Because just about everybody can afford a car if they want it more than just a little?

Oh finally I've remembered what all this reasoning etc. reminds me. And I'm pretty scared of it: R. A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers - make your own deductions.

You know what they say too?

Oh yes, so the american example to the world is? Let me guess: everybody buy a car, SUV at best, and drive it everyday around your home city. Be nervous in traffic jams and waste fuel just because you want to go shopping to a shop 500 meters away from your home. No thak you.

I was really looking forward to hearing from you again. I wanted some portion of laugh in the evening and you haven't failed If there's a country which resembles orwellian society, you should know it first hand

And regarding your reaction to my comment above, it's clear that you don't read too much. Maybe Heinlein is blacklisted in your great country. What a shame.

Okay, I need a script to give Frank Griffin a Peter Griffin avatar now ...

I figured someone would say that, and it's utter bollocks. For one thing most people here can afford cars (yes, even with fuel being more expensive) and cars can be cheaper or at least very close to public transport.
But of course if someone says something is wrong with the USA then the "USA>>rest of the world" crowd will think of a reason why it's a feature rather than a problem.

There is a good answer as to why public transport is so bad, actually, and it has to do with population density (which is very high in the Netherlands).

You don't have a choice at all! The fact that you have such a horrid public transport system means that you need to have a car because there's no alternative.
So yeah, the government made a choice for you: you need to have a car, there's no alternative.

Asfor "America is great", well, I disagree and very strongly. I might stay there a while, but I certainly wouldn't want to live there long term (but the same goes for most of the rest of the world). Yes, that's because I'm biased in favour of my own country, but at least I'll admit that.

How many trains/trams/busses per hour between destinations within the city? How many local ones (ie, to other nearby towns) in the same time? How good are the connections if you need to transfer from one line to another?
What I'm used to (more or less) is ~15 minute intervals at most, typically 5-10 minutes in town. Some intercity trains only run every half hour, but then you usually have a slow train or another train to a nearby station. Some trains only run directly every hour, but then you have a transfer option at the half hour.
This is in an urban area. In the countryside and smaller villages, local busses and trains may only run every hour or every half hour, but you don't need them to get around the town itself, just to get to neighbouring towns.

What I'm saying is that if you have a low population density, you have fewer people using local transport systems, hence less of a reason to have one. On the other hand, if you're covering a large area with your system, then you can still have a lot of people who will want to use it. So maybe population density is less of a factor that I initially thought.
Conversely and maybe the main point I wanted to make, in the Netherlands the population density is so high that quite simply you cannot tell everyone to just use a car and you need a good transport system that can transport a fair number of people in a short amount of time.

I should elaborate. It's definitely more expensive over shorter distances, but longer distance it starts getting cheaper. Trains get expensive (though I've seen far, far worse).
For my mother I think it's cheaper to take the car to work than the train (it's definitely faster), at least with what I remember for the fuel prices a while back. She may have got a car that drives further for the same amount of fuel since then though.

Of course it depends on what you're used to.

What about after 6pm?

Well, quite!

"And regarding your reaction to my comment above, it's clear that you don't read too much. Maybe Heinlein is blacklisted in your great country. What a shame."

I dont read comic books so I guess that explains it.
A simple explaination of your comment is just too taxing for you I see.

"You don't have a choice at all! The fact that you have such a horrid public transport system means that you need to have a car because there's no alternative.
So yeah, the government made a choice for you: you need to have a car, there's no alternative."

It was human nature that created low public transport and a dispersed city. Most US city layouts are thus a result of human desire. So we got what the majority wanted. That was our choice. Being couped up in a high rise is not human nature.

Russia is still in Georgia proper when it signed a treaty saying they would retreat.
Is Russia looking evil yet?

Can we please get over the 'my country is better than yours' talk? it's so silly. We are all human beings, almost 100% alike, for crying out loud.

A dictatorship by the majority is still a dictatorship. But I doubt you know what I mean by that, you probably think that's what democracy means.

Funny how that works. Around here it did the opposite.
Believe me when I say that I find the idea of living in dispersed suburbs incredibly depressing.

Wait, let me get one thing straight. Poetin (former KGB) has been in power since 1999 (and don't for a moment consider that he's no longer in control) and by now it's downing upon you that Poetin is a dangerous man and that Russia under Poetin is a dangerous country that you should keep a close eye on?
There is one minor comfort at the moment: although a large part of Europe depends on gas from Russia, Russia also depends on the money it earns by selling gas. It's not an absolute guarantee that they don't get funny ideas, but it reduces the chance, at least in the short run. Russia also has major economic and social problems, and a declining population.

Thanks for backing up what I said earlier. People in the USA are just like everyone else, it is our form of government and economic system that makes the USA so great.

Some people still see Russia as the poor victim in the Georgia case so I still say is Russia evil yet to those people.

"A dictatorship by the majority is still a dictatorship. But I doubt you know what I mean by that, you probably think that's what democracy means."

I doubt you know much of anything but the USA is a Republic not a democracy. Many things in america occur due to natural process called capitalism. Learn about it some time.

"Believe me when I say that I find the idea of living in dispersed suburbs incredibly depressing."

Since thats probably all you know I do not blame you for fearing the unknown.

"You are calling one of the most popular science-fiction writers a comic book author."

This guy is so famous I never heard of him, amazing.

"You are applying double standards by saying Americas transport system is humans choice, while Europe's is made up by the governments"

To help you out with this a bit I will explain in more detail. European governments tax fuels at a high amount. This makes fuel more expensive. People in Europe can not afford to drive far or drive big cars due to tiny socialist pay checks. This basically artificially reduces the choices available to Europeans. Europeans then resort to subsidised public transportation.

In America fuel is taxed at a low amount. People are then free to do as they wish due to being able to afford fuels at close to their true value.

"You are still unable to use forum-mockup like everbody else does, despite being asked to do so several times. Is it too difficult for you? You might ask!"

I am free to do as a will are you? I have been asking for you paycheck each week and despite being asked to do so several times, you are still unable to comply. Is it too difficult for you?

Your government and your economic system are exactly why I wouldn't want to live there long term.

Yes, absolutely. Sure. Right. Whatever.

Yeah Frank, I think you're an idiot too. On top of that, I don't like you.
That has to do with your political views and even more with the way in which you express them. In particular the tunnel vision that makes you blind to the fact that they are your views, not absolute truths. It does not have to do with my estimate of what you know or your intelligence. I'll thank you for not making insulting remarks in that area.
Now then. The USA is a republic. Sure (incidentally, I never said otherwise). So is France. So is Germany. Both are also democracies. The Netherlands and the UK are kingdoms. Those are democracies too. Not in the sense of ancient Athens, of course, but in the sense that the people cast their votes to elect the government.

Again with the personal attacks. Well, as I said, I don't like you either.

NEWS FLASH: European governments are elected by the people living there. Well, in Western Europe they are.

Actually, most can (but don't have to/want to).

You mean oversized fuel-guzzling money-wasting cars, right? Who in their right mind wants to drive one of those anyway?

There are exactly 0 socialist countries in Europe at the moment.

I agree, SUVs are a complete waste of money. It's a waste of gas to drive a pickup truck casually. With this, I agree. However, if you're actually using the truck for something practical, like hauling a load or driving off-road, then they are absolutely practical and well worth the extra gas. And I don't know if you intended to, but please don't imply that gas-guzzling muscle cars are money wasters... The gas doesn't just disappear. You get a glorious sound, awe-inspiring acceleration, and a damn scary top speed. These are all very cool things that are well worth the money to people that enjoy that sort of thing. And it's a damn shame that Europe lacks a passion for this kind of car.