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I walked to school for 4 years in the US. Not to mention I biked or walked anywhere I could from about 6-16. No one is stopping kids and then arresting parents,

by wil421 8y ago

I walked to school for 4 years in the US. Not to mention I biked or walked anywhere I could from about 6-16. No one is stopping kids and then arresting parents, it’s absurd to say. It did happen in Maryland. Guess what? The CPS completely changed their rules after the justified outcry.[1] Not a single person was arrested in this matter. [1]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meitiv_incidents https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meitiv_incidents

MBCook 8y ago
People usually don’t hear the retraction, only the initial story. Because this happens every once in a while it’s very easy to get the idea it’s an official policy and you can get in trouble for it. And the consequences are so high people don’t want to risk it. Add that to internal fear about stranger danger and the kid getting lost or hurt and is it any wonder people tend towards not allowing this stuff?
- wil421 8y ago
  You’re right, I had to go to Wikipedia to find the end result. USA Today had the initial incident but no follow up.
magduf 8y ago
I walked to school as a young kid too in the US, but that was decades ago. Things have completely changed so you and I were children.
magduf 8y ago
I'd also like to point out that the entire state of Utah felt it necessary to pass a law making "free range parenting" (letting your kids run around outside unattended) legal, because they had so many problems with people calling the police. Remember, any time the police are called, even if it's stupid, they have to show up and investigate, and when there's no parents around, that means they have to find them, and at the minimum you have a giant hassle on your hands. Even in the incident you cite, the CPS did act badly, and that was just in one place. Why did they ever get to the point where they acted like that in the first place? It would have been unthinkable in other developed nations. And in your own link, the last line is: "The encounters between the Meitivs and the government have led to an intense debate among parents and educators.[" Why is there an "intense debate" about this? Obviously it's a big, big issue in the US, or else there wouldn't be any "intense debate" about it.
soperj 8y ago
Supreme Court in BC ruled that kids being left alone under the age of 10 wasn't allowed. So apparently Canada is worse.
- magduf 8y ago
  A lot of Americans think Canada is "America-lite", and basically a European version of America. It really isn't; they copy many of our worst tendencies.
  - soperj 8y ago
    Don't know which other's you're referring to? Guns? War on Drugs? Prisons? Health Care? Public Transport?

by wil421 8y ago

MBCook 8y ago

People usually don’t hear the retraction, only the initial story. Because this happens every once in a while it’s very easy to get the idea it’s an official policy and you can get in trouble for it. And the consequences are so high people don’t want to risk it. Add that to internal fear about stranger danger and the kid getting lost or hurt and is it any wonder people tend towards not allowing this stuff?

wil421 8y ago
You’re right, I had to go to Wikipedia to find the end result. USA Today had the initial incident but no follow up.

magduf 8y ago

I walked to school as a young kid too in the US, but that was decades ago. Things have completely changed so you and I were children.

magduf 8y ago

I'd also like to point out that the entire state of Utah felt it necessary to pass a law making "free range parenting" (letting your kids run around outside unattended) legal, because they had so many problems with people calling the police. Remember, any time the police are called, even if it's stupid, they have to show up and investigate, and when there's no parents around, that means they have to find them, and at the minimum you have a giant hassle on your hands. Even in the incident you cite, the CPS did act badly, and that was just in one place. Why did they ever get to the point where they acted like that in the first place? It would have been unthinkable in other developed nations. And in your own link, the last line is: "The encounters between the Meitivs and the government have led to an intense debate among parents and educators.[" Why is there an "intense debate" about this? Obviously it's a big, big issue in the US, or else there wouldn't be any "intense debate" about it.

soperj 8y ago

Supreme Court in BC ruled that kids being left alone under the age of 10 wasn't allowed. So apparently Canada is worse.

magduf 8y ago
A lot of Americans think Canada is "America-lite", and basically a European version of America. It really isn't; they copy many of our worst tendencies.
- soperj 8y ago
  Don't know which other's you're referring to? Guns? War on Drugs? Prisons? Health Care? Public Transport?