Children travelling by train alone

aliasojo

ticktack wrote: »

But if it was me I would be concerned not so much about what the kids might or not do, but what unexpected events might occur.

Yes, which comes under the heading of 'what they'd do'...i.e. how they reacted to *whatever*.

duchy

This is the part I don't really understand-Why parents are MORE anxious now than pre-mobiles days. Our parents had to wait for us to find a payphone and ring them if we weren't home when expected-whereas nowdays kids are almost always contactable.

DylanO

I'm surprised some of you have managed to survive to adulthood! Walking across a train station the worst experience of your life?! Good god! You shouldn't go out if you're that scared of such everyday things - obviously there's some psychological trauma going on there.

If you want your kids to grow up to be like that then go ahead and make a big deal about train travel, but if you want normally functioning adults then don't. A train trip is probably the safest journey you could make.

Armchair23

lorne57 wrote: »

Blimey didn't know I'd got a "problem":rotfl: and needed counselling!

Spendless made it all seem so easy and probably is...and when you've done it a few times it would become normal.

But....when you havn't done it before or regularly enough (no matter what subject we are talking about) some people are still very apprehensive about things and shouldn't be patronised.

My workplace is probably going to move sometime this year....to me this isn't going to cause any problem whatsoever as I travel in this direction regularly, I know the roads. But two of the people I work with are seriously considering looking for new jobs as they will now have to either travel on a very busy (and I mean really busy lane changing watch yourself dual carriageway) or a much longer keep to the side roads route! they are just not used to it. The thought petrifies them....to me its 2nd nature....do they have a problem and need counselling also:o

Anyway tea and bottle of red calling:T have a good evening all.

Lorne57 you seem to me a good reason for why you should get out and about on public transport and gain confidence at an early age.
I find it quite sad that you can't just go off and do things because the prospect of getting there is so difficult for you. That obviously makes it harder for you to do things you choose.
And by that I'm not being patronising or critical, I just find it shame.
I was widowed recently and I have the option to sit at home like a sad lump or make efforts to go out and about. I know that if I was worried about getting on a train that would make my options even smaller. And there are lots of things I baulk at.
So please take heart that millions of childrens and adults use the railways every day and almost none of them come to harm.
Now what about you offering your services to chaperone these two lovelies and so many things could be sorted in one go!

ticktack_2

duchy wrote: »

This is the part I don't really understand-Why parents are MORE anxious now than pre-mobiles days. Our parents had to wait for us to find a payphone and ring them if we weren't home when expected-whereas nowdays kids are almost always contactable.

Perhaps because times have changed. At one time, for instance, you could put a child on a train under the care of the guard. No longer.

aliasojo

ticktack wrote: »

Perhaps because times have changed. At one time, for instance, you could put a child on a train under the care of the guard. No longer.

I think that's a good point.

Also, people were more community minded generally whereas these days they are more insular maybe and don't get involved.

Especially when it comes to kids, just in case they themselves get accused of all sorts.

duchy

No nowdays they'd need a CRB to do it .
How did that work anyway ? Did the kid have to sit in the guard's van with the luggage or what ?

sausageface

AllyS it seems that you have lovely and responsible children but at the end of the day it is only you and their father who can decide if the train journey can be done. Is your youngest capable of doing other things i.e. you would let him go the shops or get a bus a bit further away if he wanted?

The idea of you doing the journey with them at first is a good one and as long as you think they are capable then that's all that matters. All children are different and some you could and some you couldn't trust in that situation.

As an aside, not to knock anyones' fears on here, but if you are an adult who cannot get a train OR drive somewhere where you actually want to go then there is something going wrong somewhere. It is probably being mollycoddled and bubble wrapped in early life that leads people to worry too much about doing absolutely normal things. Crazy to think that two people in one workplace would consider leaving their job because the move would mean they have to drive down a busy dual carriageway!?!

ticktack_2

duchy wrote: »

No nowdays they'd need a CRB to do it .
How did that work anyway ? Did the kid have to sit in the guard's van with the luggage or what ?

No, he would just keep an eye on them. I'm not saying it should be brought back, or that it *could* be brought back. It was different times.

DylanO

ticktack wrote: »

Perhaps because times have changed. At one time, for instance, you could put a child on a train under the care of the guard. No longer.

Instead you now have CCTV covering every possible place they could get to, and they can be in constant contact with a parent should they need to be.