I totally get not buying a car under some circumstances given Lyft/Uber, ZipCar, and traditional rentals. I really have trouble with understanding not getting a drivers license other than in some very limited circumstances.
Your college friends are not going to give you rides forever. And your work options, living options, and vacation options are going to be quite limited. Obviously some people do it, but it's hard to imagine for a typical middle-class professional over the long term.
Even people I've known in Manhattan who put it off for a few years learned to drive eventually.
I don't know, I'm almost 30 and never got the license and know lots of people who never did either, my wife included. Not having a license has been slightly annoying maybe around 3 times in my life. Granted, the public transport in my city (Helsinki) is great, if I moved away I'd probably end up getting the license.
I guess I understand to some degree. It's a lifestyle choice. I don't go to some places that would require specialized vehicles and skills like high-clearance 4WD. And traveling internationally I certainly default to itineraries that don't require me to rent a car.
On the other hand, I know a lot of city dwellers and even those few who don't own cars because they don't need one day to day are constantly using either short-term or longer-term rentals to get around the surrounding area for various activities. (Or doing those activities with people who have cars though that tends to become more difficult as your circle of friends gets older.)
We budget around $350-$400 a month for Uber expenses, mostly for our teenage son to get to work from school, from school home on the days we can’t get him, and just if he wants to meet his friends. That’s still cheaper than even a $200/month reliable car (he’s too big to get into a little car) and car insurance which would easily be $250+ a month for a teenage male. My wife and I could probably come close to breaking even with only one car with me working from home 3 days a week.
DL is just a legal requirement. The bigger question is should I be driving sporadically? I find that quite dangerous. Imagine a guy who only drives 3-4 times a year and that too when he is on vacation at some place he has never travelled before. That's a huge risk of getting into an accident. Driving skills just like playing the piano or any other skill would deteriorate without practice.
On second thought, I guess experience differs a lot based on location. Not having a drivers licence is pretty unimaginable for me where I live.