I'd say the median public transit user in Europe smells better than the median public transit user in SF yes. In Europe public transit tends to be used by a muc

I'd say the median public transit user in Europe smells better than the median public transit user in SF yes. In Europe public transit tends to be used by a much broader cross section of the population. No one wants to be stuck in bay area traffic every day either. Public transit is used for a higher percentage of journeys in Europe though because it's a better option relative to the available alternatives than it is in much of the US. If we had free teleportation I imagine you'd see very few people using any other form of transport. There is probably a degree to which public transit usage is higher in Europe not because it is a better experience than it is in the US but because driving is a worse experience. Based on my own experience it's a bit of both but clearly usage levels vary around the world due in part to varying tradeoffs between transport options based on historical, geographical, political and economic factors. There may also be a cultural element as well where preferences vary but I don't think that's the biggest factor.