By Jung Gatoona

Those of us like myself who love and come to depend on Metro exclusively to get around, we can give you hundreds of reasons why we abandoned a lifestyle of driving around a car. Mass transit saves us money, helps the environment, reduces congestion in our roads, and much much more. Public transportation for us is just wonderful. So one has to ask, why do a majority of Angelenos still to this day avoid public transit? What are the underlying problems of today that keep people in their cars? Well to answer that, we truthfully look at the top ten reasons on why people avoid taking public transit in Los Angeles.

10. No Personal Space

Coming in at number ten is the invasion of personal space when using public transit. When buses or trains get packed inside during rush hours, all rules about respecting personal space goes out the window to make room for more people. Claustrophobic? If so, you probably avoid public transit, as you might have people shoving you as they enter or exit, crotches or buttocks right up against your face if you're sitting down, and people talking loudly against your ear. For this reason to avoid public transit, it's mostly a cultural one. As Americans we value our personal space and tend to require more space than those in other cultures. So for many of us, taking the car is less stressful and guarantees that no one will invade our personal space.

9. Creeps and Muggers Aboard

Coming in at number nine is a reason I frequently hear from people who don't take public transit. It is the wide belief that taking public transportation alone is dangerous because it's full of creeps and muggers. First, let's define a creep. A creep is defined as someone unpleasantly strange or eccentric. And, if you're the type of person who finds strangers asking or talking to you about personal matters socially akward, then for you public transportation is full of creeps. When taking public transit, people *will* interact with you via talking and listening, and it's often very hard to avoid interaction when there are people all around you who happen to be less than a foot away. Wearing headphones and pretending to read a book might help, but it won't guarantee complete avoidance of interaction.

8. Totally Uncool

Let's say you see two people who look identical to each other. One is driving a bright red Mustang, and the other is sitting inside a bus. Which one is cooler and more manly? Did you pick the guy in the bus? No? Well than, it's obvious that there are some heavy stereotypes against those who use public transit. In popular American culture for example, especially in car-culture centered Los Angeles, one who takes the bus is not classified as cool. Transit riders are often seen as the poor, unsuccessful and underprivileged members of society. While some of us lack the care in what others think about us, many people however do care. For example, thinking of going to your prom or picking up your date via public transit? Most people would say, forget about it, take the car.

7. Very Confusing

Is this the Red Line or Purple Line? Does this bus go here? How much is the fare? Why are the turnstiles not accepting my paper tickets? WHERE AM I?! For some people, just the confusion alone from trying to congest the sheer mass size of the ever-changing mass transit system can keep people attached to their cars. It's true, public transportation in Los Angeles is and can get a bit confusing sometimes, especially if you rarely use or you've never used it. And, with constant changes, reroutes, and delays to transit service, one just finds driving to be a simpler way to get about.

6. To Avoid Getting Sick

There's a sort of factual myth that while taking public transit, you're much more likely to get sick. The thought of being enclosed inside a bus or train, while people around you cough, sneeze, and wipe their noses can be a nightmare for many, especially those who are germophobic. While it is true the chances of catching a cold, flu, or any other disease increases while taking public transit due to increase in interaction with others, there are several things you can do to avoid getting sick. Face mask anyone?

5. Never on Time / Hate Waiting

Some people just aren't patient enough and can't handle the stress of waiting for a bus, especially if the bus they're waiting for is frequently delayed and will be arriving late because of some constant filming event or construction activity, as it often happens. And, unfortunately unlike a car, buses and trains will not always be there at the given moment when you need to go somewhere. If you do take public transit, waiting for your ride to arrive and pick you up will often be a frequent part of your commuting. So to save as much time as possible, you will have to adjust your schedules according to the arrival/departure times of buses/trains. An adjustment not everyone is willing or able to do.

4. Moving Cargo

Carrying loads of groceries or any other objects like furniture from the store to your home can be quite difficult without a car. So for those individuals who often take a lot of stuff here and there as they go from place to place, public transportation is definitely not the most desirable option to go with. Some transit agencies in Los Angeles accommodate for people who do carry cargo around by offering places on their trains and buses to place their items, but during times when trains and buses are packed, it's impossible to take them aboard.

3. Limited service in Area

Ever been to parts of Los Angeles where bus stops and train stations are nowhere to be found, where pedestrians hardly walk amongst its streets? For the people who live and work in such areas with limited public transit service, getting around without a car is very strenuous. For public transit riders there, if any, there are no nearby rail stations, the nearest bus station from their place of work or residency is often a good 6-10 blocks away, and bus arrival times are partitioned by every 30-45 minutes. For these reasons alone, it's sometimes simpler to just drive.

2. Love my Car

Most Angelenos love their cars and driving them. Some just don't want to give it up, and will stick with their cars no matter what. For them and their city that proudly showcases a culture around cars, their cars are what defines their image and social status. With their cars they feel public transit is not needed, and they can live just fine without it. Just as some of us are passionate about Metro and how we'll never set foot in a car, there are those who feel the opposite way about their cars and public transit.

1. Takes Too Long

This is the big one, loss of valuable time. When it comes to going somewhere, public transit will in many cases take longer to arrive at your destination than compared to driving there. In what should take 30-40 minutes of driving, it will take 45-65 minutes via public transit. This estimate of course is taking out from the equation the time waiting for the bus, and the time it will take you to walk or bike over to your destination once you arrive at your stop. In some cases though, public transit is faster. For example, some of the rails can actually take you to destinations faster, but only if traffic impedes fast car movement.

Photo | Jung Gatoona & LRT