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Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone

nysun.com — For weeks my boy had been begging for me to please leave him somewhere, anywhere, and let him try to figure out how to get home on his own. So on that sunny Sunday I gave him a subway map, a MetroCard, a $20 bill, and several quarters, just in case he had to make a call.

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  • medulla, on 04/04/2008, -3/+126hoodlums! haha even though i completely agree with the ideas, if every 9 year old was let loose in new york, the adults are the ones that need to be worried.
    • salomejones, on 04/05/2008, -0/+10So true. It's actually very common here to see kids riding the subways alone (with eachother, generally in small groups), but ive never seen one as young as that...not that its a bad thing. I think the problem that a lot of people seem to have is with the child's perceived safety navigating the subway system, but the fact is the subway is generally teeming with people who are not criminals.
      • Abomonog, on 04/05/2008, -0/+5That's just a sign of the times. When I was 9 I was riding the RTA all the way from Elgin Il. into downtown Chicago. Sometimes alone, sometimes with friends. None of our parents sweated this at all. Today parents cringe at the idea of their kids walking to the 711 alone much less a 35 mile train ride into a major city.

        Kids are more likely to be hit by a car when out than abducted by a pedophile. No one likes to lose a child but childhood is all about learning your limits. You can't lock them up inside out of fear.
    • antiorblkflag9, on 04/05/2008, -9/+4There are some places where this is a fantastic idea. Other places, like Baltimore, not so much. On the light rail going to work the other day, some dude was passed out and accidently dropped three tiny plastic bags on the ground all filled with a white powder. Someone else on the train saw them and show them to the people he was with and they all started fighting over it.
      • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -3/+9So it's dangerous if the kid is a tiny plastic bag of white powder? You seem to be having trouble differentiating a child finding their way home in a city and drug related fighting (you didn't really even give enough details in your "example" to say if it qualifies as violence).
        • antiorblkflag9, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1"So it's dangerous if the kid is a tiny plastic bag of white powder?" What? I'm not saying it qualifies violence, I'm just saying that it might not be something you want a 9 year old exposed to without someone to explain it to him.
          • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -1/+2The point is, your story was irrelevant.
      • Abomonog, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2You are saying that one incident makes the entire light rail system dangerous? Well heres a hint. Most subway crimes happen in enclosed boarding stations, not on the trains. And subway crime is extremely rare. Are you stupid to mug someone on a train with a fixed destination you can't avoid going to? One cell phone call at the police are waiting at the next station.
    • viewtiful4ever, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1I used to take the Subway alone at 10, and now I'm 21 and I was never a hoodlum, I'm just very lazy but I don't think Subway had anything to do with it...
      • Light11, on 04/05/2008, -6/+2you could have walked to where you were going but noooooooooo you had to take the subway. get off your ass!
      • bigdsinferno, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1I thought we only capitalized subway when we are talking about Jared
      • michaelb1, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1I rode the subway with a bunch of friends when I was 12. Almost the same thing.
    • trunkster, on 04/05/2008, -0/+5Heh I bet if anyone had any ideas of abducting the kid they probably thought it was a trap.
    • KingGorilla, on 04/05/2008, -2/+5Just give them a gun they'll be fine
    • verkon, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1Hoodlum was raided, remember?
  • IvanB, on 04/04/2008, -186/+27Very irresponsible if you ask me.
    • sdrawkcaB, on 04/04/2008, -18/+89Nobody did. Your opinion is dumb and unfounded.
      • Flann11, on 04/05/2008, -3/+37Dumbfounded?
      • fajitamelt, on 04/05/2008, -9/+9Key word "if." IvanB was simply communicating his opinion. You have a right to call somebody's opinion dumb, but his opinion was not in anyway unfounded.
        • TheKrillr, on 04/05/2008, -4/+11Unfounded means not based on factual evidence. As a matter of /fact/, it goes against the evidence and statistics.
          • fajitamelt, on 04/05/2008, -9/+5Are you saying it is responsible to let your kid out in a big city on his own? It might not be irresponsible, but I don't see how it can be responsible.
          • TheKrillr, on 04/05/2008, -1/+9Does it really have to be either? Why is it in today's society actions must be either ultimately good or ultimately evil?
          • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -0/+4@fajitamelt - The kid has learned that a) the world is not a place to be afraid of and b) he is capable of working his way through it. I would say that leans more towards responsible than irresponsible. A parent's job is to teach their child to be a capable adult, not to be their jailer.
          • michaelb1, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1I always tell my kids that if they get lost ask a cop or a woman for help.
        • fajitamelt, on 04/05/2008, -4/+4I think the cheesy crust on the pizza at the school cafeteria sucks. Almost everybody else who I talk to about it says it is the best part. Does that mean, based on the statistics, that the cheesy crust of the pizza is, in fact, the best part?

          True story, by the way.
      • W00DR0W, on 04/05/2008, -5/+5Yes "unfounded", because kids never get kidnapped or anyhting.
        • musicbear, on 04/05/2008, -6/+4I wouldn't let my kid out of my sight in a Barnes and Noble let alone on a New York subway. Not to mention a local Florida girl walking on her own to school when a man just walked up to her and took her arm, forced into the woods where he raped and killed her - caught on the cameras of a local business she was nearby. It only needs to be fatal once. In my opinion that is a really risky thing to do. Sure kids need some independence and to learn on their own, but don't most kids who have to go out on their own in large cities like that go out in groups?
          • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -1/+14I heard a story once about a guy that had a heart attack while walking around town. Should I be afraid of having a heart attack every time I walk around town, or should I accept that sometimes bad things happen and a life of fear is not really a life at all. I'm going to go with the latter on this one.
          • Abomonog, on 04/05/2008, -0/+4Nope and guess what. Most child crimes take place in smaller towns without rail systems. Major cities have very few issues with child abductions when compared to smaller towns.

            Overprotect that child and you will raise a career victim.
          • spearce, on 04/06/2008, -0/+1I once heard this story about a guy being hit by lightening so now I don't go outside when it rains.
      • Psythik, on 04/05/2008, -0/+3I did...
        http://psythik.com/pics/idid.jpg
    • hikaruzero, on 04/04/2008, -4/+57Teaching your child how to find his way is irresponsible?
      The Inuit people up in Alaska take their children out into the freezing storming wilderness, and ask them questions like, "Have you ever been here before? Do you know how to get back? Can you show me?" and teach them how to find their way even in dire environments, and how to live.
      I call New York a pretty dire environment. He's raising his kids properly -- by letting them learn how on their own, not by simply instructing them and assuming they understand.
      Also, the kid learned because to him it was an adventure, he had fun.
      Great job!
      • fajitamelt, on 04/05/2008, -6/+4She didn't really teach her child the way to get home, she let him figure it out by himself. I'm guessing her son must be pretty smart, because thinking back when I was 9 years old, I wouldn't trust myself to find my way home.
        • TheKrillr, on 04/05/2008, -2/+7Her son isn't necessarily any smarter, I would say he's simply better equipped to handle a situation like that. She has obviously taught him how to be self-sufficient and figure things out on his own.
        • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -0/+7When I was 5, I found my way home from school, about 10 miles away and on a path I had only ever seen from the bus window (with no map and never having had someone teach me how to navigate the roads). You would be surprised how smart kids can be when given the opportunity.
        • SneezingTree, on 04/05/2008, -3/+1Somehow I doubt that a 5 year old could walk 10 miles (which would be roughly 5-8 hours depending on walking speed), let alone find the right path home...
          • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -1/+2Didn't grow up in a rural area, did you.
        • TekMuzik, on 04/05/2008, -2/+0Yes, cause a five year old has a max walking speed of 2 MPH...
      • joshzam, on 04/05/2008, -1/+5If you had bothered to listen to the interview, you would know that the kid's father took the time to sit down with the kid first and teach him how to navigate with the NY Subway map.
        • fajitamelt, on 04/05/2008, -1/+6A good reporter would mention that in the article.
        • theysayjump, on 04/05/2008, -7/+1It was actually the kids MOTHER.

