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Letting kids walk to/from school. Is the world really that much more unsafe?

Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:49 am
Posted by sidewalkside
rent free in yo head
Member since Sep 2021
4175 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:49 am
When I was a kid we walked to school.
We rode our bikes miles away where our parents had no idea where we were.
We played outside without "eyes on" direct supervision by an adult.

Is the world really that much more unsafe or are people unreasonably paranoid?
Posted by Odysseus32
Member since Dec 2009
9580 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:52 am to
If you go to other places with actual middle classes, the kids are allowed to be pretty independent. I've seen kids by themselves in Boise, KC, Austin going about their day in parks. In Boise, I routinely saw kids walk to school in the snow.

It doesn't happen here because this state has created an environment where it's unsafe, either due to crime or due to traffic. I wouldn't let my kid walk to school here because I don't trust adults to look for pedestrians.
Posted by Philzilla2k
Member since Oct 2017
12356 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:52 am to
Posted by Commandeaux
Zachary
Member since Jul 2009
7881 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:52 am to
That was a time where everyone within 4 blocks knew each other. I bought a new house in February and I still haven't met any of my neighbors. And I'm ok with that.
Posted by Smeg
Member since Aug 2018
14234 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:52 am to
The world is probably more safe. With all the cameras on phones, businesses, ring cameras, cell phone cameras, traffic cameras, cell phone tower pings, etc... I think it would be pretty difficult to randomly abduct a child on the street, throw it in a van, drive off, and not get caught.
Posted by The Third Leg
Idiot Out Wandering Around
Member since May 2014
11523 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:52 am to
America has never been safer than it is today. This is indisputable fact.
Posted by Ostrich
Alexandria, VA
Member since Nov 2011
10103 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:53 am to
Depends where and how far away the school is
Posted by terriblegreen
Souf Badden Rewage
Member since Aug 2011
11807 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:53 am to
It really all depends on where the school is and how far you live from it.

A lot of kids walk to neighborhood schools. I doubt anyone is walking to Parkview (just an example) due to its location in a very high traffic area.
Posted by UASports23
Basketball School
Member since Nov 2009
25707 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:55 am to
quote:

This is indisputable fact.


Not exactly, you can easily dispute this. If you are looking at Crime statistics..... unethical politicians and police chiefs say hello.

There is a reason why big cities don't report their crime statistics. Also, smaller cities don't have the requirement nor the ability/funds to compile metrics.
Posted by Dadren
Jawja
Member since Dec 2023
2989 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:57 am to
I see lots of walkers to and from pretty much every middle school and high school nearby.

Our older kids (21, 23) walked home from middle school occasionally on nice weather days if they felt like it.
This post was edited on 7/25/25 at 7:59 am
Posted by redneck
Los Suenos, Costa Rica
Member since Dec 2003
54156 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:57 am to
I think with technology it has made it evident really how many creeps there are living amongst us. We live in a gated community and I wouldn't let my daughter walk to school even if the school was inside the gates.
Posted by BluegrassBelle
RIP Hefty Lefty - 1981-2019
Member since Nov 2010
105854 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 7:58 am to
People are unreasonably paranoid.

I blame the true crime wave of podcasts/shows, the increasing surveillance state (everyone has cameras, cell phones, etc), and the internet.

And it feels like the pendulum has swung to an extreme on helicopter parents. There’s still a happy medium between not knowing where your kids are for hours on end and freaking out if their Life365 reports they’re .02 off the path to their friend’s house.
This post was edited on 7/25/25 at 7:59 am
Posted by The Third Leg
Idiot Out Wandering Around
Member since May 2014
11523 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 8:00 am to
You have absolutely no clue how shitty the cities of the United States were in 70s and 80s when violent crime peaked.

I’ve been all over this country over the last 30 years, and everyone that’s done the same will tell you it is much safer.

shite, just the addition of the mass surveillance state we live within has made it all exponentially safer.
Posted by Epic Cajun
Lafayette, LA
Member since Feb 2013
36161 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 8:00 am to
quote:

Is the world really that much more unsafe or are people unreasonably paranoid?

No, there is just more visibility to incidents that occur.

It's actually much safer now, and much harder to get away with committing crimes than it was in the 80's or 90's.
Posted by Hangover Haven
Metry
Member since Oct 2013
31823 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 8:00 am to
My son walks to school, then again we only live a block away….
Posted by Sidicous
NELA
Member since Aug 2015
19296 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 8:03 am to
I grew up in the 70's and walked or rode a bike everywhere. Go ahead look up the crime stats for the decade. It was about the same rate as the latest I could find for violent crimes.
Posted by Epic Cajun
Lafayette, LA
Member since Feb 2013
36161 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 8:03 am to
quote:

If you go to other places with actual middle classes, the kids are allowed to be pretty independent. I've seen kids by themselves in Boise, KC, Austin going about their day in parks. In Boise, I routinely saw kids walk to school in the snow.

In NYC kids leave their school grounds for lunch and go to restaurants down the street. I witnessed a group of middle schoolers walk from their school to Shake Shack a block down the street.

At my school, we were basically locked on school grounds from the morning bell to the afternoon bell.
Posted by danilo
Member since Nov 2008
24634 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 8:04 am to
World is much safer today actually
Posted by RogerTheShrubber
Juneau, AK
Member since Jan 2009
293053 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 8:06 am to
Perfectly safe here.
Posted by LSUBoo
Knoxville, TN
Member since Mar 2006
103399 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 8:06 am to
I don't let my son walk to school, but it's because of the road being curvy with no sidewalks. I don't even walk along our main road.

He can go ride his bike and play in the neighborhood all he wants though. I'm not at all worried and know most of the neighbors and there are a lot of kids around.
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