Which Form of Transport Would You Prefer?

[Matej]

If you could choose one form of transport for daily use, which one would you opt for? Vote on the poll and please explain your answer.

Let's pretend that time wasted on travelling doesn't play important role in your decision. We're talking about ideal conditions that allow you to choose freely.

In addition, I prepared two bonus questions you can quote and answer if you like:

• In general, what is the safest way of travelling in your opinion?
• Are you ready to spend some money so that you could travel more comfortable?

Thank you!

 

[Lizard]

Well that's a strange question really. I am not going to take the train to my friend's house 2 blocks away but if I wanted to go to another city then train it is.

 

[Com Fox]

If I'm with someone else, Car is my choice. On my own, rather take the Bus.

 

[homeforsummer]

If I had a completely elevation-free commute and there was less traffic on the roads (i.e. fewer people careering around increasing the risk of death) I'd probably cycle to work, purely for the fitness benefits. If I lived and worked in a city (and I have in the past), I'll walk wherever possible - again, partly to be healthy, and partly because I don't like public transport.

Since my current commute is neither of those things, the only realistic choices are car or public transport - and car is my preference of those.

As for the two questions:

If correctly maintained, public transport should be safest, but I personally feel safe enough driving (and wouldn't feel particularly safe cycling).

And I already do spend extra money to travel more comfortably - that's essentially what I'm doing by driving.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

In an ideal world, public transit would be the answer. Unfortunately, in terms of transit, Toronto is about as far away from ideal as possible. The system here sucks, and I'm lucky that I'm very rarely in a situation where I have to use it. I do take the train out of town twice a week, and that's bad enough.

I'll probably pick up a bike when the weather warms up in the spring. I miss having one, and the city is fairly flat, with a lot of dedicated bike lanes. Like @homeforsummer said, it's partly for the health, but mostly to avoid ever needing public transit. Unless I'm out drinking, I suppose... but then again, I probably wouldn't have taken the bike there to begin with.

 

[Barracuda413]

because BIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AudiMan2011]

I would pick my car mainly due to my work commute every day because of where I live and also because it's the most convenient. I have a rather poor relationship with public transport, especially trains when I had to travel down to Aberdeen before I could drive.

I find cars as the safest way to travel due our poor public transit system, plus I want to be in control if something were to happen.

If I could get a better car than what I have now, then I would spend more money to travel more comfortably.

 

[ViscousTraction]

For daily use and just about all the time I prefer to drive since I hate public transportation and I like being in control of my own form of transportation.

If it weren't for daily use then it would be a mix up of driving and walking/bike/skateboarding.

Driving: Because it can be fun (*cough* all within legislation. I do not condone reckless driving *cough*)
Walking: Usually at night or whenever it's quiet outside. It's very relaxing and it doesn't even matter what the weather is outside. Obviously excluding storms, blizzards, etc.

In my honest opinion; I don't think there is a safest form of transportation.
Unless it's a drastic comparison such as, riding a 1300cc motorcycle in the 32° F storming rain at night VS driving a 5 star rated car during a clear afternoon.
Seriously though, accidents/incidents are prone to anyone at anytime and it doesn't matter what method of transportation they use.

 

[BobK]

Let's pretend that time wasted on travelling doesn't play important role in your decision.

Given that the time factor would be the overwhelmingly dominant reason why I'd choose, I really can't disregard it.
Unless the "ideal conditions" include near-perfect weather all the time or at least during travel time, biking and walking quickly get ruled out.

 

[BKGlover]

I can't walk to work. PT doesn't exist out here, and I doubt I'd use it much. I don't trust motorcycles, bicycles are OK for a bit. Car, or truck in my case, it is.

 

[catamount39]

Car, love driving and commuting to school. Should be said though I'm in the middle of nowhere and traffic is a myth around here.

 

[Northstar]

For the most part driving is my only option for things like work as I need to carry a van full of stuff and walking/biking isn't ideal during the winter. During the warmer months I do enjoy a walk or bike ride though.

The closest thing to public transportation around me is the train that can take me downtown.

 

[Turbo]

My vote is for cars. You can drive almost anywhere in your country with them without a problem. My least favorite would have to be public transportation.

I've never heard of any public transport that's actually decent. I've taken the train to NYC about ten times in my life, and there were signal/electrical problems almost every time, causing a delay. The subway cars also has similar problems, but it's even worse since it smells bad and needs to be cleaned. Even the buses... the driver drives like a madman, and/or the bus reeks and is filthy.

My dad has been to Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Cleveland before. He has said all bad things about the subway and bus rides.

It's a shame that public transport in cities are often unreliable, dirty, and unenjoyable. Maybe some cities have really nice public transport, but the transport in the cities I've went to, or heard of, all sucked.

 

[Epic B]

Public transit. I don't go out much on my own (At least not where having a car would be better), and for getting around the city, transit is enough for me. Vancouver has lots of transit. And there's a new train line opening where I live in less than a month, and that will make getting around much easier for me. For the places I go, I don't need a car.

 

[ULTRAVIOLENZZ]

Just recently I've been thinking about what if I get around here riding a horse? But I would say car or bicycle.

