Bus 720 takes Benjamin Deleon from Commerce to Santa Monica. (Mengchen Liu/ Annenberg Media)

The tight fit doesn’t seem to bother Benjamin Deleon, though. With his headphones on, he leans casually into his seat.

READ MORE: LA Rides the Rail

This has been Deleon’s daily commute since November. He boards at the city of Commerce and disembarks in Santa Monica. The trip runs all the way from east to west, one terminus to another. It takes about 90 minutes each way or about three times the average commute time for most Angelenos.

But Deleon is okay with it.

“When I was living in Mexico, we just have one car for me and my mom and my sister. So I’m used to a big city transportation system. It’s very effective. It can take you anywhere,” he said.

Deleon came from Mexico City. He met his husband two years ago during a trip to Las Vegas, and moved to Los Angeles to be with him. He can use his husband’s car if needed, but he prefers public transportation.

“I don’t have a car. I don’t want a car. I don’t need a car. I won’t drive even if the traffic wasn’t so bad, because in that case the bus will go faster. This way I get to read, I get to sleep when I’m tired. It’s easier,” he said.

It wasn’t easy not having a car, back when vehicles ruled the city. But with L.A. public transportation system improving its accessibility and service quality, Deleon found the changes were sensible even during short terms. 

“This bus used to be late a lot, just a few months back. Sometimes it got really packed so the bus doesn’t stop where it suppose to stop. They just got people off the bus. Now it’s more stable,” he said.

Commuter Benjamin Deleon on Metro's 720 bus line. (Mengchen Liu/ Annenberg Media)

In terms of big city transportation, Deleon believes that L.A. is getting there.

People are open to options besides getting behind the wheel. But it’s not all good. People still avoid riding buses with safety concerns.

“It’s unsettling with a lot of homeless people getting on the bus and they get kinda crazy. Sometimes the bus drivers have to ask them to leave,” he said. "It’s sad."

But Deleon believes that the public transportation in L.A. will benefit everyone, especially as it expands and improves.

“When you go to big cities, people ride the metro to their work," he said. "It doesn’t matter if they are high executives or regular employees.”

(Neha Wadekar / Annenberg Media)

Contact Staff Reporter Mengchen Liu here and follow her on Twitter here.