I think the most important thing to remember is that even if 100% of rural folks drive, that's still only 20% of the total population. The notion that transit doesn't work for them does not excuse failing to provide it for the other 80% that it would work for.
Saying "but whatabout my special-snowflake rural lifestyle" to attack transit in general is always dishonest concern trolling.
You can definitely do public transit out in the country, but isn't the Netherlands one of the most densely-populated countries in the world?
I grew up in county town Australia. I definitely noticed the lack of car, but I also got by fine without one.
British empire colonies suffer from the settler land-race problem of sprawling takeover. When they talk about "rural", they don't know what it means as they're just referring to the sprawling frontiers of "homesteaders." Normal rural design is what you see in most of the rest of the world (and there is variation and some sprawl too.)
Utter tripe.
Where I live it's dozens of little villages scattered about here and there, with four sizable towns.
Weaving public transport through all of those places is impractical.
I can't function using public transport that'll take me an hour or two to get between appointments in different places when it's a fifteen minute drive.
To get close to that you need so many buses running empty and so many routes it's insane.
Maybe let local people decide what's right for them instead of making blanket proclamations for everyone and every place?
Ultimately, use the right tool for the task. Public transit is great for living ihe city, but if you work in servicing or out in the sticks, you're going to need a vehicle that carries stuff. Also, good luck getting fridge/freezer perishables home in time if you have a long walk/ride
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