I stopped and gave a stranger a ride this morning. I never do that. It was dark and cold and I’m still thawing out from my DC adventure. He was headed for the bus stop a half-mile (?) away. Turns out I drive right by the hotel where he works, so I said I’d look for him each morning. He’s hoping his income tax return will be enough to get a car.
Our experience riding the DC Metro trains were hardly typical. But it made me think about public transportation. Any way you slice it, it takes some work to get to a station, make connections, etc. It’s pretty nice to walk down to our heated garage, drive 10 minutes to work. But I’m not sure there is such a thing as a 10-minute drive in DC.
Not sure I have a point here, except maybe it’s good to be stuck in rush-hour city traffic once in a while… or to ride a crowded bus or subway train.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
You’ve seen the future in D.C. my friend. No matter how hard we may try to pretend otherwise, the days of nearly everyone owning their own private automobile are numbered. It’s not a sustainable, rational or even, I dare say, ethical way to move people around. No matter what we’re seeing in China and India (where car ownership is increasing), this is not, I repeat not, sustainable. All it is, is what we’ve been used to in a relatively short historial era, really just the last 60 years or so. An era that’s now winding down, whether we like it or not.
Bob is so dead on. Hopefully O throws some weight behind building out efficient public transportation like rebuilding our rail infrastructure.
Dude, you can only imagine what a difference it is when you don’t have a private means of transport.
There are two equalizers though.
1. Live in a city where mass transit outweighs the benefits of a private automobile.
2. Money will eventually solve your transportation problems, but only if you make enough to hire a driver.
You can also get married to someone who owns or can operate a car, but I am going off of the “individual autonomy” strategy here.
When you are visually impaired, as I am, money will help to a point. It might make the difference between a three hour bus ride trip and a 1.5 hour wait for a cab ride. All just to go to the local Mega-Lo-Mart.
Unless you live in an metropolitan area, it doesn’t help if you happen to live in the “affluent”/”suburbs” part of town either. Since public transportation is less a demand, and cabs only show up quickly on the weekends.
I have very effectively navigated the following cities using public transportation.
Washington D.C.
Longest Distance:
Bethesda, Maryland to the Mall
Chicago, Illinois.
Longest Distance:
Ohare airport to McCormack Place.
Seoul, South Korea –> Busan, South Korea for $17.00 in a “deluxe” train.
try any of those distances in Omaha, NB – Springfield, MO – St. Louis, Mo – or Farmington Hills, MI. You won’t have the same pleasing experience.
I can’t comprehend how awesome it would be to get into a vehicle and “go” someplace anytime of the day I desire.
When I rely on public transportation, including cabs I factor in about 10 times the amount of time it usually takes to get somewhere using a private car, unless I am in a “BIG” city. Raising my hand in Chicago and having a cab just show up, was way cool!
As far as the expenditures based on “public” vs “private”. Lets just say I have paid someone $50.00 to drive me 6 miles before.
When you have to “get there”, you do what it takes.
My first “corporate job” I spent 50% of my daily pay on transport, but it got me started, and have slowly progressed from there.
Thanks for your time, and have a good day.