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FWIW, on many of the worst weather days this winter, I was glad I was taking public transportation, and felt bad for my co-workers who were stuck with the stress of driving on bad roads, with other drivers who may or may not know what they were doing.
It's probably different for women, but I was able to dress appropriately for the cold, (hat, scarf, gloves, wool overcoat, etc.) and still look business casual at the office.
Thank you for proving my point upthread. "Business casual" for women does not generally consist of hiking boots, "hat hair", etc.
Thank you for proving my point upthread. "Business casual" for women does not generally consist of hiking boots, "hat hair", etc.
From living in an major city that gets extreme weather, if you ride transit you must dress up for it. If by car then you can risk less clothing on as you are less exposed to the cold. The EL and busses can sometimes have trouble getting to an comfortable temperature inside(not unhealthy.. just not toasty) due to the opening and closing of the doors. Transit does have some small advantages in winter in that your car can get trapped in the garage or trapped by snow and there can be parking problems due to snow at your destination but other than that not much reason to ride transit on cold days.
In the US people often do grow up using public transit if you live in an Major city. If you live in an burb there may be little to no public transit and little to no ability to walk around(depends on the burb). In almost all cases there is parking at work unless you work in an downtown CBD in an major city. In the US we have cheap gas and an expressway(freeway) system that isn't that clogged outside of rush.
I grew up in suburbia where bus transit was like spotting a unicorn, and rail didn't even exist outside of freight rail.
Thank you for proving my point upthread. "Business casual" for women does not generally consist of hiking boots, "hat hair", etc.
My wife wears winter boots to work on cold days and keeps her dress shoes under her desk. It is very common to see women all dressed up for work and wearing sneakers while commuting on the trains and walking in the city.
I think DC has pretty good transit, but it doesn't serve all areas equally well. The experience in Arlington or the H Street or Rockville MD are all wildly different. Not all neighborhoods are equally convenient.
By your standard, it doesn't have "decent transit" since I'd have to structure my life around it. If there was an 8:00 pm movie showing in Georgetown, I could get in my car at 7:30 and make it there in time for previews. The same trip on public transportation would have taken an hour each way. Transit simply doesn't allow for the same type of spontaneity.
You know public transit is limiting when people tell you all of the things you don't do.
Don't go to a movie theater on the other side of town. Go to one that's off a rail line (even if it's ratchet and you can't hear the movie over Beyonce ringtones).
Don't take a job that's not within walking distance of a station (even if it pays way more with premium healthcare and 100% employer match on 401K contributions).
There aren't too many "don'ts" with private vehicles because they can go pretty much everywhere transit can go, but on your time.
In DC, I found Metro most useful for commuting to work, and that was mostly because it was cheaper. It was only more "convenient" in that sense. Otherwise, it made little sense to drive from a time and cost perspective.
My wife wears winter boots to work on cold days and keeps her dress shoes under her desk. It is very common to see women all dressed up for work and wearing sneakers while commuting on the trains and walking in the city.
You know, for an innocent comment about being prepared for winter driving by keeping boots, gloves, hat, etc in the car, it sure stirred up a storm! I will point out that another poster, who I believe is also from the midwest, agreed with me.
I work part time, and I don't really have a desk. Keeping shoes at work would not be practical for me. It obviously is practical for your wife. That's good. Just let me keep my boots in the car, so I have them when/if I need them. That works for me.
By your standard, it doesn't have "decent transit" since I'd have to structure my life around it. If there was an 8:00 pm movie showing in Georgetown, I could get in my car at 7:30 and make it there in time for previews. The same trip on public transportation would have taken an hour each way. Transit simply doesn't allow for the same type of spontaneity.
You know public transit is limiting when people tell you all of the things you don't do.
Don't go to a movie theater on the other side of town. Go to one that's off a rail line (even if it's ratchet and you can't hear the movie over Beyonce ringtones).
Don't take a job that's not within walking distance of a station (even if it pays way more with premium healthcare and 100% employer match on 401K contributions).
There aren't too many "don'ts" with private vehicles because they can go pretty much everywhere transit can go, but on your time.
In DC, I found Metro most useful for commuting to work, and that was mostly because it was cheaper. It was only more "convenient" in that sense. Otherwise, it made little sense to drive from a time and cost perspective.
But again, this assumes everyone wants to--or can--drive! If we--as a nation--hadn't become so dependent on the automobile, there wouldn't be so many "don'ts" associated with public transit.
By your standard, it doesn't have "decent transit" since I'd have to structure my life around it. If there was an 8:00 pm movie showing in Georgetown, I could get in my car at 7:30 and make it there in time for previews. The same trip on public transportation would have taken an hour each way. Transit simply doesn't allow for the same type of spontaneity.
You know public transit is limiting when people tell you all of the things you don't do.
Don't go to a movie theater on the other side of town. Go to one that's off a rail line (even if it's ratchet and you can't hear the movie over Beyonce ringtones).
Don't take a job that's not within walking distance of a station (even if it pays way more with premium healthcare and 100% employer match on 401K contributions).
There aren't too many "don'ts" with private vehicles because they can go pretty much everywhere transit can go, but on your time.
In DC, I found Metro most useful for commuting to work, and that was mostly because it was cheaper. It was only more "convenient" in that sense. Otherwise, it made little sense to drive from a time and cost perspective.
That is the downside of the DC Metro, it is really only used for commuting to and from work, most people in DC spend their leisure time within their own neighborhood where it is easy to reach things by foot or car. Also, there isn't a train line to Georgetown (which is odd) so one would have to rely on the bus getting to and from that area. Plus if you were going to see a movie, you would just go to a theater near you rather than commute to a neighborhood you didn't live in.
But again, this assumes everyone wants to--or can--drive! If we--as a nation--hadn't become so dependent on the automobile, there wouldn't be so many "don'ts" associated with public transit.
I live in an City with enough transit that I could Probably manage to get home at 3a.m. If I wanted to from many places. The don'ts stem from the very nature of transit. It isn't like the bus somehow levitates down road and runs an route your car can not. The bus is confined to the street and if I drive I can have much more flexibility about when and where I go than if I take transit.
I don't have to call a cab or wait to go home if transit isn't available or stops running where I happened to be.
I don't have to follow the route of the bus. I can stop run errands and drop things off as I please.
I don't have to risk walking or waiting in dangerous locations at night to make transfers.
It is freedom.
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