Probably not.
On the one hand, she sounds like a pretty good driver. ONOH, if she doesn’t care about it, what else does she not care about?
I prefer adults, who can adult. They keep me out of trouble.
And that would be a reason I wouldn’t let her drive me around. Even without that, there are so many potential problems if you get stopped.
And, while I wouldn’t end a friendship over it, I would be concerned with why they don’t want to get their license back. There would be worse things involved, including having lied about what happened.
I wouldn’t turn them in, but I would definitely nag them to get it dealt with. And if the friendship can’t survive that bit of nagging, That would suggest it isn’t meant to be.
As for a more generic situation: I did it once with a driver who had her permit but no licensed driver in the car with her. (I also didn’t have my license then.) We got stopped. She only got a ticket, but it wasn’t an experience I’d want to have again, so I haven’t done it since.
The main reason I wouldn’t is out of concern for my friend (assuming I knew them well and was confident they were a safe driver).
This risk for me taking a short trip with someone without a license is very small. The risk for them is pretty big, just takes a random traffic stop, for whatever reason, for them to end up in a really crappy legal situation.
its their call to judge their own risks, but still I’d feel crappy as they were being cuffed (which I assume would happen in a lot of jurisdictions? The car would be impounded and they’d be processed at the station?) when I could have just insisted on driving.
This.
Not necessarily. But I would draw behavior boundaries that would definitely include not riding with her, and not letting her be responsible for anything or anyone I care about.
I’d probably ride with an unlicensed driver.
Those of you who absolutely would not: do you demand to see a friend’s driver’s license before riding with them? I do not.
EXACTLY my thought. This woman is a disaster waiting to happen! It won’t even matter if the actual accident was the other driver’s fault. She’ll be screwed and so won’t the people whose medical costs will not be covered by insurance.
No, but the default assumption is that adults who drive have a valid license. But once I know they don’t have one, it changes things.
Would i ask a friend if they have a license? No. Would i let them drive if i knew they didn’t have a license? Probably not. No doubt there’s some emergency situation where I’d say, “yes”, but not in the ordinary course of affairs. Heck, i insist my passengers wear seat belts when I’m the driver.
Thanks for all of your opinions, folks.
No, I am not going to urge my wife that we end our friendship with this woman/couple over this. I will not ride with her driving, and I’ll strongly urge my wife not to as well. And, no, I’m not going to nag her to change this - or even inquire into the specifics or express my disapproval more strongly than I already have. That is not the sort of relationship I have with my friends.
I wonder if there are any among my limited number of close friends with whom I do not disagree on something rather significant. IMO, this person’s choices/actions in this one respect do not make her a person whom I should not have friendly relations with. Of course, each of you are free to style your social interactions however you wish.
No, and I’ve had this opportunity.
My brother does not believe in the need to have a license to “travel”, nor that he needs insurance.
Now, I did not end my relationship with him over this, but he did end our relationship because I refused to let him drive me somewhere.
In my state (Ohio), the sign is not required but lights are. A violation is a 2 point offense, and 12 points in a 2 year period are required before a suspension is given.
This story is fishy.
Ugh. A sovereign-citizen in the family. My sympathies.
How did he acquire a car? Did he buy it from a private party? Dealers require a license & proof of insurance before they sell you a car.
I try not to inquire too much into his affairs, but yes, from the look of the beaters he has had, I’d say it was a private party that he bought them from.
I think you are right on the insurance, but I don’t think you are correct on the license. Maybe there’s states that’s the case, but certainly not all of them.
Haven’t ridden with an unlicensed driver, but I did once ride with a drunk one.
I’m sure this will vary by state. I know for sure I didn’t have insurance for the car I bought in 2004, as I drove it home uninsured and dealt with finding insurance later. The last car in 2016 I probably did, but don’t remember my dealer asking. The one before that, I also don’t think I had insurance when I drove it off the lot. The first one I’m positive about, as my friend was telling me I was crazy for driving it home without coverage.
Yes, sounds like BS to me. She’s claiming that she drove by an empty school bus, parked on the street, and got a ticket for that? I doubt any cop would give a ticket for only that, or that it would hold up in court. She’s not telling you the truth.
Secondly, insurance. Obviously she doesn’t have any. The car might be insured in her husband’s name, but most car insurance won’t cover if you let an unlicensed driver use the car. And that puts you, as a passenger, at risk, given the current tendency for US lawyers to sue everybody in sight. They could argue that since you knew she was unlicensed, you had a duty to drive yourself and prevent her from driving. And faced with an injured other party with large medical bills, a jury is likely to be sympathetic to that argument. Even if they say you are only 10% responsible, can you afford that?
You say she’s a friend. Well, I have many friends, but I also have thousands of fellow citizens who this unlicensed driver is putting at risk. So I’d report her.
That seems to be the only way to get her to change. And in my state, the response of the state would be to mail her a certified letter warning her of the consequences and giving her 30 days to comply. And a copy to the registered owner of the car, and to whatever insurance company covers it. That should inspire he to fix this, and you can add your advice encourage her to do so.
Yes, of course it’s legal to drive past an empty school bus, with no lights and no sign. All you really know from that story is that she’s lying.
This is a step too far IMO
Grassing your friend up for driving without a license is a dick move (which does absolutely nothing to put other people at risk, if she can drive she can drive regardless of the vaguries of the BS american legal system)
She’s not driving drunk, speeding or answering texts when driving, or anything else that actually puts people at risk.
Not that it’s a good idea, but loudly refusing to get in the car with her is a perfectly good way to show that.