Does Anyone Have as Much Trouble Driving As I Do?

Three years ago before we moved to london, I rented a car in Ireland and even paid extra for an automatic transmission so I wouldn't have to worry about shifting with my left hand. Not more than 5 minutes out of the airport, I sideswiped a giant planter in the middle of a roundabout.  (I went the wrong way around the traffic circle, freaked out and instictively pulled over in the wrong direction.) I tore off the passenger-size mirror and smashed in the door (much to the shock of my wife who was sitting in that seat) The car rental agency charged me $700 USD because I had turned down the extra insurance.  After that,  I vowed I would NEVER drive in a country that drives on the left again!   Now we live in central London and since I take bus, tube or walk everywhere, I have not stepped foot into a car, not even as a taxi passenger, in over three months! 

However if we stay here longer than a year (my current job contract) I'll probably break down and taking driving lessons..not to buy a car because I'll be happy if I never own a car again. But I would like to have a UK drivers license so I can rent a car easily and for ID purposes, etc.

It's not the left-right thing for me. It's the combination of faster speeds and narrower roads. When I'm familiar with a route it's no problem. I used to panic when I had to drive in a new area. It's hard to make a decision when you're whipping along those skinny roads with someone on your tail.

On the other hand, aren't those narrow roads a wonderful thing? Imagine the British countryside with American-sized roads all over it.

Thanks everyone, I feel SOOOOOOO much better now! I did take lessons when I first got here because I didn't know how to drive a manual car. So I've always felt I've done a huge achievement by learning to drive here. And yes, my hubby doesn't help matters, he can't understand why I find driving so difficult. We've only got one car and can't afford another one right now. But when I can, I'm going to buy my OWN car, and it'll be automatic.

And yes, NOT driving will only make things worse. You know, if you fall off a bike you get back on, so to speak. So I will drive again. I think part of the problem is that because we only have one car, when the 2 of us go anywhere he does all the driving. I just need more practice, I guess. But I won't drive with him in the car, he makes me nervous.

By the way he fixed the garage door the next day. We're now at the "one day we'll look back at this and laugh" stage. We're moving into a new house in a week, hooray! For the heck of it, last night we were looking at expensive houses on rightmove.co.uk and saw a house for £3 million pounds. It had 8 garages and he said, "See that? You could hit a garage door every day of the week!"