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Comment by justoreply | Hacker News Reader

Meanwhile in Berlin you can use public transport alone if you are 6 years old, and you can take your younger sibling too

https://www.bvg.de/en/tickets-tariffs/conditions-of-carriage

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It appears you can use public transport alone even if you’re just four years old, and six years is merely the minimum age to be a “guardian” for under four year olds.

> Children under four years of age may only use public transportation if they are accompanied by an individual who is at least six years of age.

An "individual" … maybe that means it would suffice for them to be accompanied by the family dog?

(edit: unfortunately not, for in the German it is more specific, "nur in Begleitung einer Person …".)

Now that would be neglectful - letting a 3 year old wander around town with just the dog!

A six year old dog may be a better guardian than a six year old human.

Perhaps if it was a very well trained dog. But on average I'd trust a 6 year old human more than a 6 year old dog to:

- actually navigate to the intended destination

- Communicate and find help from adults in the case of any issues

I've witnessed the opposite problem in Berlin. Parents, and the general public, seem underprotective of youth.

I used to live across the street from a primary school and the kids (no older than 10) would come out and smoke at recess in front of my building. Nobody batted an eye. Just yesterday I was walking behind some kids who couldn't have been older than 12 drinking and smoking, and that was in a nicer Berlin "suburb". Nobody cared.

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