          Are you sure you actually listened to the interview?
        • joshzam, on 04/05/2008, -2/+7Grrr, the MOTHER said that it was the kid's FATHER that taught him how to read the subway map. You just made yourself look silly, theysayjump.
      • cheappop, on 04/05/2008, -5/+0Yes it is in this situation. For the love of god it is New York City. I wish that that parent lost custody for this *****. So many things could have gone wrong here. The fact that IvanB is getting dugg down demonstrates Digg's lack of understanding of the real world. It is quite easy to spout facts about life and responsibility from your parent's basement. Once again, Digg fails common sense.
        • BrandonWicks, on 04/05/2008, -0/+6The problem is that today, people DON'T live in the real world, they live in a world painted in the colors of the sensationalist media, where Islamic terrorists will bomb your supermarket and gangs of bearded child molesters hang out at the local park.
        • CoryTrevor, on 04/06/2008, -0/+1Turn off your TV cheappop. The world outside isn't totally out to get you.
    • XBGX, on 04/04/2008, -20/+3you are a boy kisser.
    • Sharky35, on 04/04/2008, -42/+2Ivan... I agree with you to a point.
      Luckily, natural selection is a real thing and I am sure this jack ass of a father will find new and inventive ways to get rid of his son. "MY SON HAS BEEN BUGGING ME ABOUT GOING TO IRAQ", "MY SON HAS BEEN BUGGING ME ABOUT TRYING COCAINE". Fact of the matter, aren't there child abandonment laws in his area. I have lived in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Tennessee, Texas and California and am pretty sure I'd be in jail if I had done that in any of those places.
      • moonym, on 04/05/2008, -1/+12Maybe you should read before you comment. That's his mom who wrote the article, you overprotective prick.
        • Sharky35, on 04/05/2008, -10/+1So I AM A PRICK? Well your mother says that I am a nice young man and she wants you to bring a gallon of 1% home after your Pokemon tournament.
      • ohhoe, on 04/05/2008, -0/+12Uh, It's not child abandonment.

        You've obviously never lived in New York City which isn't as bad as half of the people commenting in this post think it is. The chance of your child getting abducted is way ***** less than the chance that you'll get cancer and kick the bucket. I think it's pretty awesome the woman is giving her child the street smarts that he needs to survive in real life and not coddling him and having him grow up to be insecure and afraid of his own shadow.
    • nclester, on 04/05/2008, -3/+25Your such a pussy. Letting this kid find his way home is no where near as irresponsible as your "ass-wipe, pussified parenting" is. More kids need these basic, everyday skills. For Christ sakes, it's NY, not Iraq. Isn't this America? For a country that talks about how safe and united we are, which is a crock of *****, being united I mean, parents sure are confining their kids life. LET THEM LIVE.

      After all, he had quarters to call home.
      • musicbear, on 04/05/2008, -4/+1No No not like Iraq it's JUST LIKE the Alaskan eskimos with the ice floes and wilderness survival. And his quarters will come in handy when a man wants to take him by force and leave him dead somewhere. It's well known that predators are distracted by the quarters bright shininess! His nine year old flexibility will also serve him well... in a manner of speaking.
        • ohhoe, on 04/05/2008, -0/+5Wow, your real world views are really ass backwards.


          I bet you think every woman is in danger of getting raped and chopped up into little pieces every time she wears a skirt above the knee.
        • cheappop, on 04/05/2008, -2/+0No, but I doubt you have ever been to New York. Maybe you haven't had some creepy guy in a trench coat jerk one while sitting a couple seats away, but that is a real quick way to get a feel for a city that large. Why anybody would allow their child to navigate a city like that alone is beyond all comprehension. There was so much that could have gone wrong. Where are Child Protective Services when you actually need them?
      • celkin, on 04/05/2008, -0/+4*YOU'RE
        • jatoskep, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1Dammit, I was gonna be the grammar nazi. ._.
    • SnuKs, on 04/05/2008, -0/+9It was a great way to teach a kid a lesson, but honestly i would of tailed him if was my kid.

      You're digging this guy down to damnation, but if it was a story from CNN saying "Man files missing report on own child because of he wanted to see if he could get home on his own" all of you would be flaming the dad about how much of an idiot he is...
      • musicbear, on 04/05/2008, -1/+2Amen brother.
      • Abomonog, on 04/05/2008, -0/+3Not me. Such a loss would be a matter of losing the odds. Playing the odds is something everyone does from the moment they get up out of bed in the morning (an act alone which has caused the deaths of many young and old over the centuries). Kids need to learn and sadly, they sometimes die. But if there is never risk in a childs life then that child will never be able to act when reality gets dicey.
        That being unable to act is exactly why people are able to walk into collages and gun down entire classrooms. Students make easy targets when they're just staring at the gunner like a deer stares down incoming headlights.
    • ihatediggcom, on 04/05/2008, -2/+2Did you even read the article?
      • Sharky35, on 04/05/2008, -3/+1Yeah I did, I got the Gender wrong... my bad.
        • AmICoolNow, on 04/05/2008, -1/+2The gender's not even really relevant, dude.
    • Darkhacker, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2I think it depends on the individual child whether or not it's irresponsible. If your kid is a known trouble maker or has some kind of mental disability, then this type of experiment would be a very bad idea. Some 9 year-olds go crazy when left alone and end up doing stupid *****. It was obvious though that this guy had a normal, intelligent son that was capable of acting like a mature adult despite his chronological age.
  • SirPopper, on 04/04/2008, -22/+91I put on my robe and wizard hat
  • dimplemonkey, on 04/04/2008, -5/+192Wow! At first, I was mortified then I started thinking about how I begged my mom to let me take the bus in New Brunswick, NJ to Manhattan, then walk from the bus terminal, go several stories below to take the subway to Queens (three stops before Shea) and I was TEN! Yes, she eventually let me do it. Was it irresponsible? Not really, I thought the experience allowed me to be independent while it sharpened my senses. Was I terrified at first? Yes! But it was similar to riding my first big roller coaster or kissing a girl for the first time. I knew what was at stake and I was ready, willing and able to take the necessary risks. As far as I can remember, no one approached me the entire way.
    • Abennobashi, on 04/04/2008, -44/+2what was at stake for you when you kissed a girl for the first time?
      the dryness of your underwear?
    • schrankage, on 04/05/2008, -5/+1***** weird comment ^^^^^^^^^
    • Sil369, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1Once Apon A Time...
    • bolsheviklp64, on 04/05/2008, -5/+1you havent kissed a girl...
    • eazhar, on 04/05/2008, -5/+3mortified means embarrassed, not afraid
      • psibladeZX, on 04/08/2008, -0/+0mortified means terrified/scared/horrified... not embarrassed you ***** idiot.... jesus read a dictionary (your mother probably never let you out).
    • psibladeZX, on 04/08/2008, -0/+0See? And you didnt grow up to be useless.. I used to ride my bike from Linden, NJ to lincoln tunnel all the time... They wouldnt let me in because I was a pedestrian... so I biked to hoboken from the lincoln tunnel, and took the path into the city... then took the train from penn station back... how old was I? I did this from age 10-13 (then we moved down to South Brunswick so it was a lot further to nyc, still biked around though)... Honestly, its not that bad out there
  • akkibaba, on 04/04/2008, -0/+88Judging from my 9-year old cousin, I think a good age to let kids do these things on their own would be 11-12 years of age. I used to travel alone by Mumbai's local trains by the time I was 12, and it was all good. We shouldn't be worried about abduction just because Nancy Grace and the like hype it up on TV. Those incidents, while horrible to think about, are extremely rare. Kids don't need to be protected 24/7.
    • blackinthmiddle, on 04/04/2008, -6/+26Okay, I know everyone's going to either think I'm lying or my mom was horrible, but I used to ride the bus by myself when I was *six*! And I don't mean the yellow school bus. The number 41 in the bronx.

      I used to ride with my sister who's three years older than me. Sometimes, however, I'd ride by myself. I had the key to my house on a chain around my neck so I could get into the house after school. I never had a problem.

      Today, I live in a very safe neighborhood in Westchester. However, I don't even let my kids play in the backyard unless I can see them. Then again, they're girls and I just don't feel safe letting them out on their own.
      • bronxelf, on 04/05/2008, -0/+15Thank you. I was beginning to feel like it was just me. I was in the Bronx too (at a time when the city was MUCH less safe than it is now.) (and for the record, I'm female.)

