I’m using it as an analogy because OP did.

What is the responsible thing to do in that situation? I’m not asking about fault, I’m asking what the correct choice is. Do you go into debt, or do you drive?

It is a fact that most companies in the US do not consider public transit to be reliable transportation and will refuse to hire you if you don’t own a vehicle. It is also a fact that a minimum wage job doesn’t pay enough to maintain a vehicle. That we don’t have basic worker’s rights, that medical care is outrageously expensive and insurance covering what you need is a gamble.

This is a situation that Americans find themselves in at an alarming rate. Yes, having bald tires makes me at fault for a crash, but we cannot expect people to willingly accept the full responsibility for the failure of the system like OP is asking of them.