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Comment by ISL | Hacker News Reader

I largely agree. There are many public utilities on the internet on which we each individually rely.

Careful what you wish for, though. Ever tried to sign up for a public utility without your real name, personal identification, a physical address, or billing information?

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I'd totally do any government/police assisted dance, even if that cost a couple hundred bucks and needed an unpaid day off, to get a banhammer-immune Google account. And that's despite currently working there.

I sent a postcard last week without providing a senders address. I also bought the stamp with cash.

In Canton Zürich (Switzerland) the parlament argued, everybody has a smartphone today anyway, so for public transport, from now on it legal, the only way to buy a ticket is an App.

Do it without an Google account.

But a postcard is a good example. Even the badest murder / raper in a prison will get a postcard.

Maybe I wrote it a bit quick. It is still possible to buy tickets on machines. But they changed the law on the beginning 2022. Now in regional busses, they don't have to sell a ticket. They still do. But the law is now, they don't really have to do it.

Änderung bei ÖV-Tickets

Billettverkauf in Zürcher Regionalbussen wird abgeschafft

https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/billettverkauf-in-zuercher-regi...

> the only way to buy a ticket is an App

That's horrific.

It also seems to be wrong, since the ZVV website explicitly mentions the app, the online ticket store and vending machines. [1] What seems to have happened though is that during the pandemic, the bus and tram personell that used to sell tickets as well stopped doing so to minimize contact. [2] This obviously is still a problem since not all stops have vending machines, so there’s the extra rule that you can buy your ticket at the next stop that has a vending machine. Inconvenient? Certainly. End of the anonymous travel? Certainly not.

[1] https://www.zvv.ch/zvv/de/abos-und-tickets/tickets/einzelbil... [2] https://www.zvv.ch/zvv/de/allgemeine-seiten/medienmitteilung...

https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/billettverkauf-in-zuercher-regi...

Änderung bei ÖV-Tickets Billettverkauf in Zürcher Regionalbussen wird abgeschafft

"You can no longer buy a ticket on the bus" is different to "you have to use the app" You can't buy a ticket on a Subway, S-Bahn or regional train in Berlin - it's been like that for decades. You have to use a vending machine.

In regional bus, there are no machines in small bus stops.

And, to the best of my knowledge, wrong. I bought a ticket there on the automated machines just a month ago

Thank you for clearing that up, I had a hard time envisioning the Swiss from disenfranchising the elderly in such a callous way. Usually their policies make good sense.

Well, then you also don't need an email address, since you can just email from a random new one each time, so I think GP's point stands.

You can also set up a mailbox at any address and receive actual letters there, no registration required. Needs permission of the owner of the place, but that’s similar with email.

There are many states around the world where you can buy a prepaid SIM card without registration and participate in the public phone network. No permission at all required, cash payment works.

There is no direct connection between “public” utility and “requires registration.” But many public utilities consist in a delivery to a specific place (water, electricity) or want to charge you. So they need your address to perform their service.

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