At 21, you are legally able to drink pretty much anywhere in the world. Most 21-yearolds are pretty independent and are about to enter the realm of responsibility or already have, through post-secondary education or the workforce.

However, as a 21-year-old who can't drive and has only a learner's permit, it's pretty frustrating. As much as I love being chauffeured around by my parents, it's not exactly empowering me with a sense of independence. I still need to ask to be driven everywhere, and it's not exactly “cool” to be dropped off at the bar in a mini-van with your mom blowing you kisses and shouting loud enough for everyone to hear to “have a good time.”

I can't complain too much about not being able to drive, though, because there are some upsides. When I go out, I never have to be a designated driver, because guess what? I don't drive! Sounds like a pretty sweet deal... sort of.

But not everyone benefits from this setup; in fact, it's hard on the people driving me who have to stay up until I give them a call to tell them I want to come home. It's really not an equal relationship. However, it does give my parents peace of mind to know I have arrived at my destination safely.

As a young professional, being unable to drive does make life difficult at times. Many potential jobs require me to have a G licence. What is an expected qualification to have renders me unable to apply, and I have to let opportunities pass me by. In my program — journalism — you can't exactly get to breaking news quickly while waiting at the bus stop for the LTC.

I find my independence is also limited, as a 21-year-old who may want to go to the cottage for the weekend, I am at the mercy of other people driving me, which can potentially be life-threatening, depending on which one of my friends is driving.

My parents fear not for my safety but for the safety of their four-wheeled baby, lovingly made their own through hours spent together cruising through traffic during the daily grind to work. I personally think they don't want me to drive because they will have to keep changing the seat's location, and for an everyday driver, this seemingly minor annoyance makes the difference to starting off your day on a good note.

Over the past five years, since turning 16, I have grown accustomed to the incredulous looks I get from people my age when I tell them, “No, I cannot pick you up because I can't drive.”

It's not that I don't want my licence — I do! But there have been some difficult obstacles in the way of achieving what is supposed to be a rite of passage at 16. First off, you need to be able to pass your written driver's test. This seemingly easy task was what stood between me and my license.

At 16, I couldn't wait to join the hordes of young drivers cruising around with their learner's permit, flying through stop signs on their first drive. I quickly finished my test confident I had aced it and eagerly awaited my results. They called my name and I approached the counter. I had passed the signs section with flying colours, only to fail the rules section by one question. Three attempts later and I still had no luck with the rules. Why does it matter that I put you should park 15 meters away from a fire hydrant — isn't farther better?

Three years went by and I was still without my permit. With my 19th birthday fast approaching, my friend thought it was time to do something about this. And what do you know, this time I passed it. Seems the fourth time's the charm.

Well, it's been two years since the moment I finally passed the written driver's test and I have yet to do my driver's education course. I really do want to do it, but I don't fancy spending 40 hours cooped up in a classroom with a bunch of 16-year-olds. There's also the factor of money; driving school is not cheap and I can think of many other things I'd rather spend that money on. (Actually I did spend the money on other things during the past five years.) There is also the issue of insurance and a vehicle to drive and blah, blah, blah, the list goes on.

So there you have it, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. To get or not to get the licence is the question. If I get it, I won't have a vehicle to drive, so what difference does it make, anyway?

With no access to a car as a student who attends school away from home, there isn't a lot of opportunity for me to go out and practice driving, anyway.

I'm facing the same the predicament a lot of 20-somethings go through: as a student, your primary concern is feeding yourself and having a roof over your head. That leaves very little money for the upkeep and cost of having a car, never mind driving lessons and the cost of failing your driving tests repeatedly.

So for now until the time I absolutely have to drive, I will remain licenceless.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.