This completely stunned me when I first heard it, and I was even more surprised to learn that most of the cars here are still manual. They also tend to be smaller, to fit the more narrow streets. I have yet to see a pick-up truck here.
These forms of transportation are certainly connected to the style of life here. Departure and arrival times seem to be automatically considered for a lot of people when making their plans. Additionally, I see that because children are taught to understand and use buses from a young age, it is normal for them to use buses alone. This kind of independence is far less common back home.
To example this interconnectedness, I once booked a nail appointment with a woman who offered time slots based on the schedule of the bus that ran by her studio, since it was on the outskirts of town and harder to access. With most people relying on public transportation, I find that there is also more understanding when it comes to delays or tardiness. In fact, strikes in France interrupted my classes twice last semester, given that buses stopped running or were running on very limited schedules.
