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ChineseReasons To Live A Transit Oriented Life
Inspired by a comment by Dan W. on the One Year Without A Car post, I present MetroRider readers with this question:
Poll closes March 5, 2008 at 12:00PM.
What is the main reason you have chosen what is clearly an alternative lifestyle in Los Angeles? Sure, there are many reasons that go into the equation, but for me, the main reason I decided to go car-free was the fact that driving (and car ownership) in Los Angeles just sucks! Everything about it was dehumanizing to me: it was stressful, boring, scary, and annoying. Environment and economics are pluses, but they weren’t really a consideration to me when I decided to get rid of my car. What’s your story?
Discussion
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Please keep discussions civil: exercise Troll Controll.
Feel free to add any reason not listed in the poll here in the comments…
Wow, I inspired someone with a comment of mine. Cool.
I live a transit oriented lifestyle for all of the top five of the reasons you listed.
I’m surprised by who many people have chosen “I just love buses and trains.”
But it coincides with something I was thinking yesterday as I was riding the Gold Line. As we passed the Los Angeles Historic State Park near Chinatown, a family sitting in the park saw the train passing and the all waved excitedly. No one waves excitedly at random cars. People love trains.
It was a combination of the first five reasons for me, and I wish I could say that the environment was the main reason, but I have to admit that the quote above was the largest factor of all. It’s also probably the most difficult reason to explain to people.
This is probably a combination of 2 and 4, but transit enables me time to read. That’s my reading time for newspapers, magazines and books. I used to just listen to the radio in my car, which I could still do on a train with headphones.
the environment part has always just been a nice side effect but anytime the subject of me not having a car (in LA!?) comes up the first thing people assume is that it’s for the environment as if that’s the only logical reason–as if that’s the only obvious reason. when in all actuality, the savings and the “driving in LA blows” is soooooo much more obvious. i mean, seconds before the subject was probably about how much they hated traffic and driving and this and that, an endless stream of consciousness about why they hate traffic in LA, yet they can’t fathom actually doing something about it. so they assume it’s the environment (and want it to be the environment so they can stop thinking about their car ride home) and move to like issues–about how they also agree the environment needs help or some bs. then talk about how much they hate bush so the subject can move away from their own guilt about not doing anything themselves to solve any of the problems of LA traffic; whether it be money, environment, or it just sucking so effing bad.
Just wait until you remind them that $4 gallon gasoline is still way cheaper than anything they pay in Europe and that gasoline is going to even get more expensive as China and India continue to industrialize — that they are still getting relatively cheap gasoline at $4 a gallon. They usually aren’t happy.
I will say this, if gasoline taxes were indexed to inflation, that is one way to raise money for transit improvements.
Also, the rising cost of gasoline has been the tipping point for some friends I know to actually “try” public transit and discover it’s not the nightmare or lower-class activity they assumed it to be.
I take public transit for the environment and for other people. It will be easier in the long term for everyone if people took public transit or biked it or walked it. I have an odd pet peeve: abled body people who take the bus two stops, stop being so lazy, of course I don’t know, maybe it’s a disability that I can’t see, but if it’s not, is walking a mile that horrible? I have friends that can’t walk around Los Feliz or from Pershing Square to Pete’s and I know there is nothing wrong with them, just being a LA native seems give you this unability to walk long distances… I do like people watching too, but I can’t taking public transit would be easier than having a car. I wish it were and I hope me continuing to take public transit will assist with that happening, but it’s not there yet, but I’m sure it will be, in like 2070 or something…
Browne
My feelings, and the results of this informal poll seem to contradict that. Which is think is great. It seems most people (me included) adopted a transit oriented lifestyle because driving here ISN’T really easier than public transit. On the surface it may be, but when you combine all the factors, many more people are decided that any advantages of getting around in a car here are just not worth it. Personal and human things like stress, happiness, and safety begin to come into play. Maybe we could get where we are going faster, or more directly with a car, but it looks like most of us have decided “fuck it, I’d rather just such back and read a book and have it take a little longer or sit next to someone I don’t know than to deal with crappy driving”.