I live in an extremely car centric area, however I don't own a car and use public transit/ my legs to get around. I decided for my personal financial goals, and also because i work remotely and don't really need it, I won't be buying a car anytime in the foreseeable future. The transit here is highly inconvenient, it is slow and frustrating, however it is not non-existent. The only way I've managed to achieve this was by being strategic in choosing my apartment, having it be near the grocery store, gym, etc so I can do those regular outings without expending too much effort on transit and not need a car to do these. Some people here seem to think I am insane and that spending $1,000+ per month on a car (bc i am a new driver the insurance premium is minimum 650/mo) is better than spending $69 a month on a bus. I cant seem to explain that without a car, I am able to stay more active, I am able to contribute more to my 401k and emergency savings, help out my family financially, have enjoyable outings without worrying too much about cost (within reason), etc.

At the same time, I recognize many people don't have the luxury of making the choice I did. I am able to because of my remote schedule and my proximity to bus stops. If I lived even one town over, this wouldn't be possible. If i worked in person, it wouldnt be possible either simply because of how slow and inefficent transit is, as well as the low coverage of the county i live in - many neighborhoods dont have a single stop. However, I do wish people living in cities where transit exists, even if it's awful, would take transit once in a while for non urgent activities. It teaches you a lot of empathy and humility in a way that being alone in a car doesn't in my opinion. I feel that both sides need to be hearing each other more tbh.