At least for me, getting around by train in Japan is preferable because of how convenient and fast it is, not because of any inherent advantage of public transp

At least for me, getting around by train in Japan is preferable because of how convenient and fast it is, not because of any inherent advantage of public transport, and definitely not because I want to bear a cross for the greater good of society. Japanese society also contributes to how pleasant public transit is there, in comparison to the dregs of society that use NYC public transit. If I could have a 300kph autonomous pod that keeps me air-conditioned from my door to my destination's door, that would be preferable to even the proposed Chuo maglev train. Similarly, if individual transport can close the convenience gap with public transport, I would prefer individual transport instead. I will say that I vastly prefer urban environments that deprioritize cars; I often find that even private cars work better in those environments than in car-dependent cities. Of course, it's always better to be one of the first exploiters in a tragedy of the commons situation.