10 Comments

Thank you for this post. When I lived in Japan, I used the excellent public transportation system every day and loved it for the reasons you highlighted. I appreciate reading your blog for the varied topics you touch on. Thank you.

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Arigato gozaimasu!

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Excellent post. I wholeheartedly agree with you. After returning from 4 years in Germany, the hardest thing was adapting to zero public transportation. or any that was worth a damn. I realize that Europe's countries are smaller, but geez, we put men on the moon, and sent people to space and brought them back!! We can't figure out a way to have reliable, clean, fast public transit?? Don't even get me started on the lobbies from the auto and fossil fuel industries! We all know they have a huge role in keeping us in our autos. Sigh~ I feel we will never learn. If falling life expectancy and myriad weather disasters won't wake us up, I fear we are too deep in our coma to be aroused :(

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When you analyze the root cause of societal ills, as you have, it comes back to money. In the case of the US...how we fund running for and staying in public office.

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The public transportation in Portugal is a big draw for me as I consider relocation from the U.S. Having grown up in the New York City area, I know that my life style and use of time were both much better when I lived in a city with good public transit. I like trains in particular. Yes, when I lived in the city, I did walk much more because it fit naturally into my life and I also got so much good reading done while riding on the subway each day, as opposed to funding my own vehicle so I can sit in traffic, waste my time, and feel aggravated because of the lack of transportation infrastructure where I currently live.

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I am finding that many of the people I speak with want to return to "the city" or "the village"...a place where they can walk to the market, gather at night in the square, and utilize public transit when they visit friends in a neighboring town.

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Thank you for another great post! We Americans are tied to our cars for so many reasons - I was curious how I’d do as a nomad overseas without a car. Turns out I loved it! With easy access to good public transportation, I didn’t miss it a bit. When coming back to the states, one of the first things I had to do was buy a car again, and outrageously expensive car insurance, even with a used car and clean driving record. Not how I prefer to spend money. Keep living the good life & sharing! ❤️

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It is hard to appreciate a depreciating asset that sits idle most of the time. For so many reasons we must find better ways.

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Where is that beautiful carousel scene from?

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It is in the center of town just 3 blocks from our house in a small park.

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