"As a disapproving, noise-sensitive harpy who once managed to communicate use headphones to an Italian tween on a train despite us not sharing a common language, I ought to be the ideal candidate for the French rail operator SNCF's new Optimum, no-kids-allowed carriages. The service was promoted last month as a civilised space in which executives could conduct important business in cosseted peace, unmolested by sticky fingers or La Pat' Patrouille (Paw Patrol) blaring from an iPad."
"Actually, though, I hate it and a heartening number of other people seem to be hating it, too. The initiative sparked widespread indignation in France (the high commissioner for children, Sarah El Hairy, called it shocking) and beyond, leading SNCF to partly backtrack, changing the original children are not allowed wording to say the space is only inaccessible to under-12s."
SNCF introduced Optimum carriages initially described as no-kids-allowed, aimed at providing a civilised, quiet space for executives. The marketing promised cosseted peace free from sticky fingers and loud children's programmes. The initiative provoked widespread indignation in France and abroad, with the high commissioner for children calling it shocking. SNCF partly reversed wording to restrict access to under-12s rather than banning children outright. Calls for kid-free spaces reflect broader trends of excluding young people from public places, including malls, parks and fast-food outlets. Cities have implemented youth curfews and venues have imposed chaperone rules, reducing teenagers' presence in traditional hangouts. The campaign and its fallout highlight rising intolerance toward children and a tendency to segregate them from everyday public life.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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