Bush: Pay up or take the bus 2728Bob I think Bev meant cost was the only reason in the case of most mbutt transit systems in most cities in the US. Yes, if you live in an atypical city like New York...
Bert Hyman
Not that interesting a definition. Free just means that something is not tied to something else that it often is tied to or might be expected to be tied to.
For example, free jazz is jazz where the playing is not bound by the formal rules of music theory. "Free love" means love that isn't tied to a relationship. Free software is software where the owner of the copyright doesn't exert control over its evolution and its distribution. In contrast, Microsoft's "freedom to innovate" means an environment where they are allowed to develop software as they wish without being bound to comply to standards.
Often one type of freedom conflicts with another type of freedom. If you're free with your money, this might create a situation where you're NOT free of worry about how to pay your bills.
So when public transport is "free", that means people who ride it are free from having to pay fares. Of course, this doesn't mean it's magic and without cost. But it does mean riders can choose to ride it without being bound by the worry of how much it will cost.
- Logan
