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China Proposes 'Child-Only Train Cars,' and People Are Divided

News
by Eben Diskin Jan 22, 2019

Everyone knows what it’s like to ride a train and roll their eyes at misbehaved children darting up and down the aisles, throwing their toys, or screaming at their parents. In China, many passengers have had enough. The idea of introducing “child-only train cars” — designated for young children and their parents — has gained a lot of traction recently, especially as it’s been discussed widely on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. People are mainly fed up with what the Chinese call “bear children” — a not-so-polite term for spoiled children who misbehave in public.

Those who support the idea have made their voices heard on Weibo. “What most people are afraid of on a train,” said one Weibo user, “is noisy children.” “I can’t even imagine,” said another user, “…a carriage full of bear children.” Some don’t believe there would be a problem with excessive noise coming from the carriage, and the children would be occupied with their new playmates. Others, however, think it’s a lazy solution and that parents should better control their children.

Huang Xin of China Railway Corporation told local news that while she is certainly open to creative ideas, child-only cars might not be the answer. “There are people suggesting that those who like to watch films or listen to music should also be concentrated in one department,” she says. “These suggestions provide inspiration for the improvement of the public transportation sector but also bring new challenges about how we can further improve and refine the services of public transportation.”

H/T: BBC News

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