Buses, Trams, Metros - Oh my!

A synopsis of how I feel on public transportation

If my friends know anything about me, they know I absolutely love cars - naturally, I love to drive as well. Driving is a time to relax, reflect, and renew. And if the weather permits, not much can compare to a sunroof and smooth playlist.

Thanks to my study abroad experience in Brussels, an extremely urban area, I now can say I have experienced a public transit dependent lifestyle. Luckily, my internship was only 4 stops away on the bus line that stopped directly in front of my housing unit. This made my experience with public transit much more enjoyable than others who may have had to change from the bus to a tram to a metro to ultimately reach their internships. Prior to living in Brussels, I had only used public transportation during my brief time in places like Chicago, New York City, and New Jersey. I knew going into Brussels that there is nothing better than an easy to understand transit system, and luckily Brussels transit was extremely user friendly - even if it was in a different language.

I have held jobs and internships that have required 30+ minute commutes by car. That being said, driving during rush hours when getting to or from work takes away from the relaxing, reflecting, and renewing aspects of driving. I can easily be in a constant state of anxiety when I am late due to unexpected traffic, as punctuality is a virtue to me. This held true in some cases on the bus system in Brussels, even when there are designated bus lanes on the urban streets. However, the metro and tram systems are a bit swifter and more trustworthy when in a rush compared to a bus or car.

I am unfortunately not an owner of AirPods, yes I am accepting donations, so my time waiting for and using public transit could get quite boring if I was alone. I am a music lover and nothing boosts my mood more than blasting my favorite songs in the car, even if I am alone. I would say this is definitely a personal bias to driving in America rather than public transportation in Europe.

One major win for public transportation is you don’t have to worry about parking - EVER! Parking can be quite expensive and stressful to find in many cities, American or not. However, if your workplace offers free and convenient parking, then this would be a win for driving in my opinion. Public transportation can also be extremely helpful when making plans with friends to go to your favorite spot for drinks, as you don’t have ever have to worry about driving under the influence.

Sustainability comes to mind when comparing a personal vehicle and public transportation, because there is clearly a more sustainable option. I have noticed that many cities are showing how their public transit systems are more sustainable with the addition of new electric trams or buses. But I also wouldn’t mind a Tesla... or a Prius.

There are many pros and cons to public transportation, but it ultimately boils down to personal preference. I prefer having alone time in my car - with music that is not coming from headphones. I didn’t always love waiting on the bus for 7+ minutes in the cold and rainy Brussels weather either. I believe the perfect blend would be the option to use an efficient public transit system at my personal convenience, but the freedom of driving as well.

Matthew Leigher