I don't see anything wrong with this. Japan has excellent public transport and its outrageously expensive. Singapore has excellent public transport and its outrageously expensive. You need public transport to survive here otherwise you're screwed.

Maybe its a culture thing. I guess Americans think taking a bus is for poor people?

I don't think so.

Buses yes...Yeah, I think there are many who would rather pay a cab when they could take the bus. think that only applies to busses, though. People take the subway, metro, whatever and love it. The DC metro is great imo. Stretches out to MD, VA and all over DC.

i was shocked to see that basically everyone takes the bus in chicago. avoided them for a year since i was just used to the bus clientelle in atlanta

This would be my perception as well, everyone rode the metro but a lot of people seemed to avoid the buses.

The few times I rode a bus in DC the clientele did appear "poorer". I have no idea why that really matters so much to others, though, but it does.

I stay off the bus because I'm afraid I'll sit next to Dids.

In huge portions of the US, the only people that take the bus are the poor. There are certain routes that cater to non-poor people (expresses from suburbs to city centers) on occasion. But riding the bus sucks compared to driving, and if you can afford to drive, you do it. You have to get to the station enough ahead of time (by walking, which is slow), wait (and if you are too late, wait even longer), sit on a bus that makes frequent stops and gets stuck in traffic a lot and takes more out of the way routes than you would normally go, then either get picked up by someone with a car or walk a distance to get home. It's not a pleasant experience. Add in the high frequencies of crazies, smelly people, and otherwise undesirables, and you have a problem. Gas is not as expensive in the US, and reasonable cars can be found on the cheap. Parking is easy in all but the most dense areas. You will spend 3-4x as much time taking the bus as driving anywhere. The only people it makes sense for is those with a ton of free time or no better options or those who are lucky enough to have a perfect route going where they need to go and when they need to go.

It's a shame, because buses are far more efficient in a lot of areas than the alternative proposed mass transit solutions, such as light rail or gondolas or whatever nonsense that idiotic urban planners come up with as a way to Europicize sprawled cities.

In most areas in the US (non huge cities), you save money by living further away, and the amount you save easily makes up the cost of buying, maintaining, and driving a vehicle.

Debt is a choice.

He kind of touched on it in his list of things about America he actually liked, but I find this a big deal (and it makes is point about "heritage" look petty and stupid):


America is one of the few countries on Earth where being a real member of that society is not based on ethnicity or bloodlines. This is not true most other countries.


If you are born and raised in America, you're an "American" (not just by citizenship, but culturally). Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Emilio Estevez, and Keanu Reeves are all equally American. Even immigrants are given the chance of becoming "Aerican" and their children definitely are. You're an American because you believe yourself to be American and embrace it as your home, not because of bloodlines.

Someone who is born and raised in Germany but is of Turkish descent will never really be thought of as "German". Someone born and raised in Japan who is of Korean descent will be always be thought of as Korean. Someone born and raised in Ireland who is black or Asian will never be thought of as Irish. The list goes on and on.

The population of bus riders in LA looks very very poor.

This contrasts with, say, people riding the subway in NY or the El in Chicago who seem to come from all segments of society (and in Copenhagen I remember women on the bus in mink coats).

Might be the best euphemism I've see you use.

Let me elaborate. I'm saying that cars are such a necessity in most areas that I feel many people live beyond their means (or beyond the law) to operate and maintain one because a life without one would be miserable. The few places where you can lead a fulfilling life without one are outrageously expensive places to live unless you're some sort of drifter/bum/hobo/renaissance man. The average cities' public transportation is trash; late, slow, with an extremely limited range of destinations. I'm sure many would find depending on the bus in most of the United States a fate worse than death.

You can buy a ****ty yet fairly dependable car for like $500. And if you're in a major city where a car is not feasible, subways and other forms of public transportation are cheap. God America sucks!

Cars for 90% of the population, non-so-enjoyable transportation for the poor! Horrible.

I did the bus for five years in San Francisco. It was tolerable. But the smell of pissed soaked bums, and having some crazy person corner you for an entire ride gets a little old after a while.

public transport in the U.S. is the nut low (NYC, D.C. exempted). not really an option unless you want to spend 2 to 4 extra hours of your day navigating the system (and, even then, you'll be left with mile plus walks to desired destinations). god forbid if you want to go grocery shopping and are trying to haul 30+ pounds of purchases.

If you live in the city there's really no reason not to own a bicycle.

• Faster, cleaner, cheaper, less annoying than the bus.
• Good exercise.
• Gives you a pretty cool perspective of the city that you wouldn't otherwise have.

the word european in the title still tilts me to no end.

why?

still waiting for the day i ask someone where they are from and they respond with “im european ”

Err...this doesn't sound right. At that price point, aren't you buying something on it's last legs? (Provided you're not getting a sick craigslist deal.)

Its

It matters not, he's still a European. Are you also tilted when someone refers to an "Asian" guy?

yeah thats a good comparison...

I disagree with the rules of grammar in this instance. Its no problem when its crystal clear what one meant by the context of the sentence.

[*] Allows you to get free health care after you get run over.

Joking aside.....this is pretty much true though.