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Uan aa Boa wrote:

Margaret Thatcher reputedly said that if you were on a bus after the age of 30 you should consider yourself a failure.

Northern Wood wrote:

That quote of Thatcher's is truly one of the more depressing statements I've heard from a politician (discounting the last four years across the pond, here).

First of all we must always remember Thatcher was living in a very, very different time. Whatever her life views were, they are outdated and invalid now. Public transport, i.e. aforementioned bus, is nothing like it was in her harsh era. Well, at least in the areas I've been to, although GB is not in the list :P But I truly doubt, say, London still exists in the setting of the mid 20th century.

However, it's unfortunate to see any kind of social shame for using public transport. I live in a city with quite developed system of métropolitain (subway/underground)/busses/trolleys/trams/trains and it's socially okay to use them. In fact, sometimes even [traditionally distant] wealthy people would rather prefer to use a quick public transport ride instead of using their cars with all those traffic jams/lack of parking slots in central town/other headache issues.

^{For legal reasons I must also clarify here that I broadcast pre-pandemic reality where taxi was a bit less popular option; now wealthy people, along with the "regular" ones, would rather hire a cab using one of several decent competitor companies in case if the distance is short & not in the rush hour; for a long ride they would either take metro train or abstain from going anywhere :P}

Metro system is not trashy here and the area is literally clean and well-maintained, although it's historical one so lack of modern vibe may be also an issue for some very specific wealthy people. Using the underground electrified miracle is the fastest and safest way to travel from point A to point B. There still exists stereotypical approach to the matter when people look down at those who travel via metro but it's an outdated social script and no one takes that seriously, rather laugh at such embarrassment of a wannabe bully. Some other people don't use underground train due to various personal reasons and go via trolleys/trams/busses instead. Some of the fleets got modernised and such ride may be quite pleasing or even big-rainy-city-life ambient-rich.

Not gonna lie, given a choice I'd rather prefer to avoid using public transport in rush hours not because of the shame or something but because of me disliking crowds of people in general. I don't feel comfy to use a full-packed train/bus and this doesn't bring me joy (unlike the free hours with just a few other passengers). In most of the rush hours cases when I happen to go somewhere I try to prefer taxi option for the sake of comfort, if I have a choice [traffic-wise]. For about a year my work schedule was nearly perfect and I didn't crash myself into morning/evening crowds of rushing people except for just a couple of cases of "extreme joy".

Uan aa Boa wrote:

A journalist writing a satirical piece on cultural differences said that if you decide to walk somewhere in the US because it's a nice day people will think you're an unusually well dressed and purposeful homeless person.

Outrage! :D As someone who loves such nice-day-walk I can't agree with the American society. Americans rely on cars way too much and their infrastructure is also dependant on it personal transport. It's hard, or nearly impossible to overhaul the whole city planning system there and I don't even know if they need to. Europe is just perfect for long walks around both in big cities, small towns, suburbs, or even countryside (although with more exceptions than in cities). I find it crucially important to be able to go for a comfortable stroll any minute and any weather without relying on any kind of transportation except for the bicycles maybe.