School children get free-of-charge public transport during the summer

[Player Twelve]

https://sverigesradio.se/sida/artike...rtikel=6962892

School children in different counties around Sweden are allowed to travel for free throughout their counties this summer. This applies to school children in grades 6-9 in compulsory school, and 1 and 2 in high school.

According to Fredrik Eliasson, head of public transport unit at region Örebro County, around 21 thousand school children in the county will benefit from this opportunity. Children with disabilities living in the county get a free private ride too.

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Maybe something to consider for other countries too? Children can be pretty restricted in where they can go due to money being tight, their parents not wanting to give them a ride etc.

[Nihilist74]

It would be a good idea at least for the people who need it in America. In Sweden, do the kids go to school all year or do they have the summer off? In America, we need to have the kids go to school all year but we probably never will.

[Currently Retired]

We used to have this for people of all ages and jobs during communism. Doesn't justify it though.

Doesn't the US have this?

[Travis B]

Maybe something to consider for other countries too? Children can be pretty restricted in where they can go due to money being tight, their parents not wanting to give them a ride etc.

In the U.S., we can't even agree on giving children free healthcare, much less free transportation.

[Boricha]

A nice gesture that will probably never be considered in the US.

[McFuu]

A nice gesture that will probably never be considered in the US.

Why would it need to be? Where are these kids going that their guardians aren't taking them? Why don't the kids just ride their bikes?
Sure it sounds like a nice gesture, but also completely pointless.

[Deleted]

It is a nice gesture certainly, good to have kids not just sit at home looking at square flickering boxes.

Granted I would have to wonder how much they'd actually use.

[Grimbold21]

What a fine example of Ageism!

[rayden54]

Why would it need to be? Where are these kids going that their guardians aren't taking them? Why don't the kids just ride their bikes?
Sure it sounds like a nice gesture, but also completely pointless.

Guardians are generally working and I live a long way from town. That said that's the problem: the US is huge. The places where this is most needed (rural ares where things are spread out a lot) are the places where this won't work. There is no public transport near me free or otherwise.

[Deleted]

That's like the most common useless thing "good guys" do? I mean refugees in Germany get free access to buses trains and swim baths.

[PACOX]

Why would it need to be? Where are these kids going that their guardians aren't taking them? Why don't the kids just ride their bikes?
Sure it sounds like a nice gesture, but also completely pointless.

Parents still have to work in the summer?

Where I grew up you had the beach, malls, various parks, etc to go to but known were within biking distance.

Better than being stuck at home with idle minds.

[McFuu]

Guardians are generally working and I live a long way from town. That said that's the problem: the US is huge. The places where this is most needed (rural ares where things are spread out a lot) are the places where this won't work. There is no public transport near me free or otherwise.

Yeah, this was definitely a thought too. The areas that have public transport that could be free to children, the kids don't need it, everything is easily within walking/bike distance. And the areas where the kids could use a ride to go five miles into town, aren't in the position to provide public transportation.

[Weeps]

It would be a good idea at least for the people who need it in America. In Sweden, do the kids go to school all year or do they have the summer off? In America, we need to have the kids go to school all year but we probably never will.

Why do you feel that way? I'm genuinely curious.

[McFuu]

Parents still have to work in the summer?

Where I grew up you had the beach, malls, various parks, etc to go to but known were within biking distance.

Better than being stuck at home with idle minds.

Define within distance. When I was a kid I had unlimited energy, I routinely rode my bike 35-40 miles. I would ride 3-4 towns over (10 miles one way) to go to specific parks or stores. There is nothing stopping kids from doing this now.

[Weeps]

Define within distance. When I was a kid I had unlimited energy, I routinely rode my bike 35-40 miles. I would ride 3-4 towns over (10 miles one way) to go to specific parks or stores. There is nothing stopping kids from doing this now.

Thing is... there are WAYYYYYYY more cars on the road than there were in the 80s-90s... and now they are all distracted by touch screens and phones. It's fucking scary. Recently a cyclist was nearly killed by a drive-&-texter, severly injured him.

I'm a cyclist, I ride a LOT. 100+ miles a week and I can tell you I almost die every time I'm out there. This is with me riding within inches of the curb. I follow every road rule, stopping at red lights and stop signs, etc. People are just so fucking distracted now.