        Heh. I wore my keys around my neck for years, too.
      • aristotle0dude, on 04/05/2008, -2/+19So what you are saying is that you are a hypocrite? Shouldn't you be teaching your children survival skills such as not talking to strangers, not approaching cars of people they don't know rather than sheltering them?
      • SPRFRKR, on 04/05/2008, -0/+7Latchkey Kids!
        Don't see them as much these days with the key around the neck.
      • blackdude, on 04/05/2008, -2/+2Not to be sexist but I kind of agree with you in the sense of not just letting girls flutter out on their own earlier than boys. Girls simply can't defend themselves (generally) as well as a male and are usually a bit more emotional. Now, this comes from psychology although I don't really see the problem of putting a child out on the street at any age about about 8 years old; it mainly matters on the situation & environment. I myself had to commute to school on the bus when I was in second and third grade; to be honest there was a small curve to appease my fears but I got over it; also I was a bit more confident. I just don't see the same enthusiasm with women or girls in that case as their risks for being victimized is a bit higher due to rapes, etc etc.
        • TaylorSmythe, on 04/05/2008, -1/+3Kids in general can't defend themselves well.
    • mizuh, on 04/05/2008, -3/+6An synopsis of your comment, if you will:
      This is stuff I did when I was much younger than the boy in the story. Sadly, I'm now a wimp. Girls are less capable than boys.
      • bonarez, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2Agree to that, I was 3 years old when I got lost in spain on holiday for a hole day, turned out I joined a group of people who did a walk around town for a day. Nobody in the group noticed cause they must have thought I was someone else's kid. Scared the living s**t out of my folks, at least that's what my mom told me, don't remember it myself.
        point is: 9 is probably too young, but there is a saying: if they are old enough for the questions, they are old enough for the answers too..
        • frappe987, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1"if they are old enough for the questions, they are old enough for the answers too.."
          I never heard this particular saying, I like it very much and it makes much sense.
    • matthughes, on 04/05/2008, -0/+7there's a special place in hell for nancy grace.
      • jaydoj, on 04/06/2008, -0/+1I posted this in an earlier story....

        Hold on I'm gonna go and get my shotgun out of my truck for Nancy Grace.
      • frappe987, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1"there's a special place in hell for nancy grace"
        I have heard this particular saying, I like it very much and it makes much sense.
    • Typhoon2009, on 04/05/2008, -0/+4Chocolate rain... cleans the sewers out beneath Mumbai
    • sassafras1232, on 04/05/2008, -2/+3Wasn't Mumbai called Bombay when you were 12? Does that sort of thing apply retroactively? Feel free to digg me down for mentioning the European oppresors' name for the city.
  • vernsan, on 04/04/2008, -0/+69I'm with the mother on this, especially when I was eleven I asked my dad if I could go visit my uncle who lived in the town near by. Well that meant I would have to walk through the city to the train station, figure out what train to take, then walk to my uncles which wasn't that far at all from the station. I felt spectacular when I did that for the first time. I almost felt I could travel the world. In reality it let me learn how to find where I am, learn to read maps, taking public transportation, get knowledgeable about the things you'll see on route.
  • Bukowsky, on 04/04/2008, -16/+5I am getting this error message - "You are not authorized to access this page."

    anyone else seeing this ?
  • MikeonTV, on 04/04/2008, -9/+3Mirror http://www.nysun.com/editorials/why-i-let-my-9-yea ...
    • perplexus, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1A mirror to...the exact same site? How, um, existential?
  • billlyboobs34, on 04/04/2008, -12/+35I wonder if the author would be charged with neglect if something happened to the kid. Also I wonder if the kid were a little girl instead of a boy how long she'd last on her own.
    • schmitey, on 04/04/2008, -1/+15that's a good question, however there are predators for both so pick your poison...
    • eliot2000, on 04/04/2008, -1/+35Depending on how militant the rules there are, she could be charged for neglect by what she's already done. A good friend of mine left her kids in the car while going into the grocery store to pick up some milk etc. When she came out fifteen minutes later, a police car and grouchy officer were waiting to accuse her of neglect, demand a search of the car, before following her home to inspect her house. After no methamphetamine factory or whips and chains were found, he said all was well, and left.
      Then he reported her to child protective services., for leaving ten and nine year old kids in a car for fifteen minutes on a fifty degree day.
      • aukxsona, on 04/05/2008, -0/+4Arkansas is just as asinine.
      • aussieNickuss, on 04/05/2008, -0/+3That makes sense in Australia where the car can get up to 50C inside. Kids have died in hot cars while their parents have gone and bought some groceries, or played some pokies (slot machines). Here though, they don't follow you home and search your house as well.
        • queotic, on 04/05/2008, -1/+950 degrees Fahrenheit, while a bit on the chill side, is not life endangering the way a hot car would be. This seems to be a case of the cop overreacting.
          • Mothrog, on 04/05/2008, -11/+350C, dimwit, is hot.
          • duality, on 04/05/2008, -3/+7Mothrog, did you even bother to examine the context of eliot2000's post? Or look at his profile? He's from Missouri, which is in the United States, so when he says 50 degrees, he means it in Fahrenheit, not Celsius.

            Yes, 50 degrees Celsius is hot (being 122 degrees Fahrenheit), but what does that have to do with the topic you replied to?
          • Mothrog, on 04/05/2008, -2/+1duality, did you bother to examine the message he was replying to? It specifies 50 C. You're a ***** too.
        • steeeeve, on 04/05/2008, -0/+0Leaving babies alone is always dangerous and irresponsible. But he talks about kids, who are capable of opening a car door.
        • Abomonog, on 04/05/2008, -1/+2Duality is right. eliot meant 50F, not 50C. With the windows up on a sunny day it might have hit all of 75F in the car if it was 50f outside. Also the kids were plenty old enough to just open the door and get out. The cop was gunning for promotion points here.
      • colinnwn, on 04/05/2008, -0/+9At that age the kids are fine as long as you don't child lock them in the car. I would have told the officer he had absolutely no permission to search my car or house, and when he reported me to CPS I would have reported him to the state AG for harassment. That doesn't mean in this whacked age the AG would be supportive, but I would have made a stinkin mess out of it. I think there are enough parents still that would agree most kids at that age are fairly safe and independent on their own for a while.
      • roodammy44, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2Fahrenheit or Centigrade?
    • salomejones, on 04/05/2008, -0/+6Kids ride the subway in manhattan all the time, without their parents. I generally see small groups of 12-13 year olds on every line I commonly take, on almost every trip. It's really, really not a big deal.
      • fajitamelt, on 04/05/2008, -12/+1LLLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVVEEEEE BRITNEEEEYYYY AAALLLOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!
        • IllBeBack, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1Thanks for putting that lame-ass line back into my head yet again. Dammit.
        • Abomonog, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1yup, that was a fail.
    • joshzam, on 04/05/2008, -4/+1That's a terrible story. I feel sorry for the parents. They shouldn't have had to go through that rigmarole.

