RE: PH Blog: life without a licence
Discussion
I know exactly how you are feeling, though in my case its two years!
i had a couple of epilleptic fits at the start of the year, and further tests showed i had a brain tumour. luckily they could remove it and i had my op in April. the biopsy showed that im between two grades of tumour, the lower one is a year off the road, the higher one is 2 years so its going to be April 2014 before i get my licence back (as long as i dont have any more seizures...) last couple of scans have shown nothings growing back which is a big relief!
The frustation of not being able to jump in the car at anytime and head off is huge, especially when you feel perfectly fine. i rely on my Wife for a lift, and feel bad for her that she basically has to drive me everywhere, though it is nice to be able to have a pint and not worry about being over the limit!
so dont worry, it will pass by quite quickly, and you could maybe do what im going to do, once i get my licence back im booking a week off work and heading to the west coast of scotland for a hoon!
i had a couple of epilleptic fits at the start of the year, and further tests showed i had a brain tumour. luckily they could remove it and i had my op in April. the biopsy showed that im between two grades of tumour, the lower one is a year off the road, the higher one is 2 years so its going to be April 2014 before i get my licence back (as long as i dont have any more seizures...) last couple of scans have shown nothings growing back which is a big relief!
The frustation of not being able to jump in the car at anytime and head off is huge, especially when you feel perfectly fine. i rely on my Wife for a lift, and feel bad for her that she basically has to drive me everywhere, though it is nice to be able to have a pint and not worry about being over the limit!
so dont worry, it will pass by quite quickly, and you could maybe do what im going to do, once i get my licence back im booking a week off work and heading to the west coast of scotland for a hoon!
mattnunn said:
My missus has had her license suspended because of some brain wobblers a few weeks ago, it's a real ball ache, especially as we think they were very temporary and linked to a dodgy general aneasthetic she had.
Doctors, I don't like them.
Better this way than still being able to drive and having a seizure behind the wheel with the whole family on board don't you think?Doctors, I don't like them.
Friend lost her license for 18 months due to drink driving! Silly cow.
Anyway, spent the first 3 months moaning, but nothing you can do about it then. Spent the following 6 months walking as much as possible and got fit. Did the following 6 months as a bit of a party animal when she figured out how much money she was saving. Finally spending the last 3 months searching for the right car (but not test driving them).
So wasnt that bad I suppose. But it was a massive issue with her son though. Separated from his father meant that getting him and swapping over at weekends etc was a killer. Just wasnt easy, simple or hassle free. Everything became a massive issue and pre-planning for everything was a major issue. This was the single biggest issue. Work was OK (commute via bus), social life was fine and shopping via the web. But when it came to kids it was a big problem.
Its going to be different for everyone I know. But never really thought of this myself. But then again I havent lost my license.
Anyway, spent the first 3 months moaning, but nothing you can do about it then. Spent the following 6 months walking as much as possible and got fit. Did the following 6 months as a bit of a party animal when she figured out how much money she was saving. Finally spending the last 3 months searching for the right car (but not test driving them).
So wasnt that bad I suppose. But it was a massive issue with her son though. Separated from his father meant that getting him and swapping over at weekends etc was a killer. Just wasnt easy, simple or hassle free. Everything became a massive issue and pre-planning for everything was a major issue. This was the single biggest issue. Work was OK (commute via bus), social life was fine and shopping via the web. But when it came to kids it was a big problem.
Its going to be different for everyone I know. But never really thought of this myself. But then again I havent lost my license.
Gilhooligan said:
mattnunn said:
My missus has had her license suspended because of some brain wobblers a few weeks ago, it's a real ball ache, especially as we think they were very temporary and linked to a dodgy general aneasthetic she had.
Doctors, I don't like them.
Better this way than still being able to drive and having a seizure behind the wheel with the whole family on board don't you think?Doctors, I don't like them.
