3 ms·
Am European, at least in the big cities, public transport is mostly not worth using unless you are too poor to afford better options. Too crowded, too hot, the
by joxdosba 4mo ago
Am European, at least in the big cities, public transport is mostly not worth using unless you are too poor to afford better options.
Too crowded, too hot, there’s a decent chance of arriving at your destination drenched in sweat. Not to mention how absolutely gross the people sitting next to you will often be.
I’ll happily take a few parking fines every day rather than getting in the tube.
- inigyou 4mo agoNobody uses it, it's too crowded
- wolvoleo 4mo agoHow can it be crowded if nobody uses it?
- joxdosba 4mo agoPeople mostly use it because they can’t afford the better options. McDonald’s is also extremely popular, as are Coca Cola and Bud light.
- moooo99 4mo agoI extensively use public transit. While the cost savings are certainly nice, it is just soo much more comfortable. Today I spent half my workday on a train going +200km/h to visit my parents. The alternative would have been an excruciating 6 hour car drive
- joxdosba 4mo ago> Today I spent half my workday on a train going +200km/h to visit my parents. The alternative would have been an excruciating 6 hour car drive You are describing an experience which couldn’t be further from the norm in Europe.
- inigyou 4mo agohigh speed trains, that can go up to about 350kmph/200mph, are the norm in Europe if you're going a long distance across France or Germany, but they're not daily public transit for most people just like flying isn't.
- wolvoleo 4mo agoI could afford a car and I also live in a big European city. But a car is a huge hassle here. Just trying to figure out where to park the thing every time is a huge stressor. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that anymore. Nor the fuel, the fines, the maintenance, the insurance, the road tax, the parking fees all that stuff. I could afford it but I'd rather spend it on something I actually enjoy. Public transport here costs a fixed fee a month for which I couldn't even top up a quarter tank.
- joxdosba 4mo agoI need only one crowded Tube ride without air conditioning before a meeting for the total cost of car ownership to appear like an incredible bargain.
- wolvoleo 4mo agoOh the tube here has aircon everywhere. A bit too much even, you get this cold shock every time.
- joxdosba 4mo agoIt sounds like a dream. Well air-conditioned public transport can certainly be a wonderful experience. I was a huge fan of the MTR when living in Hong Kong. Unfortunately those implementations are far from the norm though, but of course all of these networks are seeing gradual upgrades.
- aiisjustanif 4mo agoHow about in European big cities where that is not the case? Prague, London, Prague, Budapest, Zurich, Madrid, Berlin, Vienna…? So many people, especially not particularly poor people, use them to commute every single week. Notoriously, for some of these cities, it is slower to travel by car for your commute.
- joxdosba 4mo agoI live in London, temperatures in excess of 30C are frequent on the Tube. If I’m going to or coming from the gym, that’s fine. Otherwise it really isn’t. The metro in Prague is indeed good, it’s just not a big city. Zurich also has excellent public transport, but it’s really a village at best. Madrid has Barcelona beat, but still occasionally suffers from a lack of air conditioning frequently leading to absurd temperatures.
- inigyou 4mo agoTIL Zurich is a village
- joxdosba 4mo agoThere’s not even half a million people living in Zurich; it is absolutely tiny, which is basically the entirety of its charm.
- aiisjustanif 4mo agoI also live in London and never specified underground or trains only for any of these cities. Buses also cheap and air conditioned. Also 2-4 months at best out of the year is not a great argument for public transportation not being the better option compared to cars and parking that don’t scale. Side note, Elizabeth, District, Circle, Hammersmith & city, and Metropolitan lines where many people work are air conditioned. So are the trains to paddington and St. Pancras from any “village” outside of the London zones. This summer especially it’s been good for me.
- 4mo ago