I’m 25 and I don’t have a drivers license. I mean, I’ve never really felt the need to go and get one. Public transport is usually the fastest option where I live, and it takes a lot less responsibility to use it.
But most people would still prefer driving, rather than using the public T. Why?
Speaking as someone who lives in the US, the reason why people “prefer” it is because it’s embedded into the culture that public transportation is for poor people- temporarily embarrassed millionaires and all that. And the reason for that cultural programming is because auto manufacturers and airlines have consistently lobbied against any improvements to public transportation from the very beginning, and even had a hand in specifically designing cities to require cars. China has bullet trains that could get us safely and comfortably from one side of the country to the other in 4 hours. Most EU countries have safe, cheap, accessible public transportation that EVERYONE uses.
At the end of the day, it’s just another capitalist ploy.
The fastest bullet train in the world is the Shanghai Maglev at 268 mph. New York to LA is 2,475 (great circle distance). Even if it could be in that shortest straight distance and there were zero stops, NYC to LA would be over 9 hours.
It’s really not that different from anywhere else. Almost anywhere in the world, people who can afford cars usually buy cars.
You can see that with all the comments talking about how cars are superior because you don’t need to share space with strangers.
I’ve got no problem buying government bread/cheese. Getting the discounted meat because it’s close to the sell-by date. I don’t prefer a car because of the perception that PT’s for poor people. I prefer my car because it’s just a better option in my eyes.
China is the number 1 car market on planet earth now. They buy more cars today than nearly anybody else thanks to an exploding middle class.
The fastest train in China does not go anywhere near 700 miles per hour (LA to NYC = 2800miles). The train would have to break the ground speed of sound.