comment: >
  
  Major metro areas do need better transit.
context: I used to live in a big US city and didn’t have a car. Public transit worked great most of the time. What sucked was if I needed/wanted to go somewhere that wasn’t accessible or needed to go at a time that didn’t work for the train/bus schedule. I also often felt kind of trapped because I couldn’t really get out of the city without a car. This was before Uber and I was too poor for a taxi most of the time. >
  
  This is only an issue because public transport isn’t developed >
  
  Plus being trapped in a crowded bus for 1 hr+ sucks far worse than having to drive to work and deal with some traffic >
  
  Like if were 45 instead or 30 minutes. I’m not turning it into a 90 minute trip one way though. >
  
  I live in swizerland and only use public transport and gotta say it has its positive and negative sides
  AND IT'S FAKING EXPENSIVE >
  
  Having been to Zurich I gotta say it’s not transit… it’s your country is expensive haha. >
  
  Even for Switzerland it's expensive >
  
  Okay. Because damn that was wildly more expensive than I even expected. Back in 2010 or so. Great trip, but the sticker shock in Zurich was wild. >
  
  The problem is public transport often takes 2-3x as long as driving. I don't want to turn my half hour work commute into an hour and a half. >
  
  Plus being trapped in a crowded bus for 1 hr+ sucks far worse than having to drive to work and deal with some traffic >
  
  Eh. You can multitask and get things done on the bus; read, send emails, listen to music, watch something on your phone. in a car you just have to sit there >
  
  
  listen to music
  
  I can play music/audiobooks/podcasts through the speakers in my car via Bluetooth, that’s all I need really. Don’t have to deal with other people in my space during a commute that way >
  
  You can’t read or write though so ultimately your productive potential is extremely limited >
  
  I can’t focus in a loud environment enough to read and write. >
  
  Sure, as long as the public transit isn't full of disgusting and violent mentally ill drug addicts. >
  
  It is >
  
  No matter how good public transport is - there will always be people who will pick cars instead. Flooding streets with hundreds of buses just for sake of making it as good as possible is completely missing the point. 
  Unless there will be form of public transit which you can take from right under your house, anytime you want, and take it wherever you want all by yourself - public transport will always be less convenient and because of that inferior to most current car users
  I know I never willingly use it, most people I know prefer cars over it (despite living in area known for terrible roads) - that's just how it is, convenience is subjectively more important than anything. And it's something public transport won't ever beat cars at >
  
  The issue is that 5 min of walking isn’t a big inconvenience when u can than just do what ever u want while reaching ur goal
  A car can be the most inconvenient thing ever once u get into traffic >
  
  Well, in car traffic I can peacefully listen to some music or podcast - even eat lunch. Even if you sometimes (very rarely) spend potentially more time in there, at least you're sitting by yourself in warm and peaceful car >
  
  U can’t do this In a bus or train where u don’t even have to pay attention? >
  
  No, because then I'm more distracted by being cramped with others and having to deal with their obnoxious behavior. Most of times you will find someone listening to some awful loud music, opening windows when it's already cold, talking (loudly), having phone notifications every few seconds or doing any other annoying crap
  No point of getting annoyed and depressed over it if you can just sit by yourself and do what you want to do with your environment >
  
  Thats all just false narratives/the result of poor management, better public transportation accounts for this
  ​
  u cant do what u want, ur heavily occupied by driving >
  
  So you can't listen to music or YouTube video while driving? And yet most people do, radios are standard equipment after all. And especially in traffic jam
  And even if you couldn't, not having to deal with others is huge benefit which immediately makes it far more enjoyable way of transport than bus or train. Add to it convince of not worrying about schedules or routes. Even in worst traffic, own car gives much more freedom what public transport ever could >
  
  Not unpopular. I think Europe and Japans entire infrastructure revolves around public transport. Or at least most of it. Back in the 50s and 60s when cars were become main stream, auto industry in the us lobbied hard against public transport or in favor for cars. 
  I dislike driving myself. If public transport could get me to work and other places on the, gladly pay for it >
  
  Lots of places in Japan still need cars. I’d say you can go car-free in maybe 2 or 3 cities. Tokyo, Osaka, maybe Nagoya. The rest you’re going to need a car if you want to really get around. 
  Even in Osaka most people I know have at least one car for family purposes. 
  The big difference is that you can do MOST things without your car rather than needing the car for EVERYthing. >
  
  Also the difference in Japan is you can get between Tokyo, Osaka, and everything beyond and in-between without needing a car for the majority of cases.
  While possible for some cities with Greyhounds and Amtraks as an example for the states. It’s nowhere near as easy to just go other places in a lot of countries.
  If you feel like going to the mountains, the beach, the country side, a different city, whatever you can get there with public transport in Japan. >
  
  Generally yeah. I’d say that once you leave the Tokaido corridor though it gets a bit dicier. JR is great but you can definitely end up in places where it’s hard to go pure train. I lived in Kyushu and did study abroad in Tsukuba. Both times a car was pretty useful. 
  But yeah, why can’t I easily train from SF to LA? The US is a mess in that regard. >
  
  Yeah, not at all trying to say you won’t need it. But it’s probably the most livable without a car country I know of. Definitely best for traveling while just visiting. >
  
  100%. I miss it. 
  I don’t miss some aspects but man I wish I could just take a train to work for my one day a week in the office. Instead I get to drive up to Marin from the SF Peninsula. Sigh. >
  
