Sidewalk Rage
The recent education budget cut has left student transportation in your capital city removed entirely. With some underclassmen left with no option but to walk, thousands of students have hit the streets (on foot, of course) to demand that they be given the option to drive themselves to school.
“The situation’s gone out of hand,” says high school freshman and sudden cross-country star Branden Wong, who is gasping for breath. “Ever since my school district got rid of buses at the beginning of the year, I’ve had to wake up at 4:30 in the morning so I can run the 8 miles there- and don’t even get me started about running back. I’m lethargic all day and I can never concentrate. You need to let students apply for a driver’s license as soon as they hit high school, it’s the only way to let them keep their high GPA’s. And sanity.”
“ARE YOU CRAZY?” screeches your Secretary of Transportation, Doreen Robbins. “You’ve seen the numbers! Teenagers are already racking up the most amount of car accidents in the country, and now you’re going to let more of them drive? The roads will be a warzone! Not to mention, traffic in the country is already bad enough. We’re not going to let 14 and 15-year olds wreak havoc on the streets- if anything, the minimum age needs to be raised!”
“Why bother?” whines 10-year old Charlie Kochendorfer, who is reading off a piece of paper in the back seat of his oil tycoon grandfather’s limo. “If it’s such a ‘struggle’ for teenagers to get themselves to school, then what’s the point of the government spending millions of dollars on teachers? I know... there isn't one! In fact, I believe all schools in the country should be privatized!” His grandfather gives you a menacing look suggesting that you’ll be in deep financial trouble if you don’t, then speeds off.
Option 1 Talking Point: High school freshmen are forced to drive seniors to school because of the lack of parking.
Option 2 Talking Point: Due to the vast amount of students sprinting to school in the morning, breaking a 4-minute mile has become normal.
Option 3 Talking Point: Large fossil fuel corporations own a significant chunk of the education industry.
Option 1 Effects-
Automobile Manufacturing way up
Civil Rights up
Public Education up
Pizza Delivery up
Health up
Economic Output up
Youth Rebelliousness slightly up
Lifespan slightly up
Ideological Radicality slightly up
Economy slightly up
Income Equality slightly down
Safety slightly down
Government Size slightly down
Taxation slightly down
Eco-Friendliness down
Social Conservatism down
Option 2 Effects-
Public Transport up
Social Conservatism up
Government Size slightly up
Taxation slightly up
Income Inequality slightly up
Lifespan slightly down
Civil Rights slightly down
Cheerfulness slightly down
Ideological Radicality slightly down
Economy down
Economic Output down
Pizza Delivery down
Automobile Manufacturing way down
Obesity way down
Option 3 Effects-
Wealth Gaps way up
Business Subsidization way up
Economic Freedom way up
Corruption up
Economy slightly up
Crime slightly up
Recreational Drug Use slightly up
Ideological Radicality slightly up
HDI slightly down
Compassion slightly down
Political Freedom slightly down
Average income slightly down
Environmental Beauty down
Employment down
Taxation way down
Government Size way down
Income Equality way down
Public Education way down
