I’m 25 and I don’t have a drivers license. I mean, I’ve never really felt the need to go and get one. Public transport is usually the fastest option where I live, and it takes a lot less responsibility to use it.

But most people would still prefer driving, rather than using the public T. Why?

  • @fubo@lemmy.world
    1•2 years ago

    We can’t sensibly talk about people’s preferences without talking about the environment in which those preferences arise.

    Here are some things that are true for most car drivers:

    • The road starts right at your house. You don’t have to go anywhere to get on it.
    • Your car is right at your house whenever you want to use it. You never have to wait for it.
    • Public transit requires that you pay up-front; the costs of using your car only bother you occasionally (e.g. fueling, maintenance, taxes that pay for roads).
    • Businesses you want to visit are often required by law to provide parking for cars as part of commercial zoning.
    • Cars are the dominant vehicle on the road; other vehicles such as bicycles, motorcycles, and scooters are in many ways treated as second-class citizens.
    • Your employer didn’t choose to locate close to transit, but they did build a parking lot.