Maybe I don't mind because I'm perpetually lost. I'm used to it! ;-) Seriously, I've gotten lost between here and Littleton, NH (which is about twenty minutes away, and has been the "big town" in my life since I was tiny!)
My brother and I went to NYC and used nothing but trains and busses to get around. It was inexpensive, and though we did occasionally get lost (usually trying to FIND the subway rather than IN it, though we did both), we mostly did OK. And now we laugh about the times we were lost!
But if you don't mind driving in traffic, I say more power to ya! I really wish I wasn't such a chicken...I feel like it restricts me a lot as there are so many places I'd like to visit and it would be much cheaper and easier to do it by car...if I wasn't so scared!
Your fear may be justified ;-) My daughter and I were on a bus recently in Boston, trying to get to our hotel. The traffic was so horrendous that the bus driver eventually gave up on his route and went somewhere else entirely, which caused much angry shouting, and some celebrating, by the passengers.
Meanwhile, the guy sitting next to us was drinking one beer after another from a paper bag. I guess he felt guilty, so he graciously offered my daughter and me some, though we declined, didn't want him to have to go out again to get more when he got home. Another passenger was so drunk that his wife had to stop the bus so he could get off and throw up.
Eventually we got off at a subway stop and made our way to the hotel from there.