      I know you didn't say, but let me guess: this happened in the US, right?
      • bdbr, on 04/05/2008, -0/+6No, it was in the other New York. :rolls eyes:
        • joshzam, on 04/05/2008, -4/+1Listen, dimwit: I was responding to the comment left by eliot2000, not the article! Learn how the comment system works before you go shooting your mouth off.
        • im2emo4myshrt, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1whats with this dimwit use. It not every day you here that term used to insult someone.
        • Kerath, on 04/05/2008, -0/+3Actually, joshzam, you're the dimwit who needs to learn how the comment system works. You should've click where it says "Reply to eliot2000's comment" if you wanted to, you know, reply to eliot2000's comment.
    • mekriti, on 04/05/2008, -3/+3When I was a little girl, I went lots of places alone, and was just fine, thank you. Sure I lived in Central Florida, not NYC, but sometimes crazier things happen in Podunk, USA than in a big city. Anyway, I never got eaten by an alligator like this stupid little boy who wandered off alone at the lake did, that's for sure. I had enough sense to avoid all sorts of predators.
      • Aensland, on 04/05/2008, -1/+2I don't think animals stop to check how smart you are before ambushing you.
      • netant, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1lol. Damn that's funny.
      • ohhoe, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2Considering I grew up in Central Florida, and I now live in NYC, I'd be way ***** more terrified of walking around downtown Orlando at night than I am to walk around ANY parts of the the city.
        • frappe987, on 04/07/2008, -0/+1I'm from Hawaii now live in NYC, I have been to Florida and I feel much safer in NYC in the dark with one eye open then noon in Florida with a gun. Seriously.
      • Abomonog, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1I've lived in both Chicago and all over southern Florida. I would have to say that Florida is WAY more dangerous for children than Chicago. Not only is the state rife with criminals, but the police are way more interested in the easy pot bust than any criminal that might possibly fight back. Children receive very little police protection in Florida.
      • sduszynski, on 04/12/2008, -0/+0Did you seriously just call a little boy who was killed by an alligator "stupid"?
    • bxblox, on 04/05/2008, -0/+4In ny kids riding the subway alone is not uncommon. If you take a train after 3pm they're packed with kids.
      • netant, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1They aren't 10 year olds. Perhaps once in a while I see them without an adult present, but they're usually with friends. Moms might be poor, but they didn't raise no fools.
        • bxblox, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1I did and they still do. I live across the street from an elementary school and see them get on public buses all the time.
  • InuX, on 04/04/2008, -55/+5Just don't complain if your child ever ends up missing.
    • barc0001, on 04/04/2008, -2/+32Comments like this are part of the problem. I mean, don't let the fact that when I was younger than that kid I used to go downtown all by myself on the buses, or even riding a bike there. And when I was younger, according to the stats, strangers snatching kids was a bigger problem than today. But today we get to hear about missing kids from all over the planet, and that amplifies everyone's fear.
      • kinggps, on 04/05/2008, -4/+1Please write in complete sentences in the future. Many folks find them easier to read.
        • ohhoe, on 04/05/2008, -0/+3If you're going to be a grammar nazi, at least take your own advice. "Many folks find them easier to read" is not a full sentence.
        • IllBeBack, on 04/05/2008, -0/+3WTF - the only thing you could complain about was incomplete sentences? Don't be such a little bitch. His comment was far better-written than 99% of the comments I read on the Internet every day.
      • Abomonog, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2barc0001: I just remembered how right you are. I grew up not far from where John Wayne Gacy lived and at the time he was doing his worst. He got 33 kids. I knew 4 of them. I just realized that back then the missing children were footnotes in the news. They never made front page until they got dug up out of his basement. Today a missing child is broadcast across the country 10 minutes after he/she is discovered missing. I live in Virginia and see amber alerts on the freeways over kids abducted in California an hour ago like the fellow who did it has access to a supersonic jet or something.

        Quit panicking people. The streets are way safer today for children then they ever were.
    • moonym, on 04/05/2008, -2/+3This might sound a bit extreme, but how is the kid going to know how to handle a situation on his own if he's not alone to handle it? Sure, good parenting says you should tell your kids to avoid places and not talk to strangers, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to navigate around on their own.
  • Duggan360, on 04/04/2008, -7/+17I wish i could of done this, I've got no confidence what-so-ever now =]
    • getrealnow, on 04/04/2008, -0/+20You can still do it =)
    • Duggan360, on 04/04/2008, -2/+1No subways where i live :( lmao
      • Verz, on 04/05/2008, -2/+3Only inconfident people make excuses.
        • Scalpels, on 04/05/2008, -1/+3Yeah! Get out there and BUILD a mass transit system for you to use!
      • AROZ, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1There are so many cities with metros, but you'll want to visit the more complex systems. That rules out the Detroit People Mover.
      • Duggan360, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2Nah im serious, i live in south wales uk. Don't make a joke about me taking a ride on a sheet or anything though =]
    • badjoke, on 04/05/2008, -0/+8Could've*

      Sounds the same, but it isn't.
      • joshzam, on 04/05/2008, -0/+4Yeah, that hit me pretty hard, too. I would also point out "could have".
      • byrdgang, on 04/05/2008, -3/+1Could've? How far are we going to take these contractions?
        • JavertHolmes, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1'
        • IllBeBack, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2Coulda Woulda Shoulda.
          Could've (could have) is perfectly acceptable and is used all the time.
    • schrankage, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1same here BRO
    • MoosaofND, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1Maybe your kid and a friend or sibling for support the 1st time?
  • SoberWarlock, on 04/04/2008, -15/+1I don't recall myself wanting to go out alone I was already aware of the dangers out there. especially public transportation.
    • JulyZerg, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1Yeah - you never know when the bus is going to be filled with pedophiles...
      • ohhoe, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1As long as he doesn't get on the one that has NAMBLA on the side he'll be okay.
    • kcirtap6075, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1pussayyyy
  • dizilbdog, on 04/04/2008, -2/+85Good for the this Mom too many kids are growing up pussies and can't learn to do things on there own, good survival skills never hurt anyone. You know there are kids in Iraq who walk around, but they have to dodge getting killed by mortars gunfire mines, taking a subway ***** those Iraq kids could probably run Wall Street with all there life experience.
    • celkin, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2*their
      • dizilbdog, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1Thanks I still always get those confused..
    • theprogram4, on 04/05/2008, -0/+0Hell, kids in Philadelphia dodge bullets on their way to school.
  • minoss, on 04/04/2008, -2/+122She was on the Today show the other day, and I think it's great. Parents are so gripped by fear nowadays they fail to see that their over-protectiveness of their children is in itself a danger to the child's ability to grow and develop confidence. When I was a kid I climbed trees, played with BB guns, walked to school (about a mile), went trick-or-treating at night, owned a pocket knife, and other crap kids should be doing. And really, not much has changed between now and then (I'm 27), so why is it only so recent that we must protect our children from anything that could be remotely harmful?
    • lotsa1s, on 04/05/2008, -2/+7Not much has changed? As in you still climb trees, play with BB guns, go trick or treating, and so on?

      Good on you, dude. I'm 17 and I still play with Lego and watch cartoons. :)
      • Scalpels, on 04/05/2008, -0/+7The best part of being a parent is that you get to do that stuff all over again without people thinking your immature.

        If I have to give up playing and having fun, I don't wanna grow up!
      • Aokitsune, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1Hells yeah. Lego is the best. And cartoons (though the ones we had growing up (18 by the way) were better than most of what's on now.)
    • Decoy84, on 04/05/2008, -0/+9I concur! I know some 20 yr old men that are still afraid to do stuff like this and that's just sad. The world isn't as bad as the media makes it out to be. If more stuff like this goes on Men will continue their decline in maturity speed. Then we'll be left with a world full of metrosexuals and emos that accomplish the same goals at the age of 20 as boys did 50 years ago at age 10.
    • TenSecondEpic, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1Thanks for this statement. It's totally true. And for me being Asian and having freedom at a young age is even more rare. I actually did all of those things you've listed at this age was when I was barely in the 6th grade. It helps to be able to venture out and learn on your own...You gain some "streets smart", as well as become open minded. (I'm 24 now) Ultimately it just comes down to do you know who your children are spending time with, and how bad is the neighborhood you live in. And even then, it's better for your children not to become a hermit all their life.
    • Y0tsuya, on 04/05/2008, -0/+4Even if we parents were to let our kids be independent, the moment something goes wrong everyone will point their fingers at us. Rather than having to fend off accusations of neglect most would rather just err on the side of caution and be over-protective.
      • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1It is an unfortunate cycle that's been built there.
    • Typhoon2009, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2I do wish my parents (in particular my mother) hadn't been so over-protective. This talk of climbing trees, playing with BB guns, trick-or-treating solo sounds like the stuff of tall tales.
    • MoosaofND, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1We got safety whistles in case me twisted our ankle or something, and were free to disappear in the woods and bogs beyond our backyard for the day. But my parents were big on the buddy system - especially in an unpopulated place it's helpful to have kids watch out for each other and run to get an adult if needed.
  • LithiumPower, on 04/04/2008, -1/+23I'd like to see more of this in modern day society, rather than the current state, where children are wrapped up in cotton wool. I'd say things like this are a good learning experience I guess.
    • AlanLivingston, on 04/05/2008, -2/+2What's cotton wool? Some kind of sheep-plant?
  • FishHammer, on 04/04/2008, -3/+13this is a great idea if your kid is smart, but judging by most 9 year olds i've met i hope this doesn't catch on. although natural selection IS an interesting thing...
    • cassjewelry, on 04/05/2008, -1/+3I think 12 is a better age to let children go on public transport[short trips only] alone.
      • joshzam, on 04/05/2008, -1/+2Well whoopie for you. You raise your kid and I'll raise mine.
    • moonym, on 04/05/2008, -0/+6I think it's still up to the parent to decide if the kid they're raising is up for learning to navigate their way home by themselves, not some textbook calculated age. *****, kids start talking at different times, walking at different times, and reading at different times, it's not like we can simply average an age and tell parents, "There you go, now you can let your children see the world through their own eyes".
    • d0onut, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2i like turtles
  • karlw, on 04/04/2008, -9/+4Dugg for calling american wimps ... wait a minute ...
  • diggerphelps, on 04/04/2008, -0/+5George Carlin
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulj5MjtLVaA

