civilized?

yesterday i was walking through the nyc subway with two of my colleagues from work when one of them said "...since i moved to the suburbs, i don't ride the subway anymore. it is so much better to drive to work, so much more civilized." the comment struck me as smug, but more than that it made me realized how detached we, as americans, are from the world around us. the fact that it is a commonly expressed belief that sitting in a car, by oneself, monotonously driving back and forth from garage to office cubicle is more civilized and preferable is illustrative of our isolationist tendencies as well as the perception that the rest of the world has of us. i understand the appeal of time alone with some music or talk radio, but i also know there is a great deal of importance to feeling alive and being a participant in society. i'm sure this sounds crazy, it is just something that has been occupying my thoughts. thanks for reading.