Is it responsible for a parent to let a 12-year-old child ride the NYC subway alone?

by Charlene Thomas

Created on: July 06, 2009

As a native of New Yorker, I must speak on behalf of all the "latch-key" kids who have used public transportation at the age of 12 or even younger. For those of you who may not know, a "latch-key" kid is a school-aged child who is given a key to their home so they can go home by themselves after school. Most of us were instructed by our parents to be home by a certain time, latch the door and call our parents at work when we arrive home safely. I do understand that there is a mean, ugly world out there waiting to devour its next victim. I understand that in a metropolis such as the "Big Apple" there will be worms trying to eat its way through, destroying everything that's good. My parents understood that as well. They knew what the world was like but they did not let that stop me from experiencing all the wonderful opportunities that the city has to offer. However, they did everything in their power to ensure that I was amply prepared to travel on my own. I am also sure that my mother and grandmother prayed a lot too.

I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Most of the time the only way for us to get from point A to point B was to take the bus or the train. By the time I was twelve years old, I was accustomed to using public transportation. I knew how to take the train to all of our familiar routes: going to church and going shopping. I knew how to take the Flatbush Ave bus to Kings Plaza shopping mall. I knew how to catch the #4 train to Grand Central station to my mother's job on 42nd Street. I learned to take my mother's lead in knowing where to sit, where to shy away from and how to hold on to your personal belongings. So, when the time came for me to ride the train to school or take the bus to piano lessons, I was well prepared.

When raising the question of responsibility, one must look at the individual circumstances. Are we speaking of loving parents who are doing everything they can to raise responsible children or are we speaking of parents who are simply allowing their children to run amok? In New York City, parents of inner-city children tend to fall into either one of these categories. I know of loving parents who would clock their child's travel time down to the last second,eagerly waiting for that "Mom/Dad, I'm home." phone call. I also knew of parents who were either working too much or out frolicking themselves while their children ran the streets. All too often, children who are parents of the latter fall prey to their parents irresponsibility.

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