I can’t think of a single instance my entire time abroad that I wished I had a car. Everything was accessible via public transportation or walkable (at least by my standards). From my house I could walk to a Metro station, transfer twice and be at the airport in less than an hour, all for less than 2 euros.

Granted, Madrid was the cheapest city to stay in, but no matter what airport I used I could easily catch a shuttle or bus into the city center for a reasonable price. I would never plan those details because it was always safe to assume that there’d be a convenient way to get where I needed from the main station or airport. The flights themselves were not that expensive either, averaging around 70 euros each direction (some places I went to were really expensive, pushing up that average). In Italy I rode the train everywhere and could easily do a roundtrip for less than 20 euros.

This accessibility is not limited to the major cities, as I caught buses or regional rail trains into small towns for a few euros. Most people don’t even own cars and if they do it’s most likely a family car that was bought way beyond the teen years. It’s nearly impossible to avoid using public transportation—that’s how handy and ubiquitous it is.

The daily commute to work is certainly easier and getting around with subways or buses is usually more environmentally friendly. The majority are quite clean (especially for the number of people using them) and safe. Just hop on and sit back with your newspaper (always handing out free ones on the streets) while someone else deals with the traffic and solves the parking problem.

I used the systems to such an extent that I think it’s safe to call myself an expert in public transportation. Finding platforms, purchasing tickets, determining which line to take on that complicated map of colors, and figuring out what the big status signs mean is something I can do in any language.

Of course, there’s nothing this extensive in the US. Some of the major cities have Metros that work alright in terms of locations reached, cleanliness, and travel time, but that’s barely worth noting. At first I thought I was simply overlooking the public transportation options available here, but when I got back I found that there would be no way to get home (or even nearby) from the airport without my parents picking me up. How about a trip up to Boston from Philadelphia without a car? Nope, only outrageous prices for excruciatingly long commutes.

Public transportation is simply impractical. In fact, more than impractical, it’s stupid to use. There is no way to get from point A to B in most cases without using a car at some point in the journey. We are a nation dependent on cars. As much as I grumble about it and watch the environment degrade despite the ever-increasing gas prices, our towns weren’t built to be public transportation friendly and there’s really no going back now. I miss my freedom!