10 Reasons Public Transit Is Better Than Driving & 10 Reasons Owning a Car Is More Convenient
10 Reasons Public Transit Is Better Than Driving & 10 Reasons Owning a Car Is More Convenient
Should You Drive or Take the Train?
If you live in a car-dependent city (like much of the US), it can be hard to imagine getting by without a personal vehicle. After all, with responsibilities like work and school on the line, not being able to drive can severely limit your options. But both public transit and car ownership have their pros and cons—and reading this article might just change your mind.
1. Better for the Environment
Taking public transit is better for the environment. After all, if more people decided to take the bus or train instead of driving, fewer vehicles on the road would mean lower CO2 emissions. Along with better air quality, this would help slow down the effects of climate change.
2. You Can Sleep
Let's face it: sometimes, we'd rather sleep during our commute than be awake driving. And by taking public transit, you can do just that. If you need a bit more shut-eye before clocking in for your shift or heading to classes, commuting by bus or train lets you catch a wink.
3. You Can Multitask
Sleep isn't the only thing you can do. If you'd rather spend your commute more efficiently, you can catch up on work, school, or leisure activities, like reading a book or listening to a podcast. With your focus free from the road, you can do practically anything.
4. You Can Meet a New Friend
If you're sociable and like making new connections, even with strangers, public transit allows that as well. While driving means you're often cooped up in your car on your own, taking the bus or train opens up more opportunities to meet new people.
5. Cheaper Costs
No car means saving fuel, insurance, and maintenance costs. Riding public transit, on the other hand, gives you cheaper, more predictable fees, such as the cost of a monthly pass. With the money you save, you can use it towards other essentials, like groceries.
6. Less Hassle & Stress
Driving can be stressful. You might encounter aggressive road users, congested streets, maze-like detours, and crowded parking lots. You need to be constantly alert when you're behind the wheel. With public transit, however, you don't need to worry about all of that, giving you more time for yourself.
7. Fewer Accidents
Fewer cars on the road and more people taking public transit allow for safer streets. After all, while drivers need to be constantly alert, they may sometimes be distracted by their phones or their environments, leading to serious or even fatal accidents.
8. Bypass Traffic
Public transit often allows you to skip past congested streets—unless, of course, you're taking the bus. But if more people chose public transportation over driving their own vehicle, there would be fewer road users overall, and thus less traffic.
9. Gets You to Your Destination Quicker
High-speed trains, subways, and elevated railways all help you get to your destination quicker. These modes of transportation, after all, bypass congestion on the ground and run on strict schedules. Instead of having to waste fuel idling in traffic, hopping on public transit shortens your commute time.
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10. Encourages Physical Activity
Because you'll need to walk more from station to station or to get to the closest train, public transit encourages you to be more physically active. Driving, on the other hand, takes you exactly to your destination, all while being seated and with very little movement overall.
And yet, sometimes it's still better to have a car than to fully rely on public transit. Let's jump into 10 reasons why driving can actually be more convenient.
1. Go Wherever, Whenever
The number one thing about driving is the freedom you have. You can go wherever, whenever. If you're craving pizza or dessert at 10PM, you can quickly hop in the car and go. If you want to go for a morning jog somewhere a little more remote before the first train even starts operating, you can do that, too.
2. Can Get to Places Public Transit Doesn't Serve
Plus, it's not just that taking public transit means you'll need to rely on its strict schedules. You're also limited by how vast or sparse the network is. If you live in a city where most people drive, trains and buses might not have as many stations, especially to more remote areas.
3. Drive Others
Need to pick up a friend for a quick catch-up, or drive a family member to the airport? Owning a car is much more convenient in these cases, where you can quickly hop behind the wheel and go. If you had to rely on public transit, there would be more hassle and time involved.
4. More Independence
Having a car allows you more independence. After all, you don't need to depend on external transportation modes or rely on a friend or family member to drive you. If you need to run a quick errand or stock up on groceries, it's better you have a car. And speaking of groceries...
5. Better for Shopping
Driving is also far more convenient when you need to do some shopping. Think of all the bags you'd have to lug home if you were taking the train or bus instead! You're much more limited if you don't have a car, and you'll likely need to make smaller, frequent trips, or have someone to drive you.
6. Easier for Families
Owning a car is almost a must for families. With a small infant or toddler, you'll need to carry around a stroller and essentials everywhere you go, without the convenience of just storing it in the trunk. And once they grow up and start going to school or participating in other extracurriculars, not having a car means you'll need to arrange for school buses and other modes of transportation.
7. Better for Harsh Weather
We don't mean driving in snow and storm is better than taking public transit, but when it's hailing, raining, or severely hot outside, it's more convenient to have a car. Otherwise, you'd be forced to face the weather head on, and you'll need to wait until the next bus or train comes.
8. Don't Need to Time When to Leave
Relying on public transit to get you from A to B means you'll always need to check and leave according to set schedules. You'll also need to accommodate more time than if you were to just drive. This means your mornings might be more rushed, and you'll always need to plan ahead.
9. More Comfortable Rides
Sure, taking public transit frees up time and mental space to do other things, like read, sleep, or be productive. But you're also packed into a small box with hundreds of other strangers, and even if you were able to snag a seat, it probably wouldn't be as comfortable as sitting in your own car.
10. Allows for Therapeutic Alone Time
Going for long, aimless drives can be extremely therapeutic for some, and that's something you can't do if you had to rely on public transit only. If you want to head to your favorite safe spot or need to release your emotions, taking the train or bus might feel draining and counterintuitive.
