[TheChaplain]

> I always think it's weird how instead of just improving public transit, we've all become fixated on self driving vehicles.

I believe that people with this kind of mindset do not understand nor can understand the value of time.

Example, for me going to work using public transit takes ~35 minutes, that is 8 minutes of train then the rest on a bus. (Not including the waiting time for the train/bus to arrive for departure)

Using a car, it takes me roughly 12 minutes.

So.. I save 2*20 minutes per day by not using public transit. How much is that per week? Month?

Some may argue I should move closer to work, but that would mean a way higher mortgage and a crampy apartment vs. my house out in greener areas. I think the choice is fairly simple...

Or that I should switch jobs, but there are no companies around my living area which pays the same, and I really enjoy job and definitely my living standard.

So unless the city put a direct line with no stops between my suburb and the area I work in, a car makes my life less stressful and more efficient.

[wizofaus]

> I believe that people with this kind of mindset do not understand nor can understand the value of time.

Absolutely! An hour on a train where you can do productive work is far better than 30+ minutes in a car where that's not realistic. So sure, self driving cars that do make it realistic to work while commuting are the ideal, but in the mean time, ensuring public transport is sufficently uncrowded and well-connected that travelers can realistically make productive use of their travel time makes a lot of sense.

[SwiftyBug]

Do we really need to spend every commute hour working? To me long commutes, although sometimes tiring, have been a time to catch up on reading, listening to podcasts or just zoning out and thinking about nothing and everything.

Of course, we don't want to waste 2 hours of our day commuting, but this is the case to advocate for better public transportation that could take us quicker and more comfortably rather than believing that self-driving cars are the solution.

[wizofaus]

Reading is productive work, as is zoning out! Driving a car in a gridlock...no so much.

Though I was also thinking that on days you're expected to be in on-site, if the job makes it possible, you can potentially improve your commute by coming in later/leaving earlier while still being available during regular business hours.