Culture

Europe Is Literally Banning Children (And Then Wondering Why No One Is Having Them)

France's national rail operator recently announced a new perk for its most elite passengers: "child-free" train carriages. Marketed to busy, high-status, successful travellers willing to pay a premium, the underlying message was clear: children are for the proletariat.

By Lois McLatchie Miller2 min read
Pexels/Azizi Co

This assumption is no longer confined to a single railway company. Across the West, "adults-only" hotels and restaurants proliferate. Parents increasingly feel compelled to apologize for their children's presence in shared spaces. Children are tolerated, so long as they are seen and not heard.