filed in Daily Life
Public Transportation Envy
Growing up in NYC, taking the bus and subway was a part of everyday life. Now in Los Angeles, I spend far too much time in my car. The situation is starting to improve here. We have a new Metro line, and another is under construction. What’s your relationship to public transportation?
F Train by Mark Hartman
Discussion
6 comments for “Public Transportation Envy”
Leave a Reply
About this Site
FIRST PERSON SINGULAR is a guide to surviving, thriving and sometimes just getting through a single day. Created by Wendy Braitman (more…)
Follow First Person Singular
Greatest Hits
© 2010 First Person Singular. 
What everyone forgets is that in places like NY and Boston, the public transportation came first and the homes and offices second. In place that really got established after the car become common, the houses and offices came first. Makes creating public transportation a nightmare.
It has taken a long time for the political and collective will in L.A. to make the change. But the new Metro line has been a great success.
I am car reliant all the time, living in the south. I lived in Germany in college and loved having the public transportation. I love visiting big cities and not having to drive and feeling more connected to those around me because you get out of your car bubble. I also lived in Austria where outside of the biggest cities you still need a car. (All of Europe is not a public transportation utopia.) The only thing I regret from that year was I wanted to buy a car but one of the teachers at the school where I worked talked me out of it. I think I would have enjoyed my stay so much more if I had a better way to get around and do things.
Where did you live in Germany, Claire? (I lived in Berlin for a short time.)
I lived in NYC for 7 years, and have been in Austin for the past 3. There’s a lot to love (clean air, swimming holes, a dress code of flip flops year-round), but man, do I ever miss public transit. Having to transition to having a car had been challenging. The issue of public transit is a hot topic in Austin, with native Texans tending to prefer cars. Several proposals for a greater transit network have been shot down.
And I’ve noticed it’s taken a toll on impulsive socializing. In NYC, I was so much more inclined to pop out for coffee, or to the bookstore, or to meet a friend for a drink, when all it took was a walk or a short train ride. I still love those things, but getting in a car to do them feels so tedious. I tend to be a bit whiny when it comes to this topic, but I know former NYers living elsewhere can feel my pain 😉
I completely agree, Jess. With the sprawl and traffic in L.A., you have to really think twice before popping out anywhere. That keeps me at home much more at night.