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRCKoT1HY3U
    • mal1964, on 04/04/2008, -0/+2He was on the pain pills or just tired, but he was a bit slow . I still have him as my #1
      ***** Lance Armstrong!,
      P.S, Greg Lemond was my hero.
      • LumberingOaf, on 04/05/2008, -0/+0 Of course he was a bit slow. He's 71 years old. Still the greatest comic of all time, though. Anyone who disagrees with that can go ***** themsleves.
    • jaydoj, on 04/06/2008, -0/+1Georgie boy is getting old. He's a genius though. And he is somewhat right in his 'flawless logic' statement.
  • saint0z, on 04/04/2008, -1/+16I used to ride the subway into Manhattan from deep in Queens solo every day during rush hour back when I was like 11, my kids will grow up with some damn common sense...
  • TheZorch, on 04/04/2008, -2/+28At last a parent with brains.
  • shawnbttu, on 04/04/2008, -14/+6Digg is fast becoming the Reddit of 12 hours ago
    • Canadian0207, on 04/04/2008, -1/+4and slashdot has already become the digg of yesterday
  • insomniacal, on 04/04/2008, -25/+4Sorry, but that's irresponsible. I can see 12 years old, but not 9.

    Did the kid pull it off? Yup. Great job kid: proud of you.

    But had he not, I bet she would have regretted her decision, idealistic intentions notwithstanding.
    • Harelin, on 04/05/2008, -2/+7Age is no determinant. Only maturity.

      Letting a child attend kindergarten for the first time is a leap of faith... idealistic intentions notwithstanding. We still have to trust that their teachers and everyone they interact with on a daily basis will take good care of them. It is called risk, and without it you will never gain nor learn.
      • insomniacal, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1Who's saying never? I said 12, not 9. You really see such dire consequences in waiting another 3 years?

        Should we let our 5-year-olds ride the subway alone? Our 3-year-olds? Come on, we have to trust that their teachers and everyone they interact with on a daily basis will take good care of them. It is called risk, and without it you will never gain nor learn.
        • Harelin, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1Why do you seem to think that age has anything to do with it - that three years is going to make a difference between a 12 and 9 year old? You're confused. I said maturity is the determinant, not age. There are plenty of 9 year olds that I would trust more than 12 year olds. You cannot know anything by 'age' alone, as it tells you nothing about the character of the child, especially as a detached Digg reader just reading a news article... it's a judgment call on the parent's behalf, they who know their child's capacity for responsibility much more intimately than you do.
          • insomniacal, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1First off, allow me to assure you that I agree parents need to make their own determination. Of course you can probably agree that not every parent makes healthy determinations. A scan of weekly news headlines is enough to prove this. But I am not advocating some type of subway-riding-alone license to be issued at the age of 12. In fact I just threw the figure out there -- I started off saying "I can see 12 years old," which isn't any hard-fast judgment.

            However, you continue to overreach by attempting to divorce age from maturity, by suggesting age has nothing to do with it, by denying that three years would make a difference in maturity. That's a ludicrous proposal that you can't intend to defend once you think it through. With rare exceptions, maturity increases with age. That's human nature. That's why we base laws on age (18, 21), not maturity. It's why we base educational decisions (with flexible allowances for rare cases) on age, not maturity. Age is no perfect measurement of emotional and cognitive readiness, but it is an indicator. Plus, with age comes physical girth -- and a certain amount of girth helps children stand among adults.

            "You cannot know anything by 'age' alone, as it tells you nothing about the character of the child, especially as a detached Digg reader just reading a news article..."

            Again I'll go back to my first comment: "Did the kid pull it off? Yup. Great job kid: proud of you." Obviously Skenazy knew her son well enough to know he could manage it. My contention is that, had something gone wrong, she wouldn't have defended her decision as a good one -- she would have regretted it. Please reread this statement from Skenazy (capital emphasis added):

            "“How would you have felt if he didn’t come home?” a New Jersey mom of four, Vicki Garfinkle, asked. Guess what, Ms. Garfinkle: I’d have been devastated. But would that just prove that no mom should EVER let her child ride the subway alone? No. It would just be one more awful but extremely rare example of random violence, the kind that hyper parents cite as proof that every day in every way our children are more and more vulnerable."

            Skenazy ducks the issue here. The issue is _not_ whether a child should _ever_ be allowed to ride the subway alone. It's whether a 9-year-old is ready to do so. Her willingness to extrapolate to universal principles in order to justify her decision shows me, detached Digg reader that I am, that she needs to overstate the case in order to be persuasive. And if she can't persuade others based on the real issue, I doubt she would have persuaded herself had something happened to her son.

            Think again about the fact that she didn't even trust her son with her cell phone: "No, I did not give him a cell phone. Didn’t want to lose it." Why aren't we criticizing her for failing to trust him with the cell phone? By failing to do so she's stunting his sense of responsibility, his independence!
    • moonym, on 04/05/2008, -3/+1That's probably because you don't think your own kid would be able to handle it.
      • insomniacal, on 04/05/2008, -0/+5Let me assure you, I have far less confidence in you (as a member of the anonymous general public) than I do in my own children.
        • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -2/+1Yet it's your children that pay the price of your fear.
    • linuxpenguin, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1I'm sure she would've felt great if he were 12 years old and didn't pull it off. That's just what every parent wants.
      It surprises me that in this country, we are shocked that children are getting fatter and unhealthier - but we better not let them outside! Someone could run by and abduct them! Better sit and watch them - I'm sure your 9-year-old will feel real cool with his buddies when you sit there and watch him play basketball with them.
      When I was nine, I went out on my bike, played soccer with other kids, went sledding. . . never was a problem. As long as I told my parents what I was doing and was home when they told me to be, they didn't care. Personally I think doing this sort of thing is good - you can't keep your kids couped up, then send them to college and expect them to make solid decisions about who to trust and how to live on their own.
      • insomniacal, on 04/05/2008, -1/+2"you can't keep your kids couped up, then send them to college and expect them to make solid decisions about who to trust and how to live on their own."

        Like Harelin above, you imagine I said more than I did. Look again at how I began: "Sorry, but that's irresponsible. I can see 12 years old, but not 9." Beginning at 12 years old, my children would have 6 full years of subway-riding independent experience before going to college. There's a big difference between a 9-year-old and a 12-year-old, both of maturity and physical stature. If you don't see that difference, then perhaps you see no difference between a 9-year-old and a 6-year-old, or between a 9-year-old and a 3-year-old. Would you let a 6-year-old ride the subway home alone? A 3-year-old? Think: you're drawing a line somewhere. What is the basis for that line-drawing? Does suggesting the line be drawn elsewhere -- 12, which is 6 full years before college age -- really pose such a threat to the development of confidence and independence?

        "I'm sure she would've felt great if he were 12 years old and didn't pull it off. That's just what every parent wants."

