It's clear that owning a car in urban areas is often a bit silly, even idiotic, but I think it's very obvious that, in this culture, it's better to have a driver's license than not to have one. We live our lives surrounded by machines, and being able to use as many of them as possible opens up opportunities otherwise closed to us. If you go through life not knowing how to do any of these -use a computer, manage a smart phone, operate power tools, drive a motor vehicle, ride and repair a bicycle, use medical and/or mechanical diagnostic equipment, or operate a small boat- you're kind of useless in this culture, aren't you? Why single out knowing how to drive a car as something that is not necessary? Like it or not, it's a basic skill in this society. And at any rate, knowing how to drive a car doesn't mean you always will drive a car. Just because I know how to use a chain saw doesn't mean I'm going to use one to cut a piece of bread.