In French culture, seven is known as “l’âge de raison”, the age at which children know right from wrong and can take some moral responsibility. SNCF is not only a public service operator; it is entwined with French identity and the all-important long summer holidays. France’s finances are in crisis – and politicians know that a falling birthrate piles on more long-term pressure. While the concrete effects of SNCF’s move are minor – just a few seats on a few trains – the outrage sparked is reassuring. As a parent in family-friendly France, it’s good to know that attempts to start treating children as a nuisance instead of future grownups and civilised citizens get short shrift.