My public transport love/hate

As much as I've complained about it over the years, in general, and as a concept, I am grateful for public transport.  Yes, I would like it to be more convenient, less expensive, more dependable, less crowded, cleaner, quieter, etc., but having lived in and visited many places with some sort of public transportation, it's pretty nice to have.

I'd still like to have a car because sometimes a car is just best suited for a situation (at least until any of those sci-fi modes of transportation like teleports and TIE fighters come to fruition), but most of the time, subways, busses, and trains are the way I like to travel.

When something/someone else is taking you where you need to go, you can just sit back and read a book, listen to music, people-watch, or do absolutely nothing except remember to get off when you reach your stop.  If you're tired, it's okay to lose your concentration a bit because you won't have to worry about crashing into someone or something.  When you get to your destination, you don't have to find parking.  And who doesn't get a little rush and weird sense of accomplishment when they just make it on board right before the train/bus departs?

I even like how some systems have built their brand and you can get cute products like these:

       

Unfortunately, not all public transportation systems are created equal, and the US, for various reasons, hasn't developed as well as others in Asia and Europe.  The good news is, when I visit those other countries, I enjoy my time there even more because I find getting around easier than I do in the States.

I love places where the stations and vehicles are clean and you can see how long you have to wait until the next train or bus arrives.  If a city has a good bus system, I love being able to see different streets and neighborhoods as I travel to my destination.  Traveling between cities via overground trains are also a great way to see the countryside.  You can absorb everything around you when you don't have to devote some of your attention to the road ahead of you.

All in all, I do like public transport.  Now let's see if I can remember that the next time I pay $2.75 to travel one mile and my crowded train is delayed for an unknown reason, resulting in my commute taking longer than if I had walked.

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Oh, and here's a little video to get in the subway riding mindset: