> Eyes on the street used to be provided not only by stay-at-home parents, but by other folks going about their lives: people walking through, shopkeepers, etc

> Eyes on the street used to be provided not only by stay-at-home parents, but by other folks going about their lives: people walking through, shopkeepers, etc Not just eyes but they were empowered to police kids as well, the local shopkeeper could "order" you to go home and confiscate the lighter you're burning leaves with without repercussion, but doing so now could just as likely end up with an angry parent coming back with the big "don't tell my kid what to do" speech. Similarly spanking was a punishment that friends parents could dish out, but this slowly faded out and now everyone is scared to make any physical contact whatsoever. The accepted rules on what sort of justice could be dolled out by non-parents changed slowly and unevenly leaving many confused to the point where they just stay out of it entirely, or maybe just call the police for the worst infractions.