 

[W3H5]

I'm a rider first and foremost so for me it's always a bicycle or motorcycle to answer any of those questions although safety is often questionable.

 

[Liquid]

It is, as with most things, completely contextual.

I like driving for pleasure.
I like cycling for fitness and sightseeing.
I like walking for fitness and for proximity.

So it depends on the journey.

 

[Matej]

Given that the time factor would be the overwhelmingly dominant reason why I'd choose, I really can't disregard it.
Unless the "ideal conditions" include near-perfect weather all the time or at least during travel time, biking and walking quickly get ruled out.

If you really can't disregard it, express your personal thoughts about each of the four forms of transport listed in the poll.

 

[Ryk]

Fresh Air, Easy Exercise - You can slam a unicorn on the front and easy storage for a Gnomestick.

"This is the future. The world as we knew it is gone. Acid rain has left the land barren and the water toxic. Scarred by endless wars humanity struggles to survive in the ruins of the old world, frozen in an everlasting nuclear winter. This is the future... this is the year 1997."

 

[Lizard]

Ok ignoring the distance factor. Train, able to go faster, able to get up mid journey and stretch, able to buy food and drink without stopping, able to get drunk without getting arrested yet still get to your destination. Able to use the toilet mid journey if you are desperate.

 

[Barracuda413]

My vote is for cars. You can drive almost anywhere in your country with them without a problem. My least favorite would have to be public transportation.

I've never heard of any public transport that's actually decent. I've taken the train to NYC about ten times in my life, and there were signal/electrical problems almost every time, causing a delay. The subway cars also has similar problems, but it's even worse since it smells bad and needs to be cleaned. Even the buses... the driver drives like a madman, and/or the bus reeks and is filthy.

My dad has been to Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Cleveland before. He has said all bad things about the subway and bus rides.

It's a shame that public transport in cities are often unreliable, dirty, and unenjoyable. Maybe some cities have really nice public transport, but the transport in the cities I've went to, or heard of, all sucked.

Cape may lewis ferry is nice, and its sort of public transportation

 

[Joey D]

Public transport is good in Salt Lake City, which is a nice change since it was awful in Grand Rapids and the Detroit area. Still though, I'd rather take a car.

 

[Joel]

All things being equal and choosing one it'd be a car, but in a lot of cases I'd rather use public transit or walk/bike since parking in cities can be very expensive and/or time consuming. That's what I do now, I live in the city and I take the bus to school every day since the slightly longer trip is made up for by not having to find parking. I drive my car to get groceries/go to hockey or to drive on weekends when the buses are less frequent and there's no traffic.

 

[TheCracker]

Public transport is decent enough where i live, but my daily commute would end up taking twice as long as it currently does in a car. It would save me only 2/3rds of my monthly car costs too and that includes all weekend and evening own-car usage. Walking would be out of the question - although i have done in the past when i lived much closer to where i worked. Cycling would be the next quickest after using the car, and i'd certainly enjoy the exercise. But cross-town rush hour traffic is no place for a bicycle. Not when the six months of dark winter hours come into effect and the roads are constantly damp or quite possibly icey.

 

[Corsa]

I'm the odd one out here, probably.
I'm in my 7th year of doing the motorcycle only "thing"
I do own a pickup truck, a large lifted Dodge Ram that loves fuel more than I love marlboro lights and starbucks.
It's been driven 3 times in the last 2 years.
At 40, I still enjoy the challenge of commuting in less than desirable conditions, keeps me tough I like to think, err crazy some say.

 

[W3H5]

I'm the odd one out here, probably.
I'm in my 7th year of doing the motorcycle only "thing"
I do own a pickup truck, a large lifted Dodge Ram that loves fuel more than I love marlboro lights and starbucks.
It's been driven 3 times in the last 2 years.
At 40, I still enjoy the challenge of commuting in less than desirable conditions, keeps me tough I like to think, err crazy some say.

I'd always take 2 wheels over 4. My wife uses our car for work and even when I have use of it I'd still rather ride than drive.

 

[Lizard]

I'd always take 2 wheels over 4. My wife uses our car for work and even when I have use of it I'd still rather ride than drive.

Even when it's freezing cold and raining? I know you are in Thailand but still would you ride then?

 

[niky]

Even when it's freezing cold and raining? I know you are in Thailand but still would you ride then?

It rains in Thailand, too. Not freezing cold rain, but it can get pretty chilly if you're in the middle of a typhoon.

-

Ideally, I'd bike. I love biking. I love the freedom. The car is the next best thing, but using a car to commute isn't as fulfilling. (Maybe a motorcycle). The car does have the benefit of being a living room on wheels, allowing you to catch some quick zzzzs on a long trip, but you do get that with public transport, as well... as long as it's good public transport.

I've ridden some truly horrible public utility vehicles, but that week in Japan a few months ago was bliss. The Shinkansen is a wonderful way to travel.

 

[W3H5]

Even when it's freezing cold and raining? I know you are in Thailand but still would you ride then?

Like niky said, it doesn't get freezing here and I'm currently having lunch after riding to the restaurant through a rain storm. With the right gear I stay dry.
Having ridden through a -30 (with wind chill) blizzard on iced roads I can say that I'd do it again, no matter how agonising and dangerous it was, just for the thrills.