Teenagers travelling alone

Buzzybee90

duchy wrote: »

I don't know about now but I grew up in Surrey and back then .....at 15

School (bus)
Theatre (train and tube if the West End -otherwise bus if local)
Cinema (bus)
Nightclubs :eek: (bus)
Drama group (youth theatre) (bus)
Job interview in London for after I turned 16 train
Brighton (day trip) Train
Village Hall type discos (bus)
Regular Sunday night rock gigs (bus)
School swimming - 2 buses (at 15 we had swimming at a pool that needed two buses once a week-no teacher was present most weeks - we were expected to make our way there and back- usually we stopped at MacDonalds for lunch on the way back to school)
Most of my friends had Saturday jobs at 15 and got the bus into town to work -I worked for my Dad so used to get a lift in -except when I worked at one of the other branches of his travel agency to cover absences when I'd get the bus.

My (older) parents were considered a bit over protective by some of my friends and I was expected to keep them informed where I was and what I was doing (maybe I didn't mention the nightclubs;) ) . This was pre mobile phones.

I lived in an area with very good public transport and although we had a car my Mum didn't drive so we took public transport mostly as a child when he was at work so getting the bus as a teenager didn't seem at all adventurous. I do think the multiple car family has changed attitudes and getting public transport for many kids is the exception rather than the norm and it makes them less independent.

It wasn't the same for everyone though-I remember one of the neighbours who had kids the same age as me and my brother telling my Mum how brave she was taking us to London to the museums -and then added she'd never been to London without her husband and couldn't imagine taking the children there alone. (We were ten minutes walk from the station and it was half an hour on the direct train to London).

Most of these things we would have lifts for, there's no way we could have gone to a concert in London alone, well unless the parent wanted to pick us up at 2.30am from the station!

It's all well and good if you have transport but out in the sticks there's often nothing at all.

There's much more independence in driving, which is something we could all do at 17, lots of my friends from uni couldn't because they had public transport links and didn't need to.

Swings and roundabouts!

Guest101

fierystormcloud wrote: »

I literally cannot believe the amount of people on here who claim they used to go here there and everywhere, on their own, on long haul journeys on trains and planes and coaches, unaccompanied when they were only 10 to 14ish. Just gallivanting about with no adult supervision. In addition, they are claiming they let their kids do the same.

Hopping on buses here there and everywhere, around your own town, yes, of course, many kids do that, OR maybe on a longer journey (say to the next town,) with their friends. But some people are claiming they - or their children - travelled 1000s of miles away, on their OWN at 11, 12, 13. There are many places where you cannot even enter without an adult unless you are over 14, (like a concert venue, or a pub, and even some sports centres,) yet people are claiming to have travelled the world alone, and let their kids do the same at a younger age than this! :huh:

I didn't ever travel on trains and planes and coaches on long haul trips alone til I was 16... For one thing, my parents would never have allowed that, (until I was 16,) and secondly, I wouldn't have wanted to go wandering off on my own on a long haul trip.

I am genuinely shocked at people letting school age children go off on their own, on long distance journeys on trains and planes. Nobody I know would do that. Everyone I know would be too worried about their welfare and safety.

There we go, fact. One person's opinion has ended this interesting debate.

She wasn't allowed to do it, so all of you are liars and crazy!

oh and the world is strictly over 18's only. How could someone board a plane and visit family abroad without an adult?! I mean they have a passport, and a ticket, and their family would meet them at the airport, and it's quite secure so you cant wander off, and it's not just a massive pub/concert/sports arena out there, there's like shops and cafes and museums in other countries too, but under 18?! NOT A CHANCE.

Thanks for clarifying, i knew all these people were liars....

alwaysskint96

My 11 year old( year 6 primary) manages to catch trains with one change between his Dads house and mine started doing this earlier this year and loves the freedom it gives him


My eldest at 12 plus travelled into london from essex to see grandparents, sometimes taking younger sister with her and at 17 had moved 250 miles away and managed to get back and forth between manchester and Essex on trains coaches etc

DD2 was the one who didnt like public transport so tolerated it for couple of years before driving at 17 She has however (now 20) managed to travel to SE Asia alone??/ Funny how they CAN when they want

Georgiegirl256

fierystormcloud wrote: »

I literally cannot believe the amount of people on here who claim they used to go here there and everywhere, on their own, on long haul journeys on trains and planes and coaches, unaccompanied when they were only 10 to 14ish. Just gallivanting about with no adult supervision.

Why can't you believe it? It happens, and it's hardly gallivanting about.

