QOTD: Missing the Drive?

Come Sunday, I am blowing this pop stand for an overseas vacation. I'm skipping across the pond with one of my parents on a family journey -- though thanks to the magic of advance scheduling, you may still see my byline here and there while I'm out.

I've seen the itinerary, and it looks like I won't be driving a car from the moment I return a press car today until I am back.

That's fine -- but it got me pondering something.

Here's the thing -- I love driving. Not commuting, that's miserable. No one wants to sit in stop-and-go traffic. But when the car is moving, even if it's just a routine run to the grocery store, I am usually a happy fellow. I don't like to go long without driving.

I remember a vacation with a friend's family during my teenage years. I hadn't had my license long -- I think less than a year -- and while the trip was a blast I found myself missing being behind the wheel. I didn't really miss home -- again, the trip was fun and I was with some of my best friends -- but I did miss driving. Odd, huh?

At the time I thought maybe it was just because I was still basking in the newfound freedom of being a licensed driver. Why else would one daydream of getting back behind the wheel of a Ford Bronco II?

But nearly 30 years on, I still miss driving when I don't do it for a bit.

To be clear, I don't drive every day, even though we review cars around here -- I work from home and some days I don't have to go anywhere. Sometimes, the weather is so crappy I wouldn't drive unless it was absolutely necessary. And there are times I travel and don't drive for a few days. During the New York Auto Show, for example. Or like my last two vacations last year -- on one trip, I didn't drive at all, on the other I drove our group to and from Miami to Key West but didn't touch the rental car for the days in between flights.

And yes, some days I don't have a press loaner. I live in a big city, so I have other ways to get around, but it does happen.

I am not sure how long I have to go without before I start missing the actions of driving, but it's probably around a week.

That's far more rambling about myself than I intended when I opened the draft. I want to know about YOU. Do you miss driving when you go a few days without it? Or do you not care? Heck, would you rather we get Level 5 autonomy and you never have to drive again?

Sound off below.

[Image: Prostock-studio]

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