Tall Chinese Kids Breaking Parent's Banks

[matcom]

<snip>

SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- China's children are getting bigger -- and that's bad news for many parents' pocket books.

Since the 1949 communist revolution, China has given children under age 7 free bus fares, amusement park admission and other services -- so long as they're under 3-foot-7.

But many are now excluded, because with better nutrition and health care, even the average 5-year-old is 4 feet tall, the official Xinhua News Agency said Tuesday.

Some local governments have raised the height limit. But most haven't, prompting complaints by parents.

"My son is just 5 years old, but I am often asked to buy a ticket for him when we take buses," one aggrieved mother in Beijing was quoted as saying.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2004/02/17/tall_chinese_kids_breaking_parents_banks/

[GOPisEvil]

1. Yao Ming was unavailable for comment.

:D