Drivers and non-drivers debate why people shame teenagers for not getting their license: 'If public transportation was accessible, many people wouldn't'

I got my driver's license later in life. By that, I mean ten months after I turned 16. In the town I grew up in, that might as well have been later in life. I've never felt more social pressure to do something than get my driver's license. Kids in my class were dumbfounded by the fact that I had a September birthday and still had a learner's permit by May. I wasn't deathly afraid of driving; it was simply a matter of planning. Learning to drive requires a parent willing to teach you, a driving school course both in the classroom and on the road, and hours of practice, and I didn't start going behind the wheel until after I turned 16. Once I got my license, I was excited about my newfound freedom but was somehow even more excited that nobody would shame me for not having my license anymore. 

Some people don't drive and never have for a multitude of reasons. They might've grown up somewhere with good public transit, had epilepsy or another condition that prevented them from driving, or just plain didn't want to. Twitter users came together to discuss why the pressure for teens to drive is so immense.

Author image for Emmy Ward Emmy Ward
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