My preferred route from downtown Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles is the LA Metro Rail Blue Line.  I pay $1.25 for a one-way trip, $5 for a day pass, and an additional investment point-to-point of around 45 minutes.  That actually returns an ROI of +25 minutes during the evening, as the commute via rail is nearly half the time as driving on the 710 or 110 freeways.

Most of the Blue Line riders are blue collar workers, with a few professionals - such as myself - peppering the platforms in the Long Beach area.  The Blue Line route takes you through some of the more famous (or notorious) sections of Los Angeles, including Artesia, Compton, Watts, and So. Central LA.

In 5 years riding the Blue Line I have never seen an incident of misconduct, other than the occasional over-zealous sheriff deputy asserting himself as a combat-ready ticket checker, ensuring no miscreant traveler has dared climb the train platform without having paid their fare.