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Comment by agent008t | Hacker News Reader

There could be some 'grass-is-greener' effect in play here as well though. Many that grew up having to use public transportation would see being able to use a private car as very appealing. I think everyone hates commutes regardless of whether they have to stand in a packed train car next to sweaty people, or sit in an air conditioned comfortable car listening to music but stuck in a traffic jam.

That's not to say that I like the American design of where you have to drive everywhere. I like living in a town where you can walk to shops and cafes. But I also like the freedom and the comfort and the fun of being able to get into a car and drive out.

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As a person raised in a country where public transportation sucks and roads are scarce and full of potholes, I am in love of American highways as much as with European public transportation. In fact, I also love NY subway, the way you can move to any part of the city without knowing anything and following just google maps directions of which subte take.

The highways in America are super easy to navigate with carplay/gps and to be honest, and I have yet to see a jam where your car is completely stopped for more than 10 minutes. What I see is a dance of cars where every car travels to cruise speed.. another thing I’d mention is that I consider americans good drivers and very respectful of the laws compared to other countries.

What I like about a place like Tokyo is that you can choose the mode of transportation that is most suitable for your journey. If you're someone who likes cars, there's no shortage of roads and highways. It's a great way to travel into the mountains where the trains can't go.

Personally, I use my bike whenever possible, up to about a 30 minute journey. Farther than that, or when the weather is bad, I use the train. If I need to go somewhere remote, I can rent a car or call a taxi.

As for a commute, housing is cheaper here than you'd expect, partly because housing is not viewed as an investment. It's not difficult to live near where you work, if avoiding the trains is a priority for you.

The problem is that this freedom and comfort and fun of driving is only part of the deal. The rest is being stuck in traffic or looking for parking - and I suspect that accounts for most of the time driving, for most people, especially when driving to work (i.e. during rush hours).

There could be, but I can’t think of anyone I know who grew up with transit who talks about how much they love car centric suburbia. I do know people who like that their kids are in greener spaces, which is related.

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