I wasn't allowed to drive either. I moved to a city where public transport gets me anywhere I need to go and I can get to work to support myself. My hometown was a farming community with miles between neighbors and I didn't want to be dependent on others to live my life. While I was still in school I just hitched rides with friends. Not everyone your age will have a car so you won't be the only one not driving. I can't drive to the next town over but I've visited and explored several countries. I've taken trains across the US. I appreciate that I don't have to think about traffic or the best route, I can just look at the clouds and wait to be at my destination.
Driving is not the only way to adventure.

Still trying to figure that out, eight years later...

RP here too. I'd had my full licence for nearly a decade when my doctor decided it was no longer safe for me to drive (which I agreed with, and hadn't driven much in about a year) but it was still a major blow.

I'm going to be honest with you here, it sucks sometimes. I have to depend on my husband to drive me to/from work, I have to walk to get our son from daycare even in the middle of winter if hes stuck at work, specialist appointments are a nightmare because we don't have family in town so someone is either taking a day off work or driving 2h to pick me up in order to drive another 1-3h.

*However.* After a while it's just normal. You know how close everything is within walking distance and it keeps you active. You default to adding at least an hour to your schedule due to the bus. If someone offers a ride, sweet. But you also always have an excuse to not do stuff (man, I'd love to but the bus doesn't go that way/it stops running at a certain time/it's too cold to walk that far.) When you're of age, you never have to DD - I rarely drink, but it's a nice excuse to have in my back pocket.

My youngest brother (with a massive age gap) will be learning to drive in a year or two. I absolutely expect to have a twinge or two of jealousy. Here's the thing - when I was diagnosed 8 years ago, stem cells were science fiction. Now they're in second stage human trials. I fully expect that when my toddler is old enough to get his licence, I will be able to teach him to drive because I will have my full sight back (because yeah, I'm wanting a cure, fight me.) Learning to drive in your early 30s won't be a big deal. I'll be in my 40s and relearning.

How bad are your eyes now that they're saying absolutely no? Unless theyve sent a form to the government that says you cannot drive, which you can fight btw, you should still be able to go for it.

Yeah this bummed me out too..

I'm very grateful to stay in a city that gives me free bus/rail pass for life and has great transport links. Its so hard for some stuff out in the country though

I had to hang up my keys and get O&M within three months. I eventually move to where I could walk to things. That helped a lot

I am facing the same problem. And sadly I don’t live somewhere where I can use public transport. And everything is to far away to walk to. I am fully dependent on my mom and friends and it really sucks. Because I don’t want to always have to ask for help

Meh. Doesn't really bother me much anymore. I can still ride next to someone.

I was very lucky in that I have had driving practice lessons just because with a good friend who is a driving educator. This instructor said to me "You were better on your first time than lots of the students he has, because I needed to pay attention to every instruction. Since I have driven in a parking lot with him five times.

I get along most of the time with minimal difficulty either taking buses or walking or asking for drives from taxis or friends.

It was frustrating in high school and college, but after that, it became less annoying. I think it's something you either grow to accept or it just ceases to feel like such a big, defining thing when you're older (everyone's so excited about driving when they're new to it).

I live in a fairly rural area with no public transportation, no taxies, Uber, or Lyft. But I'm fortunate to have very supportive friends/family who get me where I need to go. Also, my kid drives now, so they're happy to take me places in exchange for me covering the car insurance costs.

If these things weren't the case, I'd probably move to a city with better public transit and more things within walking distance. I have a lot of friends in big cities who don't drive by choice.

I work from home, so that definitely helps.

I use uber. Also, a lot of sighted people also don't drive, so no big worries from me.

I knew I would never be able to drive, but it still sucked being sixteen and realising that I was missing out on this big milestone of life (that's how it felt at the time anyway). Meanwhile I was forgetting about all the milestones I was passing that no sighted person gets to do, like completing my first drop routes and becoming a public transport master. Being able to drive isn't the only way to live free and independent. You'll want to live somewhere with good transportation (yes such places do exist) and be used to doing some walking, but you'll be able to get where you're going. And if you still want to try driving, ask a relative to let you try out their car in a big open parking lot or field. Some of them will probably let you do it. My uncle insisted that I drive his four wheeler along a cliff; I told him he was crazy but did it anyway. :D