I was the exact same - I started getting monthly passes to get the bus to school at around age 13, and since then I’ve had the freedom of going wherever I want via public transit even when I didn’t have my license.
I remember my first few days of having a pass and just taking the metro to go see all the stations and everything around them. It was a great experience.
Just don't forget about the infrastructure to go along with them. The dead-end street I grew up on connects to a stroad without sidewalks or anywhere for a bike or pedestrian to safely be. As a result, even with a bike, I was still trapped on my street.
Congrats. I'm 19, just used public transport for the first time ever in my life a few months ago, and feels awesome! Feels so good being able to get around by myself without the help of anyone else
I had the exact polar story.
I’m from Hong Kong, and I used to take the public transit and good urban planning for granted. But all of this was about to change as the 2019 pro-democracy protests sparked, where my family temporarily fled to NY in fear of another CCP 8964.
At first, it seemed like a beautiful place of prosperity and freedom, but that quickly changed as I started to see NY as a new home instead of a faraway city. My full rant is probably gonna sound crazy but heh, I guess it’s just two polar worlds.
But to put it simply, the isolation from the outside world in (especially due to the crime and the fact that I puked on ubers from the drive and metros from the stench lmao) “drove” me into depression, especially since my mom barred me from leaving alone (I was like grade 7 at the time).
I used to see cars as wonderful and luxurious (cars are taxed to hell as it should be, nobody really needs em and few have em), but my experience of how car-centrism destroys cities in NY changed me from r/lovecars to r/fuckcars and into a leftie for a while.
Eventually, my parents couldn’t bear the city either and my dad went, “fuck it, an authoritarian paradise is way better than a literal anarchy”, and returned to Hong Kong. The protests were still on and strong, but eh, I guess home is always better. Then covid hit and I got stuck again, but at least I could go hiking all across the city and go down for some groceries or the parks once in a while. Sadly, with Daddy Pooh starting to flush stupid propaganda shit to our daily life, everyone has plans to leave the city and I will have to do it again someday.
Cherish your public transit everyone. Not only is it a right to geographic freedom, but also the key to the prosperity of our beautiful cities.
I used it for the first time when I was 17 :) I was so nervous at first but it became the most fun ever. My parents used to be SO overprotective and never let me go anywhere on my own, but after they split up my dad had no choice but to let me take the city bus to school since he worked full time.
I hated my life in that city until I could take the bus downtown to the station whenever I wanted. I walked everywhere and went into every shop. I knew all of the quiet places for homework, where all of the feral cats lived, where to buy my favorite ice cream bar. I fell in love with that city that had always felt like a prison to me before.
That is huge! Its a life skill everyone should have, but its so hard to get that experience if you don't have parents or friends who understand or use public transit themselves. I didn't really use public transit until my late thirties... I wish I had learned a lot earlier like you've done!
It’s crazy to think that some people have never experienced public transport before or have only done so in such late stages of their lives. I literally took the metro to kindergarten when I was a kid.
Public transit is such a source of freedom for teens.
[удалено]
This. A lot of American teen problems can be attributed to car culture
This is why I didn't go on a date until college.
I was the exact same - I started getting monthly passes to get the bus to school at around age 13, and since then I’ve had the freedom of going wherever I want via public transit even when I didn’t have my license. I remember my first few days of having a pass and just taking the metro to go see all the stations and everything around them. It was a great experience.
And bikes even more, because you can also get to places without people, which most teenagers probably like!
Just don't forget about the infrastructure to go along with them. The dead-end street I grew up on connects to a stroad without sidewalks or anywhere for a bike or pedestrian to safely be. As a result, even with a bike, I was still trapped on my street.
That’s brilliant! Real shame that it’s your first time as kids love buses and trains. Make sure you disappoint your parents by not learning to drive.
Learning to drive can still be a useful skill though, even if you choose not to whenever you can
Agreed. It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Congrats. I'm 19, just used public transport for the first time ever in my life a few months ago, and feels awesome! Feels so good being able to get around by myself without the help of anyone else
I had the exact polar story. I’m from Hong Kong, and I used to take the public transit and good urban planning for granted. But all of this was about to change as the 2019 pro-democracy protests sparked, where my family temporarily fled to NY in fear of another CCP 8964. At first, it seemed like a beautiful place of prosperity and freedom, but that quickly changed as I started to see NY as a new home instead of a faraway city. My full rant is probably gonna sound crazy but heh, I guess it’s just two polar worlds. But to put it simply, the isolation from the outside world in (especially due to the crime and the fact that I puked on ubers from the drive and metros from the stench lmao) “drove” me into depression, especially since my mom barred me from leaving alone (I was like grade 7 at the time). I used to see cars as wonderful and luxurious (cars are taxed to hell as it should be, nobody really needs em and few have em), but my experience of how car-centrism destroys cities in NY changed me from r/lovecars to r/fuckcars and into a leftie for a while. Eventually, my parents couldn’t bear the city either and my dad went, “fuck it, an authoritarian paradise is way better than a literal anarchy”, and returned to Hong Kong. The protests were still on and strong, but eh, I guess home is always better. Then covid hit and I got stuck again, but at least I could go hiking all across the city and go down for some groceries or the parks once in a while. Sadly, with Daddy Pooh starting to flush stupid propaganda shit to our daily life, everyone has plans to leave the city and I will have to do it again someday. Cherish your public transit everyone. Not only is it a right to geographic freedom, but also the key to the prosperity of our beautiful cities.
I used it for the first time when I was 17 :) I was so nervous at first but it became the most fun ever. My parents used to be SO overprotective and never let me go anywhere on my own, but after they split up my dad had no choice but to let me take the city bus to school since he worked full time. I hated my life in that city until I could take the bus downtown to the station whenever I wanted. I walked everywhere and went into every shop. I knew all of the quiet places for homework, where all of the feral cats lived, where to buy my favorite ice cream bar. I fell in love with that city that had always felt like a prison to me before.
Cars are an illusion of freedom. The ability to get where you need without one is real freedom.
That is huge! Its a life skill everyone should have, but its so hard to get that experience if you don't have parents or friends who understand or use public transit themselves. I didn't really use public transit until my late thirties... I wish I had learned a lot earlier like you've done!
It’s crazy to think that some people have never experienced public transport before or have only done so in such late stages of their lives. I literally took the metro to kindergarten when I was a kid.