I like public transit. Really. Sure, there’s something about getting in a car and going where you want when you want. But, in addition to environmental concerns, there is something I really like about public transit.
I thought of this once again while having coffee on the upper level of a McDonald’s at Queen and Spadina in Toronto, looking out at the corner (phone photo above), with streetcar after streetcar going through the intersection. In a car you are insulated from the world (yes I know, that can be the appeal). In public transit, you notice more around you, or at least have the opportunity to do so.
It’s not always pleasant, but it does help connect you to some degree with the lives and condition of some part of humanity you might not otherwise encounter. And that’s a good thing, especially for those of us who presume to bring Good News to that humanity, and even more if we are prepared to acknowledge how much we have in common.