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Comment by RhysU | Hacker News Reader

I like this idea better than most local government UBI proposals. E.g., instead of suggesting UBI in NYC just make the trains free. It's not straight currency but it's unlimited transportation on high capacity, environmentally nice(r) systems. Then people can argue over who can make the experience nicer vs who is going to raise the fares. Ridership-wise, many heavy users already have unlimited cards.

(Still, however, not a UBI fan in general).

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That and free education and dare we mention the topic - free health care. Then we don't need UBI.

Well, and free housing and food. Possibly clothes. And some modicum of entertainment. Then we don't need UBI.

Somewhat ironically free iPad with internet is probably cheapest part of all of this.

I like it but the more you think about the more disturbingly it sounds like communism :|

We have something like those already. Primary and secondary education are free (and compulsory) and one cannot refuse treatment to individuals in the emergency room.

The appeal of free public transportation, to me, is that it allows more people to take advantage of public spaces and works and, marginally, allows people to bring home more money for the same amount of time worked.

Free public transportation fare incentivizes participation not tuning out like I feel many UBI proposals do. No one is going to look at, effectively, a free metro card then think "Sweet! I don't need to work!"

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