3 ms·

Why would you say using public transportation results in a poor quality of life? Not driving would increase my quality of life a great deal!

TACIXAT 8y ago
I just lived the last 10 months without a car. There needs to be a big asterisk of not driving would increase your quality of life if there is alternative transit in place. It's pretty miserable when the nearest activities are a 45 minute light rail ride away. Biking is great mid day, but doing anything at night when you're adding 30 minutes to an hour on each side makes most plans fall through. I would love to not have to own a car in my city, but we'd need to increase density and transit significantly.
CydeWeys 8y ago
As someone who has years' of experience each doing non-trivial commutes by driving and by subway, I'd have to say, the subway wins hands-down. It's not even a close contest. I was doing the most reading of my life when I was taking the subway to work every day, and it was great. I also occasionally played handheld video games or read magazines. My commute time wasn't wasted; I spent it doing things I wanted to do. Contrast with driving, where my commute time was wasted. And driving is much more stressful and unsafe, as well. You can't be off when you're driving, but you can definitely be off when you're taking the subway. On days when I was especially tired, I would just zone out with my eyes closed. Now I just have a 10 minute bike commute, and it's my favorite commute I've ever had, but I do miss reading as regularly as I did back then on the subway.
reddog 8y ago
When I've driven I have never had to stand for 40 minutes in rush hour in a jammed Milan subway car with my nose in a strangers armpit while another stranger breaths down my neck. I've never been ask for spare change while in my car. I've never been challenged to a fight for asking someone to take their feet off the opposite seat so my wife could sit down. I've never been pickpocketed. I've never had a bad dixieland band set up, play a few measures of bad out-of-tune jazz and then aggressively solicit donations. I've never had a creepy passenger stare at me for the entire ride as if they are trying to memorize my face. My car seat is never covered with vomit when I get in. I've never had a car commute cancelled because of a a labor action, or a signal malfunction, of work being done on the lines or bureaucratic incompetence. I've never had my car stop running because it was too late in the day or a holiday. All these things and much more have happened to me on public transport. Yes, it is irritating to be stuck in traffic in a car -- you have to move your right foot back and forth between the accelerator and brake while you sit in your adjustable leather seat, traveling on your own schedule to your custom destination in climate controlled comfort while rocking out to music, an audible book or a podcast.
- sizzle 8y ago
  Some newer cars will even drive for you in these traffic conditions via radar sensors.

TACIXAT 8y ago

I just lived the last 10 months without a car. There needs to be a big asterisk of not driving would increase your quality of life if there is alternative transit in place. It's pretty miserable when the nearest activities are a 45 minute light rail ride away. Biking is great mid day, but doing anything at night when you're adding 30 minutes to an hour on each side makes most plans fall through. I would love to not have to own a car in my city, but we'd need to increase density and transit significantly.

CydeWeys 8y ago

As someone who has years' of experience each doing non-trivial commutes by driving and by subway, I'd have to say, the subway wins hands-down. It's not even a close contest. I was doing the most reading of my life when I was taking the subway to work every day, and it was great. I also occasionally played handheld video games or read magazines. My commute time wasn't wasted; I spent it doing things I wanted to do. Contrast with driving, where my commute time was wasted. And driving is much more stressful and unsafe, as well. You can't be off when you're driving, but you can definitely be off when you're taking the subway. On days when I was especially tired, I would just zone out with my eyes closed. Now I just have a 10 minute bike commute, and it's my favorite commute I've ever had, but I do miss reading as regularly as I did back then on the subway.

reddog 8y ago

When I've driven I have never had to stand for 40 minutes in rush hour in a jammed Milan subway car with my nose in a strangers armpit while another stranger breaths down my neck. I've never been ask for spare change while in my car. I've never been challenged to a fight for asking someone to take their feet off the opposite seat so my wife could sit down. I've never been pickpocketed. I've never had a bad dixieland band set up, play a few measures of bad out-of-tune jazz and then aggressively solicit donations. I've never had a creepy passenger stare at me for the entire ride as if they are trying to memorize my face. My car seat is never covered with vomit when I get in. I've never had a car commute cancelled because of a a labor action, or a signal malfunction, of work being done on the lines or bureaucratic incompetence. I've never had my car stop running because it was too late in the day or a holiday. All these things and much more have happened to me on public transport. Yes, it is irritating to be stuck in traffic in a car -- you have to move your right foot back and forth between the accelerator and brake while you sit in your adjustable leather seat, traveling on your own schedule to your custom destination in climate controlled comfort while rocking out to music, an audible book or a podcast.

sizzle 8y ago
Some newer cars will even drive for you in these traffic conditions via radar sensors.