        Allow me to suggest it's what _you_ believe _your_ parents want. Unlike you, I am a parent, and I can assure you that I thrill every time I see my boys make new headways. Even when they stand up to me and I need to dole out consequences, I admire their strength and stubbornness.
        • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -1/+2The kid is ready when the kid is ready. Age is not the issue here. You can make a case on an individual basis for dolling out independence and responsibility at any age, be it 6, 9, 12, 18, or any other. Stamping a definite age on it is no less dangerous than leaving it up to the parent's discretion.
          • insomniacal, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2"Stamping a definite age on it is no less dangerous than leaving it up to the parent's discretion."
            I'll agree with you here in that I would never advocate some kind of subway-riding license for kids of a certain age -- 12 years old was a figure I threw out there as a suggestion. Of course parental discretion needs to weigh in. As you suggest, some kids older than 12 may not be mature enough.
            But 9 seems awfully young. Kids need a certain heft to them, physically, emotionally and cognitively, before they can stand on their feet in the adult world. 9-year-olds are featherweights. Birds need to leave the nest, but they they need a minimal set of feathers first.
          • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1So if the child were stricken with some sort of disease that kept them the size of a 9 year old through adulthood, would you advocate a babysitter for them until the day they die?
        • linuxpenguin, on 04/06/2008, -0/+1Maybe you didn't catch the sarcasm of that first line. My point was that they have to go out on their own sooner or later, and you can't set a date or time when it's OK for something bad to happen to your children. Sure, it's not a good idea to send them through the ghetto on their own, and sure, it's not a good idea to send them anywhere alone until you feel they're mature enough - but each parent needs to make that judgment for themselves.
          So maybe it would be insane for you to let your kids do this when they're nine - I don't know your kids. I'm just saying that there are some kids who are mature enough at this age so don't pass judgment about some kid you've never met.
      • insomniacal, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1By the way, who was talking about playing outside? The article dealt with allowing a 9-year-old to ride the subway and bus home in one of the world's largest cities. Playing outside is a whole 'nother deal.
        • Abomonog, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1Not really. It doesn't matter if the kid is in a playground down the street or a subway across a major city. The risks are the same and the kid is actually more likely to be abducted from the playground.
          Subway systems aren't exactly prime child stalking grounds.
          • insomniacal, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1"Subway systems aren't exactly prime child stalking grounds." Why? Because subway systems aren't exactly prime child transportation systems.
            Pedophiles don't hunt for victims in the subways because they know they're not there. And why not? Because the vast majority of parents don't let their 9-year-olds ride the subway alone. They're kinda evil that way. ;-)
        • linuxpenguin, on 04/06/2008, -0/+1For one thing, are they more likely to be hit by a car while they're playing hockey in the street or while they're sitting in a subway? Granted there are many precautions which would prevent this tragedy, such as teaching your kid to be mindful of cars, wear reflective clothing, etc. but many parents (it seems) just worry to death about it, and you kind of came across as someone who might.
          For another thing, if you let your kids play outside anywhere (in the yard, in the street, at the neighbor's house, in the park a block away. . .) and don't watch them, in truth you really don't know they're safe - even if you trust that they are. If your son is very mature for a 9-year-old, then why shouldn't you let him go down the street to play in the park so long as you trust that it's a safe area, your son knows how to handle himself, there's no busy roads to cross, and he knows to be home before dinnertime?
          I'm not going to say that every 9-year-old should be allowed to do this, but if they have proven they are trustworthy and mature enough, and you think it's safe, then why not? She feels her son knows very well how to handle himself, and knows he wants to do it - and she gave him money to call if he gets lost or something, and feels that it's safe. It doesn't matter if your kids are 6 or 16 - if they aren't mature enough, they're not mature enough and that's that.
    • insomniacal, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1Does it strike no one else as odd that Lenore Skenazy trusted her son with making his own way home, but didn't trust him with her cell phone? "No, I did not give him a cell phone. Didn’t want to lose it."

      That's the thing about 9-year-olds: they're 9. They lose things like cell phones. Did Lenore Skenazy's son fit that description, or was he exceptionally mature? Well, think about it: she knew him well enough to assume he would probably lose her cell phone. Not the kind of maturity level expected to be trusted to make your own way home by bus and subway in a major city.

      Again, yes, the kid pulled it off. I just wonder about the mentality it takes to trust the anonymous general public with the welfare of your own child before trusting that child with your cell phone.
      • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -2/+1Every time you get in your car with your child and drive somewhere, you put their welfare in the hands of the anonymous public.
        • insomniacal, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1Ahh, but then I'm _with_ my child, aren't I?
          • Luminoth, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2Sure, and just as the child has no control over the anonymous public on the subway, neither do you have control over them on the road. Other people are still entirely capable of crossing that yellow at any random time they choose. I can already tell you're smart enough to know that's not something to live your life worrying about, so why assume any different sitting on a subway seat?
      • Abomonog, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1It's not about that. All 9 year olds lose stuff, but this kid was responsible enough to be handed 20 dollars and do what he was supposed to do with it. Unlike most smaller towns, major cities aren't trying to eliminate every phone booth around so the kid had plenty of places to call from. The mothers call on the phone wasn't perfect, but I can't say it was a bad call. Small town people are pussies but in a city like Chicago or NYC all it takes is one good holler and any abductor is going to have the ***** beat out of him multiple times.
        • insomniacal, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2"this kid was responsible enough to be handed 20 dollars and do what he was supposed to do with it" versus "this kid was responsible enough to be handed a cell phone and do what he was supposed to do with it."

          Sorry, not really seeing the difference there. If he's likely to lose a cell phone, he's likely to lose 20 dollars. As you said, all 9-year-olds lose stuff. (Or does a $20 bill not qualify as "stuff"?)

          "Small town people are pussies but in a city like Chicago or NYC all it takes is one good holler and any abductor is going to have the ***** beat out of him multiple times." Boy, I hope so! :-)
          • linuxpenguin, on 04/06/2008, -0/+1I don't get the impression she meant "lose" in the sense you're thinking. I think she meant more like the kid runs over to the subway, the phone slips out of his pocket, and before he can react it's smashed or it fell somewhere he can't get at it - not that he might leave it somewhere or forget about it and lose it.
  • Ranvier, on 04/04/2008, -2/+42I used to walk home when I was in 4th grade, which I believe is about 9 years old, and I had to walk all over town to get home. Did I get abducted? No. Did anything ever happen to me? No. Could it have? You bet'cha! Does that really matter? No.

    I would bet that parents are probably more than happy to drive their kid all over town, than let them walk, nowadays. What I find strangely odd though, is that it's much more likely to get in a deadly car crash then it is for your child to be abducted. So while you're out there driving him/her all around protecting them from danger, you are putting them in a much riskier situation probability wise.
    • Flann11, on 04/05/2008, -0/+8Wow that is really ironic.
    • walkable, on 04/05/2008, -0/+11Free-range children.
    • Twinfire0, on 04/05/2008, -1/+3I'll be honest with you, but I can't find any way to beat that reasoning. Excellent point. Well worth a digg.
      • EtherGnat, on 04/05/2008, -2/+2"I can't find any way to beat that reasoning."

        I'm all for kids having more freedom--I think they're entirely too sheltered--but the reasoning of the parent is flawed. It assumes the only two dangers are being killed in a car wreck, or being abducted. Driving in a car is actually quite safe--the US averaged 1.47 deaths per 100 million miles driven last year. Assuming it's 5 miles to the school and his odds of dying in a car crash on the way to/from school are about 1 in 38,000 in any given year.

        The real problem is the parent post doesn't consider other dangers, such as a child being hit by a car on the way home. While those dangers aren't particularly significant either, I'm sure they add up to at least as much as the risks from driving.
    • dustedknuckle, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1http://www.preventinjury.org/PDFs/HOME_INJURY.pdf and these are deaths just in the home........