Very sorry to hear your news, yes i'm sure there will be some inconveniences but hey why not do a bit of investigative journalism on a Bus drivers perspective of having to ferry Joe public around at all hours of the day? Best mini cab to be ferried around in? Whats the best mini cab for clearing out the sick after a Friday night 
I just hope you make your way through your driving ban better than I did!
I was walking home from a pub (where my mate was supposed to meet me, He never showed up), a car pulled up and I was jumped on by 3 guys for fun, I managed to get up and out ran them, then a passing motorist actually stopped and drove me away from them. The result was spending my 21st birthday in hospital having my face lifted out, Happy days
I just hope you make your way through your driving ban better than I did!
I was walking home from a pub (where my mate was supposed to meet me, He never showed up), a car pulled up and I was jumped on by 3 guys for fun, I managed to get up and out ran them, then a passing motorist actually stopped and drove me away from them. The result was spending my 21st birthday in hospital having my face lifted out, Happy days
Ryvita said:
Ugh. i think you have everyone here's sympathies I'm sure. Life is bull-excrement at times isn't it?
I've had two periods in my life car-less.
I moved to London, and on the strength of advice from others there and the obvious impracticalities of owning a car in the city vs. abundant public travel, sold up and ploughed the money into a season ticket. It's true that you don't need a car in London, but after only a few months I started to become conscious of how much of life still went on outside the M25. Family and friends who lived beyond the beaten track of rail or bus required planning and preparation to get to. And moving anything larger than you could carry with two hands became a major task in its own right. I crumbled after about 9 months and started looking, ending up buying a replacement car within a year. (Same make & model even - Toyota Celica GT4. Oh so practical for the city commute... :-p)
Second was when I spent a year working in Houston, Texas. Very weird experience because the entire culture and all mobility is centered around car use out there. Again, I made do - with lifts from friends and hire cars for weekends, plus I took my life into my hands and cycled. In that case I knew that I was only there for a fixed period and it didn't really make sense to get a car, but I keenly felt the loss again. It's like losing a limb in a way, or any other faculty that becomes so common-place and ordinary that you barely even register its presence until it's gone. :'(
I actually have two cars these days, perhaps as a sub-conscious insurance against car-less-ness.
I've had two periods in my life car-less.
I moved to London, and on the strength of advice from others there and the obvious impracticalities of owning a car in the city vs. abundant public travel, sold up and ploughed the money into a season ticket. It's true that you don't need a car in London, but after only a few months I started to become conscious of how much of life still went on outside the M25. Family and friends who lived beyond the beaten track of rail or bus required planning and preparation to get to. And moving anything larger than you could carry with two hands became a major task in its own right. I crumbled after about 9 months and started looking, ending up buying a replacement car within a year. (Same make & model even - Toyota Celica GT4. Oh so practical for the city commute... :-p)
Second was when I spent a year working in Houston, Texas. Very weird experience because the entire culture and all mobility is centered around car use out there. Again, I made do - with lifts from friends and hire cars for weekends, plus I took my life into my hands and cycled. In that case I knew that I was only there for a fixed period and it didn't really make sense to get a car, but I keenly felt the loss again. It's like losing a limb in a way, or any other faculty that becomes so common-place and ordinary that you barely even register its presence until it's gone. :'(
I actually have two cars these days, perhaps as a sub-conscious insurance against car-less-ness.
I've had mine suspended twice now, for a year at a time on medical grounds. I've now got my licence back on a restricted basis, being valid for 3 years only, with reassessment next due in 2015.
1st time was in June 2009, when I had my first ever seizure - unexplained cause, and at that time, a first seizure was an automatic 12 month suspension of licence, although that is now reduced to 6 months in certain circumstances.
During that 12 months, I was also diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, so by the time all the medical stuff was sorted out for that, it wasn't until November 2010 that I was driving again.
