This is a real machine in Romania. Do 20 squats in front of it, and it prints you a free bus ticket.

"Hey gurl, you must take public transit."

That's... kinda clever

Yeah, why is this a shitpost? It’s more of a life hack.
- Make a wild guess about what happens when I do a squat.
- Should be in the fuckcars subs.
- How the fuck is it a life hack?

Wondered if this was actually real since I saw the post and realized what community it was posted under, haha:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bus-ticket-20-squats/

Mostly true

In Cluj-Napoca, Romania, a so-called "health ticket" was introduced that allowed individuals to use public transportation for free by completing 20 squats. However, the organizers only implemented it in one city for a limited time. As of this writing, it's unknown if the program will resume at a future date.

It's too bad it was only kind of a social experiment vs a real government-sponsored health campaign that was still ongoing. I think it's a pretty great idea. However, I can also see it getting some negative backlash if the government funded it since those with certain disabilities wouldn't be able to utilize it. I think it'd be easy enough to incorporate a variety of healthy exercises that are more accessible to get around that aspect, though.

I would think people with disabilities prohibiting them from performing such an activity would also be given regularly free or discounted passes anyway. Even most places in the US will even do this.
- Most places in the US don't have any public transport to offer a discount on.
Variety of exercises
Yes but how many help you see more great asses?
- how many percent, do you think, was this the inventor's motivation?
how do they not already provide free transport or at least discount for people with disabilities?

Doing their bit to preserve Slavic traditions.

(Yes, I know Romania is not Slavic, though they share the region’s squatting-in-tracksuits culture to an extent.)

I was gonna say. It's Eastern Europe. That's like free bus passes for UK residents if they successfully form a queue.
That would be Balkan traditions darling.
Loanslavsquats

And it's all paid for by one pervert who sits across from the machine.

That man’s name? Albert Einstein.
- Albert Einstein
  Misread that as Albert Epstein, got me thinking. 🤔
- It's true, I am 20 squats
This is where I come in. I genuinely believe no one can be physically attracted to me. I can use the machine and the pervert can rethink his life as he sees a butt crack out of my stained jogging pants. It also sounds like I'm farting, I'm not though. My shoes makes a weird sound on the tongue. I can't figure out why.
He sells the footage on the dark web to degens

Back in 2006/7 I worked at the agency on record for a lot of huge brands and we had just gotten Pepsi. So the CD asked my department (interactive) if we could come up with something unique before we had the big kickoff with their staff. I don't know which one of us came up with the idea but a we decided to make a soda machine that would give you a free Pepsi if you hugged it. Got a machine and went to work engineering it, installing a screen so it can display graphics and a message. They loved it. We ended up redesigning a machine from scratch that could sense hugs or just a smile and made a commercial from it. That was back when designers were given fun tasks to be as creative as possible.

wasn't that coca-cola in 2012?
- Maybe they did one too. I just remember this project vividly as it was a blast to do. We definitely did it first
That was back when designers were given fun tasks to be as creative as possible.
This still happens, you're just old and cynical.

These types of efforts might save money on health care costs long term

public transport in general does, as it typically involves 10 minutes walking per trip.
Unfortunately I suspect that the people who it would reduce costs for most wouldn't consider taking the bus in the first place.
- It's a long-term thing, like good primary education. Get 'em into good habits while they're young. Probably work great if kids have bus passes for school most of the year and so get into the habit of using public transit, then suddenly need to either pay or exercise over the summer break
  This of course assumes a robust transit system, making the idea of taking the bus or train somewhere even worthwhile in the first place. Some places have that, some not so much

In the USA, the machine would be accompanied by a paramedic team and several vultures (lawyers) circling above. In case of a heart attack.

Something like this appeared near the Miramax offices in LA, where if you showed it your bare feet it gave you a milkshake. It remains a mystery who put it there.

A rich feet fetishist?

One of the biggest strains on a government is the health of its citizens. Decreasing obesity and other risk factors through physical activity will save them quite a bit more than a bus fare.

...and most governments learned nothing.

I usually do 10 squats. Would I get half a ticket?

Yeah, it's enough to get you to the bus stop but not on the actual bus.
- You need a ticket just to get to the stop? How do they know if you’re not just walking somewhere close to it?
Ten squats? You will be allowed to run after the bus as it leaves the station but the but won't stop and wait for you.

That's ridiculous! They should hook it up to an exercise cycle and generate electricity off of it instead.

great, you just generated 0.01 kWh
- Depending on the length of the workout a more realistic number would be 30 to 90 W, 100 if you really push yourself for a short bout.
  Still, anything is better than nothing.

I have been doing weight training with my 70 year old mom for a year and a half; At this point she can do 15 front loaded squats with a 10 kilos barbell easily. She would be zooming on free tickets all over town!

Looks like she gets a lot of free bus tickets.

What a great idea!

Whenever I see this I think "wow, cool idea, wish we had something like this in the US." And then I think "it's just asking for a discrimination lawsuit so unlikely." And then I think "well we should be making public transit free for everyone anyway." And then I think "until we get our housing affordability and mental health crises resolved, free transit proposals just becomes a fear magnet ("roving homeless shelters!!!" "crime train!!!"). And then I get sad.

Disability protections are generally a great thing, and the US is significantly more accessible than many countries for them, but I've watched a lot of cool, creative ideas get torpedoed because of them. Instead we're stuck with car dominance because "everyone can drive, not everyone can walk/bike/take the bus" (inb4 "wtf that's not remotely true" ... I know, but car brain doesn't).

Didn't they have these in China years ago to promote exercise or some shit.

They did it to promote some shit.

Dang that picture is low quality. When was this taken, 2009?

I wonder whether it checks that you're going to parallel at least or no reps you 😂

Does it accept video loops ?

Ableism 🤗🤗

I don't know how it is where you are, but here disabled and elderly people already ride the bus for free.
- Having to prove you're disabled is also often ableist
I was about to comment this, but now you saved me from lots of downvotes

She’s not a machine. She’s a woman, a human being. Do not objectify her.
\
\
\ Edit: Oh, wait… Now I see it.
The box she’s facing is a machine.

Maybe she's a digital fantasy. Did you look for extra fingers and such?
- omg, I just realized she has hands
Wait until you find out where she prints the tickets from.
It's the machine in front of her.
So curious about the downvotes. Please keep your vote how you did, but it would be interesting to know if it’s primarily one of these reasons below, or is it something else?
A. The downvotes express that my comment is just not funny, but the voter completely understands what I was going for
B. The downvotes express not liking being told not to objectify women
C. The downvotes express not liking me objectifying this woman
D. The downvotes are based on a misunderstanding of what I was going for
- I think you got a minority of downvotes to start, then others piled in. There are plenty of similar jokes in the thread that didn't get that treatment. Also, people ~~on the internet~~ are generally pretty bad at reading and the venn diagram has a lot of overlap with people looking for an excuse to be offended.