Steve: Thanks for sharing, dude.
Q: I recently began seeing a guy who doesn't drive. He's 28, has his own place and a steady job, so it's not like he's some freeloader. Whenever the two of us go anyplace that requires driving, he always offers to pay for gas and parking. I don't mind driving, but there's a part of me that can't shake that stigma attached to a grown man who doesn't drive. Some of my friends have warned me about dating a nondriver, saying it will eventually become a burden. Are they right?
Steve: I don't know. Let's say you marry a guy who can drive and he gets into an accident and becomes a quadriplegic. Would you consider that a burden? If you're worried about burdens, marriage isn't for you.
Mia: Dang right, it's a problem. Getting a driver's license is a rite of passage, like graduating from high school and moving out of your parents' home. It's selfish for him to be a permanent passenger, since it means he never has to be the designated driver.
But you can't dump a perfectly nice guy just because he can't work a stick shift. Tell him that you really like him, but you don't like having to chauffeur him around.
Steve is a 50-something married man who's been around the block. Mia is a younger, recently married woman with an all-together different attitude. They may not agree, but they have plenty of answers. For answers e-mail S&M@phillynews.com or write: S&M c/o Daily News, 400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19130.