I grew up the same as you. Rode my bike for so many miles, all day long. I'm a father of 2 kids now and I'm not comfortable letting my kids ride on these roads until they're in their teens.

[Flatspriest]

There is nothing stopping kids from doing this now.

Sure there is. It's called laziness. Kids now seem to think that they are owed everything and shouldn't have to do anything for themselves. I used to ride my bike 30 miles each way just to go to an amusement park during the summer when I was a kid. Now kids don't even want to ride a bike around the block.

[PACOX]

Define within distance. When I was a kid I had unlimited energy, I routinely rode my bike 35-40 miles. I would ride 3-4 towns over (10 miles one way) to go to specific parks or stores. There is nothing stopping kids from doing this now.

1hr 30 on a bike in FL weather, so its 99F or pouring rain...or both. Then you have to cross a decent causeway.

Just using the area I grew up in as an example, kids who live closer did bike but most people did live on the side of town.

"Back in my day we walked to school 10 miles, uphill, in the snow, both ways, and only one jacket to share between the 6 of us!"

"Grandpa, thats why 1/3rd of you died and another 1/3 never finished the 8th grade".

[McFuu]

Thing is... there are WAYYYYYYY more cars on the road than there were in the 80s-90s... and now they are all distracted by touch screens and phones. It's fucking scary. Recently a cyclist was nearly killed by a drive-&-texter, severly injured him.

I'm a cyclist, I ride a LOT. 100+ miles a week and I can tell you I almost die every time I'm out there. This is with me riding within inches of the curb. I follow every road rule, stopping at red lights and stop signs, etc. People are just so fucking distracted now.

I grew up the same as you. Rode my bike for so many miles, all day long. I'm a father of 2 kids now and I'm not comfortable letting my kids ride on these roads until they're in their teens.

I'm still a rider, ride motorcycles now too. I don't road bike though, I mountain bike, so I jump curbs, ride the side walks, etc... Basically the same way I rode when I was a kid. I think riding is largely just a matter of how well you can protect yourself. Understand that you are responsible for your own safety. Anytime I feel that my life was threatened on 2 wheels, I mainly blame myself for not recognizing the situation before it became critical.

Still if I were a father now, I wouldn't let my kids ride the way I did until they were mature enough 12+. That's when I was essentially let off the leash. But even before that I would ride around my town, to and from school, to parks down the block. The world isn't the same as it was when we were growing up, but trying to protect our kids from everything isn't doing them any favors anyway.

I swear I'm not telling you how to raise your children, or saying I disagree with you, this is just my opinion of the situation and the way parenting is going.

To me, if your kids need to get on public transportation to go somewhere, because it's that far, then they should have a parent/guardian with them. Which makes this whole children can use public transport idea pointless.

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Sure there is. It's called laziness. Kids now seem to think that they are owed everything and shouldn't have to do anything for themselves. I used to ride my bike 30 miles each way just to go to an amusement park during the summer when I was a kid. Now kids don't even want to ride a bike around the block.

I'll be honest, I blame lazy kids on lazy parents. Often the kids that don't want to be outside, have parents who barricade themselves in doors as well.

[PACOX]

To me, if your kids need to get on public transportation to go somewhere, because it's that far, then they should have a parent/guardian with them. Which makes this whole children can use public transport idea pointless.

A 12 year can ride around town but not take public transportation? Maybe your area is safer but that makes no sense where I grew up.

I think cities should at least offer some sort of reduced fare/discount to get kids out of the house.

[Utinil]

To all the people saying, that they just rode their bikes everywhere and kids should do the same, did you ride your bikes in heavy rain? Also why assume that if something is "far away" your kids shouldn't be going to it? I took the bus to visit friends who had moved. The distance would have been far to great to have rode my bike. Finally as I got older I started to work, particularly in the summer. Reducing the barrier for people to enter the workforce for the first time is a great idea.

Also some comments on here suggest people actually believe you are either so Urban that everything is super close or so rural that public transportation is worthless. There are a lot of cities where this isn't the case. There are a lot of suburbs where there are a large number of residents, yet very few businesses aside from convenience stores, a Wal-Mart, and a grocery store.