On the topic of private transit against public transit, people are decidedly divided. As someone without a car, it is hard for me to consider the possibility of not being able to travel by bus or train. Uber, Lyft, and numerous rideshare companies have taken over the taxi markets, but since taxi drivers still exist, there are still those who prefer the comfort of a private driver. What if, however, one has so many belongings as to be considered a nuisance on public transit, and has no other option than to be privately driven?
While going through Europe for two months, I helped carry: two backpacks, two duffels, two rolling suitcases, and one bicycle in a box. I have a folding dolly, so carrying the bicycle was reasonable, but that meant having to roll duffels on suitcases. Only when we figured out how to condense one duffel into a rolling suitcase did we have a much easier time moving from place to place. Consider the disdain that people have for encampments of the unhoused: what are the other options? They can condense their belongings as much as they can, but without a home, their homelessness is still apparent, which is why encampments usually include people who stay in the area to guard. It is impossible to take everything with them wherever they go.
In Mexico City, there was an opportunity to get to public transportation with all of our belongings. However, when people are traveling by bus or train, they are trying to get as many people into as small a space as possible. One suitcase with one backpack might have been acceptable, but with as much stuff as we were carrying, there was no way for us to be on public transportation without being a nuisance. Unlike most of the United States, people in Mexico have no shame about using buses and trains, and a city like Mexico City means all of those modes are packed. Who were we to stop a nurse or service worker ending twelve hour shifts to prevent them from sitting because we had plans to travel?
Unfortunately, private transportation can be just as dangerous depending on the amount one has to spend. Of course wealthy people can afford to pay private drivers who do nothing but drive safely and wait all day long. People with less money depend on taxis and rideshares, and not all drivers have the same stakes. Both are private contractors, but taxis drivers are generally safer because that is their only job. Rideshare operators are possibly safe–or they could be cruising social media while navigating rush hour traffic, meaning that we could either lose belongings or our lives.
In theory, everyone should be able to take care of their belongings, but life is less organized than ever, and is slated to get worse for more people. Rather than assume that “normal” people will have one personal belonging and nothing else, we should all start to consider that everyone has a different story. From unhoused people to those traveling as a job, getting from place to place at reasonable cost is a manageable expectation from cities that charge so much just to exist within their borders.
Chasing A Dying Empire 