Do you hire a taxi and then ask to drive?

For most of my working life I have commuted by train. What has made it bearable has been that I have almost always been able to walk to the station - this is by conscious design and is something I still guard jealously whenever my wife suggests moving out into the country.

The significance is that I don't have the hassle of having to drive to the station, find somewhere to park, de-ice the car in winter, etc. OK occassionally it is a wet walk, but that is not often and good shoes, overcoat and umbrella are usually up to it.

The way others compromise is by having a friend or partner drive them to the station and pick them up later. They don't have an idle car during the day for which they are paying often exhorbitant parking fees. This I understand and I can see that it makes sense to many.

The bit I don't understand are the arrangements, and I see them every day, whereby two people arrive by car at the station. Person A exits the driver's seat and proceeds to the station while Person B exits the passenger seat, walks around the car to the drivers seat and then drives off.

In the evening it is a reverse arrangement. Person B drives to the station and on the appearance of Person A from the station, immediately swaps seats, allowing Person A to drive them home (presumably).

What is this about? Is it just a control thing? Does Person A not trust Person B to drive properly? Does Person A ask to drive a taxi whenever they hail one?

To me if someone where to drive me to the station, that would be great. I could sit in the passenger seat (or the back if that was my wont) without a care. That seems so much more attractive.

At least the sight of this ridiculous ritual each morning makes me smile and lighten the early minutes of the day.

Any thoughts?