Unluckily, I then had another seizure in March 2011, which again was unexplained, but resulted in another 12month suspension. * I really am an unlucky sod!!*
They did find a cyst in my brain during scans at that time, but it has never been verified that this caused the seizures (and so, the docs are reluctant to remove the cyst). For me, that means if another seizure happens because of the cyst, then that is yet another 12 months suspension
People are right when they say you can apply 3 months ahead of the anniversary to get the DVLA medical section to process your application. I found them good to deal with on both occasions, and my insurance company were also good to deal with regarding making sure cover was valid.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/medical/aag.aspx
You learn to get by with help from family and friends. I live in a small village 30 miles out in the country from a main city but thankfully a main railway line passes right through, so commuting to work was OK, and I could get lifts from friends if required. Work is office based, but with regular trips to clients, but taxis and colleagues were used for that.
If your licence is suspended on medical grounds, then you can apply for a Disabled Persons railcard, which gives you 1/3 off rail travel, which certainly helps with the costs
Check out http://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/ to see if you are eligible - the cost of applying for one is dwarfed by the savings on rail tickets!
1st time was in June 2009, when I had my first ever seizure - unexplained cause, and at that time, a first seizure was an automatic 12 month suspension of licence, although that is now reduced to 6 months in certain circumstances.
During that 12 months, I was also diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, so by the time all the medical stuff was sorted out for that, it wasn't until November 2010 that I was driving again.
Unluckily, I then had another seizure in March 2011, which again was unexplained, but resulted in another 12month suspension. * I really am an unlucky sod!!*
They did find a cyst in my brain during scans at that time, but it has never been verified that this caused the seizures (and so, the docs are reluctant to remove the cyst). For me, that means if another seizure happens because of the cyst, then that is yet another 12 months suspension
People are right when they say you can apply 3 months ahead of the anniversary to get the DVLA medical section to process your application. I found them good to deal with on both occasions, and my insurance company were also good to deal with regarding making sure cover was valid.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/medical/aag.aspx
You learn to get by with help from family and friends. I live in a small village 30 miles out in the country from a main city but thankfully a main railway line passes right through, so commuting to work was OK, and I could get lifts from friends if required. Work is office based, but with regular trips to clients, but taxis and colleagues were used for that.
If your licence is suspended on medical grounds, then you can apply for a Disabled Persons railcard, which gives you 1/3 off rail travel, which certainly helps with the costs
Check out http://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/ to see if you are eligible - the cost of applying for one is dwarfed by the savings on rail tickets!
Edited by phope on Monday 5th November 13:58
A few years back when I broke my collarbone I couldn't drive for about three months The worst was the last month when despite my arm being out of the sling and me able to use it again the doc said that he wasn't happy for me to drive in case I had an accident and the seatbelt re-broke the bone.
Living in the South Lakes getting anywhere sans car is very difficult and there was no way I could get to work by public transport. My parents were absolute saints though and gave me lifts to and from the office!
The worst was the last month when despite my arm being out of the sling and me able to use it again the doc said that he wasn't happy for me to drive in case I had an accident and the seatbelt re-broke the bone.Living in the South Lakes getting anywhere sans car is very difficult and there was no way I could get to work by public transport. My parents were absolute saints though and gave me lifts to and from the office!
durbster said:
There are a few solutions to get your fix. Get yourself a decent wheel and pedals and get onto a race sim:
Netkar Pro and iRacing are your first ports of call, or if you're lucky, Assetto Corsa might be released soon which should be amazing.
I like your thinking. I have also spent some money on carbon fibre. More on this in due course...Netkar Pro and iRacing are your first ports of call, or if you're lucky, Assetto Corsa might be released soon which should be amazing.
Some sobering tales on here too and a salutary lesson should I ever be tempted to wallow in self pity. Thanks to those sharing and my heart goes out to you all.
Now that I've got this story up though the plan is to return to the subject with some more light-hearted explorations on how to stay sane, the above being just one of them.
Thanks all.
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