      DEATHS IN THE HOME
      In 2002, approximately 2,100 children ages 14 and under died in the home from unintentional injuries. More
      than 70 percent of these deaths occurred among children ages 4 and under.
      Fire and flame burns
      • In 2002, at least 330 children ages 14 and under died from fires and burns in the home. Of these
      children, 45 percent were ages 4 and under.
      Suffocation
      • In 2002, an estimated 620 children ages 14 and under suffocated in the home. Of these children, nearly
      90 percent were ages 4 and under.
      Drowning
      • In 2002, an estimated 420 children ages 14 and under drowned in or around the home. Of these
      children, more than 80 percent were ages 4 and under.
      Choking
      • In 2002, an estimated 160 children ages 14 and under choked to death in the home. Of these children,
      nearly 90 percent were ages 4 and under.
      Falls
      • In 2002, an estimated 20 children ages 14 and under died as the result of falls in the home. Of these
      deaths, 10 were children ages 4 and under.
      Poisoning
      • In 2002, an estimated 50 children ages 14 and under died from poisonings in the home.
      Unintentional firearm injury
      • In 2002, an estimated 80 children ages 14 and under died from unintentional shootings in the home. Of
      these children, nearly 75 percent were ages 5 to 14.
  • shinigami052, on 04/04/2008, -1/+48We are now one child closer to the de-pussification of American children. It's either under parenting or over parenting why can't they just be normal parents like this one?
  • mfc5200, on 04/04/2008, -1/+36If I'm ever a father, I plan on allowing my kid to climb trees, own a b.b gun, slingshots, w/e. There seems to be this new obsession with keeping kids safe that I find kind of strange. I'm sure every one here has met people who's childhoods seemed very boring and know what they end up being like later in life (I've met a lot of germ freaks like this).

    In the case of my childhood, I was basically let loose on the border between New Mexico and Colorado every summer. I swam in rivers, built rope bridges, went shooting, went camping, climbed trees, built tree houses, "tried" to go hunting with my bow and error, etc etc. Basically, my life was probably at risk every single day, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't imagine not have a childhood filled with those kind of exciting dangers. Freedom + Imagination where very important in my childhood and I plan on giving my kid the same childhood.
    • brettmjohnson, on 04/05/2008, -0/+20'I ... "tried" to go hunting with my bow and error, etc'

      Perhaps if you tried shooting arrows instead of errors, you may have been more successful. ;-)
    • detalubo, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1Also, you couldn't imagine how much it helps to not own a television.
    • witerider, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1It's great that you want to pass on such wonderful things freedom and imagination to your children, however for the sake of humanity, please make sure you do not pass along your grasp of grammar.

      Where=were
      error=arrow
  • XBGX, on 04/04/2008, -5/+0What is America coming to when a story like this ends up on the today show? Isn't there something more important we could be learning about?
    • crazyhorse13, on 04/05/2008, -0/+5More important than how to raise children? Not really.
      • jackGordon, on 04/05/2008, -0/+0war, apocalyptic climate changes, economic depression, 9 year olds on subways...
  • gspasian, on 04/04/2008, -2/+4Very valid points in a very interesting article. But despite the odds being very slim that anything bad would happen, I would not gamble on my kids life. That's just too young. Times change. In the 50's people left their doors unlocked, would you try that experiment and leave yours unlocked? Not in my neighborhood.
    • Qeveren, on 04/05/2008, -0/+3That's kind of the problem. Do you honestly think things are actually more dangerous now than they were then?
    • xphilcollinsx, on 04/05/2008, -0/+3i've never locked the doors to my house once, qeverens spot on, do you even know how many school shootings there were back in the 50's-70's? because people didn't watch "bad news" it didn't sell back then, people would change the channel, now in the fox news era of child abductions and everything and everyone is out to kill,rob,abduct,burn down your house mentality, now everyone is scared to let their children out of their sights for 5 minutes.
  • GREEDOnvrFIRED, on 04/04/2008, -0/+15I am SO PLEASED that there are people who think this way. People have lost sight of what the word "precious" means when talking about children. It does NOT mean "shield from harm at all costs." It means... you'll never be the same if something happens to them, but there are chances you have to take. Not a few chances, lots and lots of chances. The self confidence the chances build may save their lives in the future, with the added bonus of making their lives more worth living. Bravo dad!
    • cheappop, on 04/05/2008, -1/+0Oh my god. You are a ***** moron. First, precious means exactly that: "shield from harm at all costs." I hope your child gets taken from you so you can see just how precious it was. Second, why the ***** take a chance like that? Putting a child at an extreme risk for no valid reason is foolish, selfish, and in this instance, despicable. Finally, if you had even bothered to read the article, you would know it was written by the mother.
      • GREEDOnvrFIRED, on 04/10/2008, -0/+1When a dangerous situation arises in the future and someone is needed to take action for the welfare of others I hope one of my brave and confident children is there to protect your cowering spawn.
  • spanglegluppet, on 04/04/2008, -0/+27You can't set a certain age limit for things like these. It's gotta be all about the kid and their maturity and independence levels.
  • pugs909, on 04/04/2008, -1/+6What is going to happen to him? Someones gonna eat him? People get robbed on trains in NY for their money, chances are small a 9 year old would be robbed, even petty thieves have standards. It is true that people hand out tainted candy on halloween, and kids get kidnapped and raped, but the chances are small.
    • crapmatic, on 04/05/2008, -0/+5Even the thing about tainted Halloween candy has never been substantiated very well.
    • bxblox, on 04/05/2008, -0/+3NY schools are probably more dangerous than the subways...
    • Cloned, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1Anyone remember that one Halloween when the media was telling parents to check the kids candy before they ate it? It was right around the time of the anthrax scare, because my mom was convinced the pixie sticks would kill me.
    • jaydoj, on 04/06/2008, -1/+1"this message brought to you by the Coalition of Theives with Moral Fiber"
  • keloyd, on 04/04/2008, -0/+13The author did an unusually brave thing in writing this piece. I was raised by the sort of neurotic, ultra-safety conscious mother that she rails against. It is not pleasant.

    This level of honesty toward our media culture will do her family and career no favors, but I hope she carries the burden well and that her kid(s?) see them doing the right thing, speaking truth to power, doing right even when it bites you in the arse, and grow up to do the same.
  • infekt, on 04/04/2008, -0/+6Danger is what keeps us feeling alive. I'm hooked on it.
  • Spoomeister, on 04/04/2008, -0/+7Y'know, it used to be entertaining to wade through the posts after an article like this and count all the opinions from people without children about how to raise kids. Or people with unrealistic views of their own kids, who don't realize that some kids are smarter / wiser / more capable at earlier ages than others. Or people who don't know that kids can be very smart about some things and not so much about others, and that it's the parents' job to take that into account.
    Today, I just don't have the energy. I'll just say I'm glad the 2 highest-dugg posts I saw so far have been sensible, and be content with that.
  • cleber, on 04/04/2008, -0/+10Meh, I was going everywhere alone in Tokyo's subway system by 10. Everyday.
    Nothing special. What's up with the over-protective parents nowadays?
    • crazyhorse13, on 04/05/2008, -1/+3Tokyo is hardly the hotbed of crime.
      • theducks, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1/signed.

        I've been to Tokyo three times and stayed in Minowa, which I've seen described as "the bad part of town" .. seriously, I live in a good part of town back in Perth, and it's more dangerous than there.
  • Fragle1980, on 04/04/2008, -0/+10I was born and raised in NYC and in 6th grade they hand u a metrocard (bus pass in those days) and tell u figure it out. When both ur parents work u have no choice. Looks like another New Yorker with common sense.
    • netant, on 04/05/2008, -1/+2YOU WERE 12! Big developmental difference than a 10 year old.
  • daxsymbiont, on 04/04/2008, -0/+5you should see how the british deal with kids. since they can walk they are left alone.
  • bronxelf, on 04/04/2008, -0/+7It makes me laugh that this is even news. I can't be the only New Yorker who rode the subway at that age alone regularly, can I?
  • GtCo21, on 04/04/2008, -1/+6Good for her. I seriously doubt someone would decide to kidnap a 9 year old surrounded by hundreds of people. But, with the fear-laden over-protective logic of most parents, they wouldn't come to that conclusion.
    • billlyboobs34, on 04/05/2008, -1/+6Grab the kid in front of everyone and yell out "you're going home, I'm sorry we couldn't get ice cream." The kid will be kicking and screaming, but the crowd of people will understand.
      • Jauladeoro, on 08/27/2008, -0/+2Exactly. It is THAT easy.

