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>To ensure your single digit aged child reaches the bus. For what it's worth, this is a uniquely American problem; schoolchildren in Europe and Asia have no pr

by qball 7y ago

>To ensure your single digit aged child reaches the bus. For what it's worth, this is a uniquely American problem; schoolchildren in Europe and Asia have no problems taking public transit while being single-digit age. Of course, those places haven't bowed to irrational paranoia like North American countries do, but the fact remains that the assumption that children aren't capable of getting to a bus stop safely is a falsehood that fortunately only North American societies have chosen to embrace. It's stupid, but taking that on requires people to stop listening to a certain loud minority, so it's hard to break, though some states (like Utah) have made legal inroads against them.

NeoBasilisk 7y ago
Yeah, I used to walk to school when I was 7. It was only about 4 blocks away, and my mom told me to never deviate from the route she laid out for me, but it wasn't a bit deal.
selestify 7y ago
Who is this loud minority that’s against young children walking alone?
- crooked-v 7y ago
  Some quick examples: https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/31/living/florida-mom-arrested-son-park/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/31/living/florida-mom-arrested-s... https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/13/parents-investigated-letting-children-walk-alone/25700823/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/13/parent... https://people.com/parents/mom-investigated-dcfs-letting-daughter-walk-dog-alone-wilmette/ https://people.com/parents/mom-investigated-dcfs-letting-dau... https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/07/arrested-for-letting-a-9-year-old-play-at-the-park-alone/374436/ https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/07/arreste...
crooked-v 7y ago
Probably the most dramatic example would be Japan, where it's not unheard of for grade school children to take a train ride alone to school, sometimes with transfers.
RestlessMind 7y ago
Asian here. Never took public transit until I was in my teens. And I wasn't alone - I don't remember a single kid from my school who used public transport when they were less than 10yrs old. So I don't know which Asia you are talking about.
- fiblye 7y ago
  It's very normal in Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Once kids are out of kindergarten, it's assumed that they're able to get from point A to point B without much help.
- inawarminister 7y ago
  Very normal in the non-rich parts of Southeast Asia.
- ido 7y ago
  Well Asia is literally the biggest continent on earth with a population of over 4.5 billion people so some mileage may vary. I don't expect growing up in Tokyo is all that similar to growing up in rural Turkey. I grew up in a west Asian country and walked to school every days from age 6 to 18. I didn't get on public transit on my own till probably my teens either because I didn't need to! Everywhere I needed to get to was within walking distance. I sometimes walked for an hour to get to my sister's place on the other side of town but my schools were first 5 minutes walk and then 15 minutes walk away from where my parents lived.
- imtringued 7y ago
  When I went to elementary school there was a dedicated school bus.
rainyMammoth 7y ago
European here. I walked to school, sometimes more than 3 miles from 8 to 12 years old. Then I took one hour of train from 12 to 18. Your comment got it right, there is a weird paranoia in the US. Typical American parents never allow their children to do anything by themselves anymore. When I was a kid, I used to play for hours in the street from my neighborhood, sometimes climbing on trees in the wood nearby. My parents had no idea where I was or what I was doing and that was fine. I cannot even imagine what American parents would think if this happened in the US nowadays. Social services would probably be called upon my parents. I'm convinced that having micromanaging parent is not sane for a kid's mental development.
- ddingus 7y ago
  When I entered 3rd grade, my morning get on bus was our driveway. Afternoon drop off was 1/2 mile away. A few of us walked it each day, unless weather was terrible. Those walks home were amazing. Great times I remember fondly. This was West Coast Rural USA, starting during late 70's. Play, explore experiences were similar.

by qball 7y ago

NeoBasilisk 7y ago

Yeah, I used to walk to school when I was 7. It was only about 4 blocks away, and my mom told me to never deviate from the route she laid out for me, but it wasn't a bit deal.

selestify 7y ago

Who is this loud minority that’s against young children walking alone?

crooked-v 7y ago
Some quick examples: https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/31/living/florida-mom-arrested-son-park/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/31/living/florida-mom-arrested-s... https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/13/parents-investigated-letting-children-walk-alone/25700823/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/13/parent... https://people.com/parents/mom-investigated-dcfs-letting-daughter-walk-dog-alone-wilmette/ https://people.com/parents/mom-investigated-dcfs-letting-dau... https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/07/arrested-for-letting-a-9-year-old-play-at-the-park-alone/374436/ https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/07/arreste...

crooked-v 7y ago

Probably the most dramatic example would be Japan, where it's not unheard of for grade school children to take a train ride alone to school, sometimes with transfers.

RestlessMind 7y ago

Asian here. Never took public transit until I was in my teens. And I wasn't alone - I don't remember a single kid from my school who used public transport when they were less than 10yrs old. So I don't know which Asia you are talking about.

fiblye 7y ago
It's very normal in Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Once kids are out of kindergarten, it's assumed that they're able to get from point A to point B without much help.
inawarminister 7y ago
Very normal in the non-rich parts of Southeast Asia.
ido 7y ago
Well Asia is literally the biggest continent on earth with a population of over 4.5 billion people so some mileage may vary. I don't expect growing up in Tokyo is all that similar to growing up in rural Turkey. I grew up in a west Asian country and walked to school every days from age 6 to 18. I didn't get on public transit on my own till probably my teens either because I didn't need to! Everywhere I needed to get to was within walking distance. I sometimes walked for an hour to get to my sister's place on the other side of town but my schools were first 5 minutes walk and then 15 minutes walk away from where my parents lived.
imtringued 7y ago
When I went to elementary school there was a dedicated school bus.

rainyMammoth 7y ago

European here. I walked to school, sometimes more than 3 miles from 8 to 12 years old. Then I took one hour of train from 12 to 18. Your comment got it right, there is a weird paranoia in the US. Typical American parents never allow their children to do anything by themselves anymore. When I was a kid, I used to play for hours in the street from my neighborhood, sometimes climbing on trees in the wood nearby. My parents had no idea where I was or what I was doing and that was fine. I cannot even imagine what American parents would think if this happened in the US nowadays. Social services would probably be called upon my parents. I'm convinced that having micromanaging parent is not sane for a kid's mental development.

ddingus 7y ago
When I entered 3rd grade, my morning get on bus was our driveway. Afternoon drop off was 1/2 mile away. A few of us walked it each day, unless weather was terrible. Those walks home were amazing. Great times I remember fondly. This was West Coast Rural USA, starting during late 70's. Play, explore experiences were similar.