It does not help that drivers are often surly, nighttime stops are often (usually) poorly lit, fellow-passengers are often drunk and loud and unpredictable, seats are uncomfortable or (worse) filthy (we always carry hand sanitizer and several small packs of tissues for those moments when we cannot avoid those places….fellow-passengers often ask, “Um…can I borrow some of that stuff? ’cause that’s a good idea”–we never decline, since it benefits everybody), and if you need law enforcement you can forget it (the Metrolink connections in SoCal are, by and large, an exception to that).

I agree that frugal should consider every option, but sometimes it is safer, cleaner, and more convenient to spend the money.

As gas prices rose, more people discovered the T. Unfortunately, the more popular the system got, the less reliable it got. Some things, like locking bus windows in the summertime (whether or not the AC worked), or trains running hours late, with no AC, in July 2008 (when gas was $4.15/gallon), made me wonder if the Powers That Be were deliberately trying to discourage people from riding.

February 14, 2009, was a snowless winter night. I got out of work at 11:30 pm. My 11: 45 bus arrived 45 minutes late, for no discernable reason (clear roads, no snow). Then the driver decided to take a long, long break at Harvard. Busses are supposed to wait at the last station for the last subway to pull in, but Harvard was not the last station on the route. When the bus finally pulled into Sullivan Station at 1:45 am, all of the busses were gone. I hailed a cab, which was pulled over by police 10 minutes later. By then, I was close enough to walk home, so I did.

I arrived home at 2:30 am. It literally took 3 hours to travel 6.5 miles. I could have waked home from work and arrived sooner. That night, I gave up on the T for good. I bought a car as soon as I could afford one.

Also, with public transit you have less stress to deal with. I myself would personally not be able to sit behind a wheel honking at the hoards of cars in front of me. It also allows me to either do work or sleep on the bus or subway.

And even it has been mentioned before, it is important to emphasize the fact that it is environmentally friendly, and it leaves us less dependent on foreign oil, making it better for the economy.

Yes I’m selling public transit, but only for good reason.

Great post, Cheers.
-Wahid

Public transport pros:

You can sleep during the trip.
You won’t get tired driving.
You can help lessen emissions.

cons:

Terribly inconvenient when there’s bad weather.
You can carry and leave stuff in it.
Relatively much more comfortable.