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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 4162340" data-attributes="member: 19675">Hey Jürgen!I'm an army brat who has lived all over the USA and at one point used to live in Stuttgart. I've been back to Europe a couple of times- most recently Russia in 2005.&nbsp; Its refreshing to see the personal- not media- European perspective on the US once in a while.I was reading about your view on public transportation.&nbsp; I agree- Europe has done a great deal better about public transportation than we have- here you find the best public transport in the big eastern and western cities.&nbsp; There are exceptions, though.However, there is a dark side.&nbsp; It can lead to a certain complacency.My original home town of New Orleans had a pretty good public transportation system, and it had a population around 600k.&nbsp; It was possible to live your entire life there without driving.&nbsp; Unfortunately, the downside of that was seen when Katrina hit.&nbsp; Many people didn't evacuate because they simply couldn't.As for the ATMs- I can't speak to Europeans' experiences with them, but here in the US, there was a huge rash of gun/knifepoint robberies at them for a decade or so.&nbsp; Some people started calling them Mug-O-Matics.&nbsp; Eventually, the banks put in security cameras and reduced the amount you could withdraw, both in amounts and denominations, and that particular crime wave crested and receeded.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 4162340, member: 19675"] Hey Jürgen! I'm an army brat who has lived all over the USA and at one point used to live in Stuttgart. I've been back to Europe a couple of times- most recently Russia in 2005. Its refreshing to see the personal- not media- European perspective on the US once in a while. I was reading about your view on public transportation. I agree- Europe has done a great deal better about public transportation than we have- here you find the best public transport in the big eastern and western cities. There are exceptions, though. However, there is a dark side. It can lead to a certain complacency. My original home town of New Orleans had a pretty good public transportation system, and it had a population around 600k. It was possible to live your entire life there without driving. Unfortunately, the downside of that was seen when Katrina hit. Many people didn't evacuate because they simply [i]couldn't.[/i] As for the ATMs- I can't speak to Europeans' experiences with them, but here in the US, there was a huge rash of gun/knifepoint robberies at them for a decade or so. Some people started calling them Mug-O-Matics. Eventually, the banks put in security cameras and reduced the amount you could withdraw, both in amounts and denominations, and that particular crime wave crested and receeded. [/QUOTE]

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