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Is it responsible for a parent to let a 12-year-old child ride the NYC subway alone?
Is it responsible for a parent to let a 12-year-old child ride the NYC subway alone?
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| Yes | 33% | 131 votes | Total: 392 votes | |
| No | 67% | 261 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesI won't be the judge and jury and say "no it's not responsible if a parent allows a 12 year old child to ride the NYC subways alone" but I will say that it could be risky to do so if the child has not been raised to ride the subway safely.
Every child is different when it comes to having the maturity needed to travel alone safely in this crazy world we live in now. Children have been snatched from in front of their own homes by criminals intent on hurting them - riding the subway alone poses no bigger threat to a child than walking down the street from his or her home to the ice cream parlor on the end of the block. In fact, it's a bit less given the fact that there are usually crowds of people riding in the subway cars making it harder for a criminal to grab a child and abduct them.
At age 11 , I cared for my four younger siblings while my parents worked. We traveled by bus and subways to the shops and although it was some time ago that we did this, it was no less dangerous to be a child out in the city alone than it is now. My parents had taught me to be vigilant and to avoid talking with strangers and the younger ones knew that too. If anyone approached us and tried to make conversation and I didn't know or trust them , I immediately yelled for help - the person would always take off in a hurry.
We can't be with and protect our children all the time - that's an indisputalble fact. Those parents who try to do so, do a disservice to their child that could have lasting effects on them when they grow up.
A child raised in an overprotective home will trust no one and will become dependent on the parents to protect them throughout their lives. The child never learns the basic tenets of love and trust outside of the family and is often unable to ever form a good and lasting relationship with anyone as an adult.
The decision to allow a 12 year old to travel on the subway alone must come after the child shows that he or she has the maturity to do so. Teaching a child all they need to know about being in a subway station or on the subway itself is key to that child riding safely.
As a parent I would ride in another subway car or hidden behind other people in the same car as my child quite a few times to see how my child handled the responsibility of being alone.. Only after I felt that my child was responsible enough to ride alone and be safe would I let him or her go by themselves
Life is to be lived and life is not without risks. Teaching our children to be aware of danger and how to react to it to protect themselves is the best way to let our children live life fully - it may seem scary but we must do it if we want our children to grow up and live normal lives.
Learn more about this author, Megan O'Brian.
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No
Oh, sure, let the child go and get a taste of real life! And while you're at it, just before you send your 12-year-old down there into the subway alone, make sure you paste a great big sign on the child's back with one or more of the following messages:
1. I'm 12 years old, I'm all alone, and I haven't a clue about how to protect myself.
2. I'm carrying exactly $20 in my pocket for school lunch and for doing some shopping later all by myself at the mall.
3. I'm willing to go with any sexual predator who buys me an ice cream cone or a candy bar.
4. I really enjoy being beaten up by older kids, especially if they're big, tough gangbangers.
5. If my loving parents don't give a damn about my safety here on the station platform, why should I worry?
It's really no joking matter. The question shouldn't even be asked. It certainly is not safe to send a 12-year-old child alone in New York City's subway. And further, not only the Big Apple that can boast of that dangerous distinction. You wouldn't want to send a child of that age alone on London's Tube, the Paris Metro, Chicago's El or whatever they call the Moscow or Tokyo subway. Or for that matter, on most other big city underground or overground public transportation systems.
The 12-year-old child may be very bright, and is able to follow all parental instructions about fares, stops, destinations, connections to other transportation and other important travel information. In fact, most children of that age are usually much more skilled in the mysteries of computers, cell phones and the internet than their parents will ever be. However, there is the critical matter of maturity, and for want of another phrase, the need for intelligent distrust.
Many predators use the public transportation systems of big cities, and certainly not only New York, to commit their crimes. Whether it is a simple strong-arm robbery, sexual molestations, drug sales, or worse, kidnapping and abductions, the lawless opportunists are always there, ready to strike. There's no situation of any kind when a 12-year-old child should travel alone on the subway, nor for that matter even together with two or three others of the same age. It is simply not worth taking a chance on their safety.
If parents or other adults can't accompany a child on the subway, they should make arrangements for the child to use taxis or other forms of safe city transportation. With one parent or older teen along to protect the child, riding the subway may be permitted, but it is no absolute guarantee of absolute safety. However, taking along a cell phone or other instant 911 digital calling system can help make the ride as safe as possible.
Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
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