I'm an autistic adult that has a special interest in roads and freeways since I was a kid, which means that I'm a lifelong roadgeek. I don't drive. I wonder if other non-drivers have the same thing.
I haven't ever driven a car in my life either. I plan on changing that, though.
There are sort of two branches of roadgeeking—the "armchair" kind you can do from home, vs. actually getting to experience the roads yourself. The problem is that a lot of the joys of the latter are not things one can easily experience without having someone else who is into roads as a driver. (For example, in my home state of Nevada there are a lot of state routes that are spurs to tiny mining communities and the like—there is no plausible excuse for visiting one of those that might convince a normal person to humor you.)
While there is a lot of fun to be had in the armchair stuff, there are a lot of experiences where just seeing it on Google Maps really does not do it justice (the Virgin River Gorge, for instance, or NV-28).
Quote from: Evillangbuildsmc on August 06, 2025, 01:21:11 AMI'm an autistic adult that has a special interest in roads and freeways since I was a kid, which means that I'm a lifelong roadgeek. I don't drive. I wonder if other non-drivers have the same thing.
I've been interested in roads and signs since long before I ever started driving. I started collecting maps when I was in elementary school.
I don't drive either, but I'm able to take public transit places, plus I keep track of where I've walked (over 700 miles of unique roads).
Never hurts to have a serious deep look into the history of highway corridors. There is always something waiting to be unearthed even with name brand Sign Routes. A recent example from the Northwest board:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=36384.0
I can't drive because of my cerebral palsy and I like the big green signs on the highways
I'm 52, and my overall health and particularly my reflexes have gotten so bad that I can't do it now.
The good news is that it stopped getting worse when I had my heart surgery. But it's probably too late to start a new career, since it's so hard to adjust at 52.
Now I only have to take one nap in the middle of the day instead of 5 or 6 like I did before. I was probably in the late stages of heart failure.
The reason why I don't drive is because of anxiety and cost. I worry that I might get into a crash and that vehicles are expensive.
I was a roadgeek before I could drive.
If my late parents were to be believed, I was a roadgeek before I could read.
FWIW some of the roads I go drive on would definitely hit differently as a passenger. For example recent stuff like Chowchilla Mountain Road, Breckenridge Road and Camp 9 Road are all corridors I was excited to drive and see for myself. Yeah, all required caution and had some element of danger, but that was part of the fun. I don't any would feel nearly the same in the passenger seat nor do I think that I could get anyone I know to drive on any of those corridors.
Flip it around to freeways or flat surface roads and I'm cool with letting someone else drive if I'm tired. I might even take my wife up on something like this week with the bore fest that is CA 99.
Me personally I love driving, but only a specific kind of way. When I was a kid I loved cars and wanted to race them. The closest really I ever got was a couple road course races, turns at the drag strip, work for a race team and generally owning at least one performance car in adulthood. Both Arizona and California have never been lacking in opportunities in terms of interesting backroads in the mountains to go try out. Commuting and homogenized limited access corridor driving or more a means to an end.
Quote from: Evillangbuildsmc on August 31, 2025, 06:55:29 AMThe reason why I don't drive is because of anxiety and cost. I worry that I might get into a crash and that vehicles are expensive.
When you play a video game, do you ever find yourself leaning to one side to "get out of the way" of an upcoming obstacle? If you do, then it means that your brain is able to map a tool you are using to be part of your mental image of your body. This is something neurotypical people can do, and it's what makes driving possible, because (with practice) it makes not hitting things with the car more or less as straightforward as not running into things with your body.
If you don't have that ability—some, but not all, autistic people don't—then it is probably better to avoid driving, because it means you are likely to have a lot more minor accidents.
Unfortunately, the law of large numbers means that if you drive for long enough, you are fairly likely to get in an accident, even if you are a competent driver. But, while the risk is reduced by avoiding driving, it's not impossible to have an incident of some kind when walking or riding a bike, either.
It really is amazing how much you miss as a driver (since your only job is to focus on the road) compared to what you're able to see as a passenger. As my parents once told me, when you're driving, you can't sightsee.
Quote from: Henry on September 01, 2025, 07:17:33 PMIt really is amazing how much you miss as a driver (since your only job is to focus on the road) compared to what you're able to see as a passenger. As my parents once told me, when you're driving, you can't sightsee.
Your parents lacked vision. ;D
*Sightsees while he drives*
Quote from: Rothman on September 01, 2025, 08:47:35 PMQuote from: Henry on September 01, 2025, 07:17:33 PMIt really is amazing how much you miss as a driver (since your only job is to focus on the road) compared to what you're able to see as a passenger. As my parents once told me, when you're driving, you can't sightsee.
Your parents lacked vision. ;D
*Sightsees while he drives*
Possible to a certain degree, but when I'm driving I get too engaged to take in the same scope of non-road related sights and sounds as I do as a passenger, especially on freeways and even more so in moderate to heavy traffic.
Quote from: webny99 on September 01, 2025, 10:05:45 PMQuote from: Rothman on September 01, 2025, 08:47:35 PMQuote from: Henry on September 01, 2025, 07:17:33 PMIt really is amazing how much you miss as a driver (since your only job is to focus on the road) compared to what you're able to see as a passenger. As my parents once told me, when you're driving, you can't sightsee.
Your parents lacked vision. ;D
*Sightsees while he drives*
Possible to a certain degree, but when I'm driving I get too engaged to take in the same scope of non-road related sights and sounds as I do as a passenger, especially on freeways and even more so in moderate to heavy traffic.
Off freeway I've never found taking scenery in to be a problem. Then again, I don't tend to think the vast majority of people travel freeways for scenery.
Quote from: Henry on September 01, 2025, 07:17:33 PMwhen you're driving, you can't sightsee.
I sightsee while driving. Doesn't mean my wife likes it though.
I'm also autistic and don't drive yet, but much of that is due to my own laziness. My non driving status has low key pushed me more towards my railfan/transit fan interests. I do plan on changing that though.