Freedom: I can pick up my car and go where I want to go, when I want to go without worrying about time.

Subsistence: They demaded I have car and driver license, and a lot of jobs here ask for that.

I’d guess because for a lot of us in the USA, public transportation is insufficient to meet our needs. I’d love to take a train from home to work, but there’s no train line that’s anywhere near my house. They’re building one that’ll go near my work, but it’s not done yet. Busses are available, I suppose…but the time it’d take to get from home to work or back would be a lot longer than driving takes, even in heavy traffic, given that I’d have to transfer several times.

For longer trips, again, the infrastructure just isn’t there. To visit my sister, for instance, requires taking a bus if I want to take the public transportation option. My (step)son takes the bus to go see his dad (who lives in the same city as my sister) since he doesn’t like driving, and it takes a good 2 extra hours compared to driving. We should have train service, but no…Scott Fucking Walker killed the project back in 2010 when he got elected governor of Wisconsin.

I live in a city with excellent public transport and use it a lot, but a car is total freedom. You can go exactly where you want, and stop anywhere on the way. Even with great public transport you can’t beat it.

If I want to go somewhere in a car, I get in my car and go there.

If I want to go somewhere using public transport, I have to walk to the nearest stop, wait for the transport to arrive, wait in the transport to take an inefficient route to the closest stop to the destination, then walk from the stop to the destination.

Basically, a 10 minute drive becomes an hour long ordeal.

Speaking from a US standpoint, the public transit sucks. The main issue where I’m at is lack of bus stops, and the bus is never on time. I’d have to walk down a highway (not interstate) to get to the bus stop, then it might not even arrive on time.

Cars are faster, most of the time. However, they still suck. Traffic in dense areas is heavy at almost all times of day where anyone is active. It’s really a failure on the US government why people dont take public transit as much.

deleted by creator

The majority of housing in the USA requires a car. The nearest public transport option for me is 40 miles away.

If I did live in a city I would prefer to live near where I worked and shopped. Then I could get by without a car day-to-day, but would still want the freedom of a car for road trips.

In the US and my city unfortunately public transit takes some time. My local transit system has had a hard time keeping up with maintenance of their E-hybrid busses and has busses out of service more often than not. This causes many trips to be overwhelmed with double the amount of people they would usually take.

In addition to lack luster infrastructure, you can experience safety concerns with some members of the public. I was personally followed all the way to my old job once and had to tell my manager “A crazy man followed me here, if he comes in the store call the police because I will remove him”

Despite these downfalls public transit becomes much more useful when combined with a bicycle. I can take the bus to the shops and ride back because most of the return trip is downhill.

When I owned a car I would often choose the bus with bike over my own car because then I wouldn’t have to worry about parking.

In my city, it’s not out of the ordinary to look upwards of 40 minutes for a spot. I used to have to park 20 minutes away in the hills then skate back. Otherwise I’d be doing laps around my neighborhood trying to find ANY legal parking.

I can definitely understand why some members of the public prefer cars over public transit just for safety.

I’m not a little guy by any means, I’m 190 pounds of muscle and have some facial scarring. I’ve been described as “scary” and “You look like the devil” but I have had a number of run ins that made me fear for my safety.

If I was a 4"5 mom I would almost exclusively drive.

My 45min drive would take 3 hours though five towns and would still need to drive the first quarter of the trip. Not mentioning getting dropped in to the homeless bedrooms, also known as the transportation center.

I’m 23 and I really don’t want to drive but I have to eventually. Public transit where I’m at is absolutely terrible and its holding me back from basically any typenof decent career.

If you live in a city with great transit, thats great for you. The sad reality is that in most places, public transit sucks donkey balls.

I dislike other people and would prefer to not interact with them if I don’t have to.

A car is superior in almost every way where I live.

-Cars are faster. They don’t have to stop to pick up and drop off other passengers.

-Cars operate on your schedule. They leave when you leave.

-Cars take you directly to your final destination. No transfers.

-Cars can take you anywhere. Want to take a road trip, you can.

-Cars take cargo. On transit, you can only take what you can carry or can fit in a cart (if a cart is accepted and will fit).

-Cars allow you to set up for your comfort. You control climate control, you control the radio. You can even adjust the seat for comfort.

From a guy who takes the bus all the time.

Yes I prefer cars over buses, why? More freedom For getting around

1. Because I live in the United States where public transportation sucks. Although where I live, Portland, it is amongst one of the better cities.
2. I have a kid that I need to drop off at daycare, school, various activities and having my own car is far more convenient for that than public transportation.
3. And related to point 2., I don’t have time to rely on and follow a bus schedule.

The answer depends on where you live.

In a good city with well funded public transportation, it makes sense to use it.

But in other cities either public transportation doesn’t exist, or is so limited/crippled that you need a car anyways to get it places. Then it becomes a question about time.

Yes I could take a bus, but to get from Halifax to Dartmouth it would take the same time on a bike, or half the time with a car.

Or well if I miss my bus in Fredericton I will need to wait 30 minutes for another one. Or I can walk and get to my destination before it gets here and leave on my own time and leisure.