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When free buss passes were issued in Bucharest, Romania, to people over 65 years old there was a major problem with some of these people taking the bus across t

When free buss passes were issued in Bucharest, Romania, to people over 65 years old there was a major problem with some of these people taking the bus across town for most of the day during winter and turn off the heating at home. Others were crossing the town for several hours a day because they were bored at home. It was reported in local newspapers and even national TV. One does not need to be really homeless to figure out it is convenient to occupy a bus or a train.

lucb1e 4y ago
> It was reported in local newspapers and even national TV. But did you also experience it IRL? Usually the things that are newsworthy are not the common standard that everyone is actually experiencing in day-to-day life.
- AdrianB1 4y ago
  Correct, my statistical experiment with a sample of 1 is more relevant than several, independent journalists doing investigations. I will better myself.
  - scrollaway 4y ago
    If your journalists are calling something a “major problem” and you’re not seeing a single instance of it, I too got some independent news for you.
    - AdrianB1 4y ago
      I did see that with my own eyes, I was just telling this is not mandatory for me to believe it, I heard it from too many sources, some quite reliable. I can know things that I did not personally encounter, it is a human characteristic.
  - lucb1e 4y ago
    There's a difference between (1) a statistical survey, (2) "the news found it somewhere and needed clickbait to stay in business", and (3) regular people are reporting seeing it. Of course, properly collected statistics is best, but short of that, I'd be more inclined to believe it's widespread if ordinary people are reporting it's around them. It's the news' job to go around and look for a story, so they're likely to find it somewhere. Neither is proper proof, only statistical survey would be, but a combination of 2 and 3 is close enough for me and you've already said it was on the news, thus my question.
rsynnott 4y ago
Public transport has been free for people over 66 in Ireland for as long as I remember, without a plague of old people living on the train. That seems more like a local problem.
wizofaus 4y ago
Why is it actually a problem, unless they're stopping other travellers with more genuine needs from being able to use said buses?
dagurp 4y ago
Old people would do that in my town too and they had to pay for the ticket. I don't see anything wrong with it. Loneliness among the elderly is a problem that needs to be addressed though.

lucb1e 4y ago

> It was reported in local newspapers and even national TV. But did you also experience it IRL? Usually the things that are newsworthy are not the common standard that everyone is actually experiencing in day-to-day life.

AdrianB1 4y ago
Correct, my statistical experiment with a sample of 1 is more relevant than several, independent journalists doing investigations. I will better myself.
- scrollaway 4y ago
  If your journalists are calling something a “major problem” and you’re not seeing a single instance of it, I too got some independent news for you.
  - AdrianB1 4y ago
    I did see that with my own eyes, I was just telling this is not mandatory for me to believe it, I heard it from too many sources, some quite reliable. I can know things that I did not personally encounter, it is a human characteristic.
- lucb1e 4y ago
  There's a difference between (1) a statistical survey, (2) "the news found it somewhere and needed clickbait to stay in business", and (3) regular people are reporting seeing it. Of course, properly collected statistics is best, but short of that, I'd be more inclined to believe it's widespread if ordinary people are reporting it's around them. It's the news' job to go around and look for a story, so they're likely to find it somewhere. Neither is proper proof, only statistical survey would be, but a combination of 2 and 3 is close enough for me and you've already said it was on the news, thus my question.

rsynnott 4y ago

Public transport has been free for people over 66 in Ireland for as long as I remember, without a plague of old people living on the train. That seems more like a local problem.

wizofaus 4y ago

Why is it actually a problem, unless they're stopping other travellers with more genuine needs from being able to use said buses?

dagurp 4y ago

Old people would do that in my town too and they had to pay for the ticket. I don't see anything wrong with it. Loneliness among the elderly is a problem that needs to be addressed though.