Cars are the only practical way to go where you want, when you want, how you want. No bus schedules, complicated connections you have to double check and run full speed between (across the whole Port Authority terminal once in my case between trains), or drop off points you have to walk long distances from once you get there.
Bikes are close but only work for short distances in good weather. Add personalized climate control, no strangers in your car, more comfortable seating than any tram, music, and I have no desire to seek alternatives. Only thing I'm left desiring is self-driving so I can use my phone or whatever, the only tangible benefit to transit that appeals to me.
Yeah, they're a bit noisy and worse for the environment and take up space. I see that as part of the price of living in a free society.
> Cars are the only practical way to go where you want, when you want, how you want.
This is more true in some areas than others. In a relatively dense city, with well-designed (and, crucially, frequent) transit systems, a whole lot of "where" and "when" you want is going to be more practical with transit, and of course cars can't help you with "how" you want if what you want is not to have to be driving. In many cities, driving my car (or renting a car, if I flew there) would have been tremendously impractical.
It's certainly convenient to have a car sometimes, and there will always be some trips for which your statement is closer to true. And if you choose to live in a place (/cough/ suburbs /cough/) where anything but cars would be impractical, then yes, cars are the only practical option. But it is far, far from the absolute that you make it out to be.
(PS I'm definitely not talking about commuter rail in the US here. Even the "good" lines are terrible by global mass transit standards. They are not "practical" except for a very tightly-constrained set of needs.)
I have some experience with NYC transit, which is what my post was based on. Crowded, sketchy, stressful (more so than congestic traffic to me), and all the points I said before. Specifically coming from upstate to the Museum of Natural History. Train ride was nice at least but it did involve running across the PA on the way back.
I've driven/been driven in NYC a few times (pre-pandemic) and it wasn't /that/ bad, but I don't think it was ever in Manhattan. Most recently was going to JFK and back from somewhere more upstate.
I looked into transit options and they were seemingly expensive (might have been a wash with crazy bridge tolls down there), had a bunch of connections, and long walking periods or uber connections adding more expense. Definitely didn't sound fun to bring luggage along.
NYC is supposed to be the country's shining example of transit, isn't it? I can't say it enamoured me. If I lived there I'd probably end up biking a lot.
Bikes are close but only work for short distances in good weather. Add personalized climate control, no strangers in your car, more comfortable seating than any tram, music, and I have no desire to seek alternatives. Only thing I'm left desiring is self-driving so I can use my phone or whatever, the only tangible benefit to transit that appeals to me.
Yeah, they're a bit noisy and worse for the environment and take up space. I see that as part of the price of living in a free society.