i've been taking the bus for some errands recently (including to burbank airport), and it's fine enough, but not nearly as convenient as the subway. i can generally just show up at the subway station secure in the knowledge that a train will be leaving with fifteen minutes or so of when i get there, at most. taking the bus takes a lot more planning, and potentially more waiting around. i think i spent more time waiting for the buses to get from the airport to home than on the plane getting from san jose to burbank.
but don't get me wrong, the bus is a very convenient thing if you plan ahead. and if you're an cheeseparing anti-social non-car-owner like me, a good alternative to walking. (i've also been contemplating getting a bike, but i'd hate to sink money into one and then end up not using it very often.)
Having just returned from Paris and Amsterdam, two cities with effective public transportation systems, I'm more outraged than ever with LA's lack of such a system. Thanks, GM!
The Paris metro system is a dream. Amsterdam is small enough (and flat enough) that bicycles reign supreme (although the system of trams are also great).
The bus system in greater Los Angeles is a nightmare.