, 2012 9:15 pm

Yes he did! Yay! 1st attempt. He's been off driving around to rugby practice and to see his nanny today. Such a relief! Now I just have to worry about him out on the roads! Lol

Sammy · September 7, 2012 3:50 pm

Davina wrote:
I guess it would depend where you live here as well. If you lived in a big city with really good public transport and poor parking or congestion charging then I guess learning to drive and owning a car just wouldn't make sense.

Well, yes, that's part of the reason why I don't take the test now. But I guess there's no need for hurry anyway.. first take care of my Abitur.

Congrats to your son

Davina · September 7, 2012 5:28 pm

Martin cannot drive either.

Davina · September 7, 2012 5:30 pm

Off to a Chinese meal tonight.