public transit ain't American

Last night I confessed to my sister that I'm actually coming to a truce with Charlotte. It's to the point that I even bought some "art" for my apartment. It is a pretty city... beautiful trees, grass, brick, skyscrapers, cemeteries, funky little restaurants, daffodils. It smells good at night. There are things to do... even if you have to go into public places and ease drop in order to find out. There is art... even though it's locked up most of the time in pretty museums. There are cool people casted as bankers, housewives and other drone-like roles. There's good running in walking in some areas. I saw an owl on my street last week, which was cool after I got unfreaked out from seeing it fly in peripheral vision.

But there's one thing I hate: being dependent on a car. I don't like to drive. I resent having to own a car and spend tons of time in traffic. Of course, I pointed out to her that I lived for three years in Vancouver without a car. I survived with a bike and a bus pass-- that's the good life. I didn't have a car in Japan either. My rational and relentlessly intelligent sister asked, "What American cities that you'd want to live in have good public transit?" I started to hem and haw. New York. She said, "It's probably the best the US has to offer, but you still can't get across Central Park on public transportation. The metro has crappy hours. The El and T are problematic. And, MARTA is a total joke." I pointed Portland has good transport, but my sister doesn't really consider Oregon and Washington as legitimate parts of the US. They're misallocated Canadian provinces to her way of thinking. This is to say she ignored me.

She said, "Germany has excellent public transit. It also has a different tax system, culture and mentality. Public transit goes against our fierce individuality and our resistance to government involvement and control."

She's right. It's not just Charlotte; it's anywhere in the US. I've fought feeling at home here all of my life for just and unjust causes alike. I guess I'm going to file public transit as a lost cause.