I would get the train from Carlisle to Aberdeen (with one or two changes, depending on the train I got) and back again when I was about 13 or 14. My parents would see me on at Carlisle and my friend's parents would meet me at the other end, and believe it or not, my parents (especially my Mam) did used to worry about things but they trusted me and could see I was mature enough and sensible enough to do the journey on my own.

Once in Aberdeen, we would travel all over the city on buses on our own.

As has already been said, it comes down to the individual child. Some are highly immature for their age, and some not. Some are confident enough to do these things on their own, and it should be up to the individual families to decide which one their child is and whether or not they'd be capable.

It made me confident as I got older to go places by myself, plan journeys, and be able to go and visit friends at Uni in Preston and Manchester whilst still at a fairly young age.

lostinrates

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

Most of these things we would have lifts for, there's no way we could have gone to a concert in London alone, well unless the parent wanted to pick us up at 2.30am from the station!

It's all well and good if you have transport but out in the sticks there's often nothing at all.

There's much more independence in driving, which is something we could all do at 17, lots of my friends from uni couldn't because they had public transport links and didn't need to.

Swings and roundabouts!

Certainly tubes are less of a daily use, but the once a day to London coach is very popular with a variety of people in my old corner of SW. It takes one into hammersmith......where the world was then your oyster.....till the evening, then you could be collected by parents in the later evening where the coach had picked you up.

Trains similarly. Might not be that great in the sticks, but they DO get used by teens, whose parents have ensured familiarity pick them up at the train rather than make drives of hours, when the time off work cannot be made.

Agricultural colleges take sixteen year olds, Remote places often, and lots of parents do drop off, and seventeen year olds with cars are very popular. But not all have cars, and many travel there and home by train and buses. Even country kids can learn public transport.

In this area ( not so remote part of rural England as my last) mopeds/scooters are very popular. I find that bizarre, as truthfully, everything here is more cycleable than my last area ( towns fewer than ten miles apart, quite a few train stations and a fairly decent local bus network).

Buzzybee90

lostinrates wrote: »

Certainly tubes are less of a daily use, but the once a day to London coach is very popular with a variety of people in my old corner of SW. It takes one into hammersmith......where the world was then your oyster.....till the evening, then you could be collected by parents in the later evening where the coach had picked you up.

Trains similarly. Might not be that great in the sticks, but they DO get used by teens, whose parents have ensured familiarity pick them up at the train rather than make drives of hours, when the time off work cannot be made.

Agricultural colleges take sixteen year olds, Remote places often, and lots of parents do drop off, and seventeen year olds with cars are very popular. But not all have cars, and many travel there and home by train and buses. Even country kids can learn public transport.

In this area ( not so remote part of rural England as my last) mopeds/scooters are very popular. I find that bizarre, as truthfully, everything here is more cycleable than my last area ( towns fewer than ten miles apart, quite a few train stations and a fairly decent local bus network).

I know they do, I'm just saying that you haven't failed at life and your parents haven't failed you if you've not used public transport alone ver much before your 16th birthday, it's not feasible for many people. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've taken a bus somewhere that wasn't a park and ride! I can actually only think of one time. I was definitely under 16, I went to the cinema with my friends (but said friend lived in a village with a bus!)

lostinrates

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

I know they do, I'm just saying that you haven't failed at life and your parents haven't failed you if you've not used public transport alone ver much before your 16th birthday, it's not feasible for many people. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've taken a bus somewhere that wasn't a park and ride! I can actually only think of one time. I was definitely under 16, I went to the cinema with my friends (but said friend lived in a village with a bus!)

Ok. Let's look at it this way. Do you think it would be a hindrance to be taught how to do these things?

Andypandyboy

It is probably location dependent, but none of my kids used a bus or a train before they were 16, they didn't need to do so.

They have all obviously used trains since when they needed to travel between home and uni or to other cities, but thinking about it I still don't think they have used a bus! They drive, take the train or walk.

Not doing before they were 16 hasn't stunted their growth or made them unable to do it. The need just didn't arise, we were around to give lifts as were their friends parents.

Buzzybee90

lostinrates wrote: »

Ok. Let's look at it this way. Do you think it would be a hindrance to be taught how to do these things?

I don't think it's rocket science. Public transport is pretty easy to master. Even though I rarely get the bus of course I know how to.

The tube is probably the most confusing thing and that's pretty easy if you have a map!

lostinrates

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

I don't think it's rocket science. Public transport is pretty easy to master. Even though I rarely get the bus of course I know how to.

The tube is probably the most confusing thing and that's pretty easy if you have a map!

Ok, its just you said you would have been scared to do them. Shrug.

I don't like the idea of young people being ill prepared and left fearful of situations that they can easily be prepared for and that can provide them with opportunity.