"It's not shame or fear, it's reliability and quality of service. Bus service is undependable and infrequent with labyrinth routes that will rarely go between where you are and where you want to go with any sort of efficiency. Buses are also *slow*. A bus is likely to get caught in the same traffic that a car would get caught in; a problem that's not easily solved by dedicated bus lanes. Boarding them is also a hassle, because everyone pays *as they board* as opposed to at some point prior as is the case with every other form of mass transit. I'd also note the same reason city planners hate rail is the reason everyone else loves it: rail is fixed infrastructure. There's an ever-present threat of rail service changes, but if you buy a house that's walking distance from a rail stop you can be pretty damn sure it'll *always* be within walking distance of a rail stop. The same for any business you might want to open. Penny pinching cities can move bus stops or easily eliminate service..." - Eric P