        The kid had a 99% chance of making it home unscathed... but what if that 1% happened? How could a mother live with herself? I have two kids and while I wish I could give them the carefree childhood I had, I'm not willing to risk their lives on it.

        Most of these digg comments should be completely disregarded. I'm sorry - you can't have an opinion on this until you have your own child. It changes everything. If I were a teenager and read this story I'd be like, "Heck yeah! Freedom! Independence!" .... When you're viewing this from the perspective of a parent, believe me, things change.

        And to the people who think it's ridiculous to be worried about a kid being kidnapped or raped around all the people on the subway --- It takes only a few minutes of inattention for your child to be scarred for life. There was a story in the news just last month about a 6 year old boy who was raped in a public library in Boston just a few feet away from where his mother was working a computer. Besides, crowds are the WORST possible place for something to occur because every individual thinks ANOTHER individual will do something about it.

    • blake_mooney, on 04/12/2008, -0/+1I gather it's better to be too protective then the other way around...
  • threemagic, on 04/04/2008, -5/+10So leaving the kid in NY to find their way home is ok.. no fears.

    Leaving the cell phone with the kid is a bad idea, didn't want to lose it.

    I agree with a lot of the comments about leaving the kid but I find this hypocrisy horrid!
    • threemagic, on 04/05/2008, -1/+5Why digg me down? Basically the idiot is saying I'll trust a kid, who i don't trust with my cell, to find their way home.

      or

      my cell phone is more important than my child.. I doubt it's this but both are stupid
      • Drahkir, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1I threw ya a digg. While I agree 99% with the article, I found it disgusting that he apparently valued his phone more than his child. I still do believe that he did the right thing overall though. Kids need to learn how to live their life and there's only so many ways to learn.
        • Aensland, on 04/05/2008, -2/+1Um, no. I trust the kid to get home by himself, but not to keep the phone. He could've lost it or something, and the chances of THAT happening are much higher than the kid getting abducted. Kids lose stuff all the time. This isn't about valuing the phone over the kid, that's just stupid talk.
    • formergthing, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2Dugg up because this is exactly what I was going to say! "Yea, I'll leave my kid across New York and hope he can find his way home, but give him my cell phone? What are you, crazy? What if I lost it?!!?!"
    • blake_mooney, on 04/12/2008, -0/+1Yeah, what a stupid irresponsible bitch. She cares more about the ***** phone then her own child. What sickens me most, is all the morons on here agreeing with her. THIS is why you should have to have a license to be a parent.
  • sickthoughts, on 04/05/2008, -3/+6I think thats kinda cool.

    And call me sexist, but I wouldn't want to let a 9 year old girl do the same thing.
    • queotic, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1When I was either 8 or 9, my dad let me catch the bus home while he walked home with my twin brother and sister in the stroller. He put me on the bus and asked an older lady if she could keep an eye on me. She agreed and smiled at me. I remember how proud I felt being on the bus by myself, pressing the bell for the right stop. It was only about 6 or 7 blocks, but I felt like such a "big girl" lol. Have a little faith ;-)
      • sickthoughts, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2lol

        mommy wow, i'm a big girl now!
  • H0tKarl, on 04/05/2008, -1/+6"It would be like trying to create a shield against being struck by lightning.”
    So it would be pretty simple then?

    Seriously though, I think parents are way too uptight these days. I live in a gated community with 24hr security, and people still won't let their kids stand at the bus stop unsupervised. Oh, and I am a parent.
  • psients, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1I love this woman.
  • PabloPowell, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2Funny. When I was nine I was getting lost in the woods near my house all the time. My mom never gave me anything to make my way back. I never had a subway to take me home either.
    • dubdope, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1unless the woods near your house have maps, then your comparison is a little foolish.
  • Sroek, on 04/05/2008, -1/+4I wish I had a mom like that when I was growing up.
  • Jeepy, on 04/05/2008, -2/+6Kids are just an extension of their parents at that age. This isn't some heroic gesture by a parent trying to reclaim independence for children, its a person who takes issue with current parenting trends. The nine year old kid has no idea about parenting trends and I doubt he set up the interviews with the Sun or The Today Show. This goes from being a positive experience for a young boy to an example of the glaring hypocrisy of a parent with an axe to grind.

    How is forcing your "correct" view on the public any worse than them forcing their "incorrect" view on you?
    • queotic, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1No one "forced" you to read the article. You did that on your own and are free to agree or disagree as you see fit. The article should be judged on its content, not any perceived flaw in presentation.
    • silentwinter, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2So by your logic, we should not criticize the status quo because it's hypocrisy since we don't like "them" criticizing us for being different at times?

      Imagine that logic in Nazi Germany.... or Bush America for that matter...
      *shudder*
  • jackspayed, on 04/05/2008, -0/+10My son (7) has ridden the DC metro (orange line) a few times to leave his friends house and come home. Granted he's dropped off at the station and I pick him up - but still... Even he knows how to get home from the mall, grocery story, park etc... I'm with the mom.
    • ahoyhoy, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1As long as it's the orange line, he should be pretty good on or around the train. I would never let my kid ride the Red through Tacoma or Green through College Park by himself, though.
  • tomarocco, on 04/05/2008, -0/+35When I was 11 my father took me on a business trip with him to Europe. While he was in meetings all day I was roaming the streets of Geneva...riding buses, buying chocolate, eating at McDonald's (much better than the US at the time), even though I didn't speak a lick of French. My biggest fear was getting harassed by the police for truancy. I still remember the pretty Swiss girl that got on the bus after school that I got a crush on. After Geneva we went to London for more of the same...I rode the Tube all over town by myself while my Dad was in meetings, checking out the city and the European confections. Of course we spent loads of time together touring both cities and countries, but he raised me responsibly and those solo experiences led to my independence and self-reliance. In fact, I was better prepared to avoid or defend against any adverse circumstance as a result of these experiences. I meet grown adults today who would be terrified to do those things, and I pity children whose parents raise them as Sheep in this Nation of Wimps.
    • billlyboobs34, on 04/05/2008, -0/+29After reading your comment I suddenly have the urge to eat chocolate and do a swiss girl...
      • tomarocco, on 04/05/2008, -0/+12On a bus?
        • billlyboobs34, on 04/05/2008, -0/+6Why not?
        • invinciblenow, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1What about a girl made of swiss chocolate on a bus? MMMM
          • netant, on 04/05/2008, -0/+7If she's made of swiss chocolate, she's not a girl.

            Real dolls are not real.
      • tgunner, on 04/05/2008, -0/+4In all honesty, who hasn't wanted to do that?
      • spanglegluppet, on 04/05/2008, -0/+3I now have the urge to combine the two.
      • haikuFU, on 04/05/2008, -0/+3Really? I just have the urge to eat both
      • jaydoj, on 04/06/2008, -0/+1to add to tgunners comment, you suddenly want to do that, am I the only one who would want to do that all the time?
    • JoJoMoMo, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2Nation of Wimps article referred to in the article/podcast
      http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-200411 ...
    • ceramufary, on 04/05/2008, -0/+1So jealous!!!
    • psibladeZX, on 04/08/2008, -0/+0Beautifully stated... Why not just go roam around... you're smart enough to figure out which areas are bad and which arent. Sheesh... I admire your father for not raising you to be useless. DUGG!
  • bonjourmr, on 04/25/2008, -15/+6Next year she'll be letting him go in Central Park at midnight, how cute!
    • kinggps, on 04/05/2008, -0/+4lol
    • netant, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2damn, I wanted to upmod that. Digg really needs to separate the thumb buttons with the digg counter!
  • Portezbie, on 04/05/2008, -8/+2um...because you hate her?
    • moonym, on 04/05/2008, -1/+1You don't make any sense, did your parents allow you any independence when you were a kid (my guess is you still are a kid)?
  • nclester, on 04/05/2008, -0/+2That's a kick-ass mother. Not that my own is shabby; not by any stretch of the imagination. If only every parent loosened the reigns up just a little bit, and let the next generation of kids do more things on their own. It's like every kid I run into is so pussified, it's disgusting.

    Great post, gnarly Digg and a great lesson. Kids aren't helpless.
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