Children Catching the Bus

lika_86

Just make sure they know bus terminology ie. single or return. I must have got the bus for the first time on my own around 13 to the nearest city with a friend (previously I would walk with friends into our town or go into the city with my mum and she'd drive or we'd park and ride, so no need to take the bus) and I was stumped by the 'single or return' question and subsequently was teased a lot about my lack of bus knowledge and for being sheltered.

balletshoes

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

If they don't know the route, aren't familiar with going on busses, etc, it may as well be a journey to Mars.

true, but now it seems, with this particular child, that he's done the route a lot with his mum already. So one journey with him taking the lead and a parent with him, and he should be fine . Is he happy to do it OP?

securityguy

geekgirl wrote: »

When my son was 15 he got the chance to do his work experience at a design studio in Soho. I was really worried but his dad did the journey on the train (hour train journey, then short tube journey) the first few times

My sixteen year old will be getting herself to Nice by train in a few months' time. Meanwhile, she has schoolfriends who aren't allowed to get the bus into town.

balletshoes

nfollows1982 wrote: »

Yes he has got a mobile and he uses whatsapp so there would be no worries about running out of credit. He's always be able to text home to say he's on the way home so they can meet him the other end.

Is this arrangement for access visits? I think you or he should make sure, before he gets on the bus, that there will be someone waiting for him at the other end, not wait until he's on the journey already.

Claree__x

Mojisola wrote: »

Most women who use public transport regularly have experienced being touched inappropriately.

Whoa, what?! Really?
I must get the wrong (right I suppose) busses :rotfl:

Goldiegirl

I think I'd be a good idea to have a trial run together, but I think at the age of 12 he'd be able to cope with a bus journey by himself, and would actually enjoy it, as it's a chance to illustrate that he's grown up enough to allow this responsibility and independence.

However, I was very suprised to learn that it is the norm for women to be touched inappropriately on public transport.

nfollows1982

balletshoes wrote: »

Is this arrangement for access visits? I think you or he should make sure, before he gets on the bus, that there will be someone waiting for him at the other end, not wait until he's on the journey already.

I would put in arrangements to ensure someone was always there to meet him but as the bus takes up to 40 minutes he'd make use of his phone to text his mum and let him know how far away he is.

The bus stop where he would get off is about 50 yards from his front door so it's not like she has far to walk to meet him.

Spendless

Mojisola wrote: »

Although it's easier if you're going out to jump in the car, it's worth using public transport occasionally, just to give the children the experience.

I don't disagree, it's just soooo incredibly expensive for us to travel by bus. I once paid less with a railcard for me and 2 kids to do a single train journey from our village in S.Yorks to Alfreton than it cost me to take the kids by bus to the leisure centre and back.

tyllwyd

securityguy wrote: »

My sixteen year old will be getting herself to Nice by train in a few months' time. Meanwhile, she has schoolfriends who aren't allowed to get the bus into town.

You are allowing a 16 year old girl to travel to Nice by train by herself? (or with friends a similar age?) That's quite a difference from a bus ride to the next town! My biggest practical worry would be what would happen if things went wrong - her money got stolen or she lost her passport. She's still officially a minor, so would she have trouble sorting things out, even if she is a very capable person?

Dunroamin

nfollows1982 wrote: »

I would put in arrangements to ensure someone was always there to meet him but as the bus takes up to 40 minutes he'd make use of his phone to text his mum and let him know how far away he is.

The bus stop where he would get off is about 50 yards from his front door so it's not like she has far to walk to meet him.

50 yards - why would she even need to come and meet him at all?