At 40 years old, Seamas O’Reilly candidly reflects on his ongoing inability to drive, a skill many acquire during their teenage years. Despite multiple attempts at learning, O’Reilly has yet to obtain a driving license, attributing his situation neither to environmental concerns nor medical reasons but rather to a lack of follow-through after difficult and stressful lessons.

O’Reilly acknowledges a measure of personal embarrassment at not having mastered driving by an age when medical appointments and other adult responsibilities become routine. However, he also admits to a nuanced acceptance of this circumstance, even finding a quiet, somewhat guilty satisfaction in the lifestyle it affords him.

He is far from alone in this regard. Public figures such as Noel Gallagher, Richard Osman, Sandi Toksvig, Derren Brown, David Attenborough, David Sedaris, and Adam Mitchell are among those who have also refrained from driving. O’Reilly describes his past driving lessons as intense and intimidating experiences, leaving him shaken and reluctant to continue.

Residing in London has mitigated some of the practical challenges associated with not driving, as public transportation options and the city’s walkability reduce the necessity for a personal vehicle. He contrasts this with the experience of life in sprawling urban areas, particularly in the United States, where car dependency is high and daily tasks often require driving. The prospect of navigating such environments induces anxiety for him.

Having grown up in the Irish countryside, a setting characterized by limited bus services and an absence of trains, O’Reilly admits he sometimes relies on lifts when visiting home. Nonetheless, he embraces this self-imposed limitation as an opportunity to experience his surroundings at a slower pace, favoring walking or cycling through natural landscapes. He reflects positively on this approach, suggesting it allows him to engage more consciously with the environment.

While O’Reilly concedes that he may eventually need to learn to drive—particularly with encouragement from his wife—he remains, for now, content with moving through life at a slower speed and savoring the natural world on foot or bicycle.