  Great until you need to go somewhere the bus doesn't go. >
  
  Or if you have to haul literally anything. Fuck doing any sort of home project if you have to lug everything on the bus. >
  
  Yeah, I was gonna mention that. God forbid you work for a living and have to carry tools around. LMAO, "hold the bus doors while I load up my table saw" >
  
  Or just like to work on shit for fun. "But Home Depot rents trucks." 
  Yeah and by the time I pay for that literally every weekend it's just fucking better to have my own vehicle. >
  
  Having to wait for a bus to arrive at a certain spot to pick you up to go grocery shopping and then wait for it to come back again to take you home is not convenient. And being able to drive anywhere you want at any time is the definition of freedom of movement. >
  
  Depends, it's okay if there's (at least) a 15 minute interval. Otherwise I agree with you. >
  
  I'd rather be in control than put my life in the hands of a stranger driving a bus or taxi.
  Just editing to add I'm from South Africa where busses and taxis are notoriously dangerous >
  
  
  busses and taxis are notoriously dangerous 
  
  The vehicles, the drivers, or both? >
  
  Cant speak for south africa, but in guatemala it is definetly both.
  80 year old schoolbusses pimped up with some diy welded metal ornaments and plates spitting 2m plumes of black smoke with rusty holes in the floor and chairs that fail to meet the safety standards for the children they where designed for, let alone a 2m adult. Driven by a smashed guy that has 2 different bottles of rum in a custom made holder welded to the floor. 
  Oh and these drivers think its a good idea to overtake sportcars, near a blind corner, on a mountain road, in very misty conditions, while being completely smashing drunk and going 100km/h on a 50 road.
  Drove a bus like that once, afterwards always luxury private busses where the chauffeur was fired on the spot if he drove drunk or unsafe and you made a video of it. >
  
  100% disagree. I would rather do the driving as I can come and go as I please and I can haul everything I need home or somewhere else and don't have to ask a friend to use their truck. Having a car is the ultimate freedom and, bonus, you don't have to sit next to stinky and loudmouth dickheads. >
  
  “If done correctly” is a cop out. You could say that about almost anything. >
  
  I agree, but specifically with public transportation there is a lot of objective data from European cities where it’s clear to see a positive increase the standard of living where there is cheap and efficient mass transit. People are more connected, they’re healthier, and they engage with their cities in healthier ways >
  
  I don’t want to connect with others or engage with my city. I want to be able to drive to my local grocery store whenever I want, get tons of groceries, and then go home. If I wanted to engage with others, I’d do that. >
  
  Im sorry but US cities are one of the worst mass built infrastructure in the world and a big part of that is the US DREAM. Live in a big house in a big suburb with a big car for big grocery trips.
  And this isn't a choice its objectively worse for the environment, for the people, for public services, for the country/city because of subsidies ( ever wondered why your gas is so cheap compared to everywhere else ). Thats also why US cities are nowhere close in livability measurements while European and Australian cities are thriving. Maybe you don't want to engage with others but if you have kids an American suburbia is a terrible place for socializing.
  If you want to learn more about US cities and their terribleness i suggest youtube channels: 
  Adam Something, Alan Fisher and Not Just Bikes.
  They provide examples and fixes for alot of these problems. But if you need a quick video i would recommend this one but checking the other channels would be educational. The first step is changing the mentality of people born in these towns and cities >
  
  I’m fully aware. I feel like you’re not getting what I’m saying. I want to be able to do my shopping on my own schedule, buy as much as I need (not simply as much as I can comfortably carry onto a bus/train) and go home, all while dealing with as few people as possible.
  Like I said…I do not want to engage with others. If I wanted to, I would. I just wanna do my thing and be left alone. >
  
  Why do you feel like decent public transport would be a direct attack against your life choices. YOU may not feel like engaging with other people and it's your right not to but someone else might prefer that. >
  
  When did I say it was? I’m learning from these responses that y’all are acting as if I said public transport is bad. I never said that. My response was entirely about OP’s assertion that public transport is better all around. I was saying it’s not and private vehicles do actually have benefits too. >
  
  I misunderstood. My bad >
  
  Absolutely agree. Love living in a big European city where almost nobody owns a car. The only times I wish for one are when I want to transport something bulky. >
  
  That would be my big issue that I don't see how public transport could ever accurately address. I transport way too much lumber, massive grocery hauls, big boxes, etc in my vehicles to ever make public transport a viable option. >
  
  I think the way out is to either make renting a car more convenient or having moving companies offering smaller services in an affordable way. Most grocery, hardware and furniture stores offer free delivery here nowadays if you order goods for ~50€ or more. >
  
  We don't have that, unfortunately. We have a local order being delivered this week and the delivery is almost as much as the actual order. Not worth it long term. >
  
  It probably is so less lucrative if people don't live 30 min, but 2 hours away. I still hope that it gets easier in the future for people living more rural. If perfectly organized it would probably also reduce the energy usage for basic products. Right now it seems unusable for you though. >
  
  Especially living in Southern US, I would be incredibly screwed without a car. Plus I will always prefer having agency over where I'm going >
  
  Public Transport would be amazing, but I don’t think the ruggedness terrain of Idaho or Montana would allow for efficient transport >
  
  Very true but it still shouldn’t be so hard to catch a bus in Houston 😭