Getting your driver’s license is a quintessential high school experience, supposedly a tangible sign of your maturity and independence. However, some upperclassmen haven’t even considered it.
Junior Jack Westergaard doesn’t have his driver’s license because he explained it’s not worth it financially, and obtaining one consumes too much time.
“I know how to drive enough for an emergency,” he explained. “I don’t really have any activities that I do by myself that are outside of Bexley, so I can ride with someone else if I need to. Adding me to the insurance plan would be very expensive.”
Senior Emily Ball used to be on track to get her license, but between having to restart Aceable, her driver’s education course, and an accident she was in one of her first times driving, she decided to wait, she explained.
“I plan to get my license when I turn 18,” Ball said. “That way I can do it a lot more efficiently.”
Unlike Ball, junior David Haynes said he doesn’t feel the need to get his driver’s license. He explained he isn’t particularly motivated to have one because his job is a bikeable distance from his house.
Westergaard added it is easy to get around Bexley without a car, and it has many benefits.
“I get some fresh air and vitamin D,” he said. “It’s always good, except if it’s raining.”
Westergaard also said he doesn’t miss out socially by not having his driver’s license.
“I’m able to have fun with my friends and go places without driving,” he explained. “If it’s someplace in Bexley, I can bike or walk, and if it’s outside of Bexley, I can hitch a ride with one of my friends.”
Ball explained living in a city like Bexley is one of the few positives that comes with not having a driver’s license.
“We have such a close knit community where most things are in walking distance or someone I know can help me out with a ride,” she said.
Haynes doesn’t think the effort and time needed to get his license is worth it despite the drawbacks of not having it, he explained.
“Pretty often I am close to being late to appointments because I have to wait for a ride,” he said. “My bike breaks down a decent amount, so sometimes I kind of can’t get anywhere.”
Similarly, Westergaard said there are some downsides to not having his license, disregarding the benefits.
“If I leave my bike out during the rain, it gets rusty,” he said. “My gear shifter doesn’t work if it’s soaked completely through.”
Westergaard said he plans to get his license eventually, as he will need it when he’s older, especially since it will be useful in case of an emergency.
Haynes plans to hopefully obtain his driver’s license this summer, but doesn’t feel rushed to get it, as there is no effect on his social life, he explained.
“Everything is within a mile or two of my house,” Haynes said. “I don’t really need to get into a car that often if I want to go anywhere.”
For Ball, not having her license impacts personal milestones for her, she said.
“If I want to go somewhere alone or drive by myself, I can’t,” Ball explained. “Also, I do feel guilty about being chauffeured, but I’m very thankful for the people in my life who don’t think twice about it.”
