I don't know about where you live, but where I am public transport in peak hour is a ghastly cyberpunk nightmare. When you're packed into poorly air-conditioned, cramped and dirty trains some small amount of escapism is more than a luxury, it's a matter of mental health.
Well I live in NZ, but back in the day I used to get on to BART from the East bay to SF during non-peak hours, and usually just turn around and come back because I'd solved my problem