How Self-Driving Cars will Destroy Cities (and what to do about it)

My Thoughts About Public Transportation

As a single parent, I gave up my car to save money. My daughter grew up taking buses and trains in SLC. It was very difficult to make ends meet, but she didn't even want to learn to drive as a teen. We spent a lot of quality time together waiting for and taking buses. Our shopping with a little push cart or by tri-wheeler was difficult, but doable.

I am 66 years old. My mother told me the tiny town in SW GA where she grew up had trains to Atlanta and she took them sometimes. I checked a schedule. There were 5 trains stopping in her town all day long Monday-Friday and even a couple on Saturday!

Over the years, I've watched as intercity buses stopped going through many cities.

I am terrified of highway driving after an 18-wheeler took my side mirror off, and an accident in a sub-compact where my car got spun around. Drivers have only gotten crazier.

People have misconceptions about public transit, but I took MARTA to college and work for 25 years until rents got too high for me to even consider living in Atlanta. SLC got that way, too. But while we could afford it, we enjoyed just being together while we struggled with my wheelchair, my cane, or my elbow crutches, depending on what shape I was in that day. Despite the difficulties, we enjoyed our journeys. Europe is far smarter than us.