I often wonder about the actual safety of the children today vs. when I was a kid.
Is it really more dangerous than it was? Or is it just the media sensationalizing everything?
Are there actual statistics to back up the fears?
Just like you see those things on facebook or whatever, like how we would drink from the hose and no one actually died from this.
Now I understand, with the severe allergy that is a little scary, but really, truly, are the children at risk?
I took the school bus, and I walked by myself to the stop and back home every day by myself, I have memory of doing this since first grade.
Now, we did live in a gated community in Newport Beach, so that counts for A LOT, but I was also able to ride my bike to school by myself starting in 5th or sixth grade (6th grade for sure - I don't remember for sure if I could in 5th grade).
I am searching my memory banks - I totally remember locking my bike in the bike rack at Elementary School, and that only went to 6th grade.
School was 1.4 miles away and across PCH.
I also rode my bike to school in 7th grade (different school) and in High School. Ironically, the ride to Elementary school was the longest ride.
Sure we learned about stranger danger etc. and I know it was Newport Beach, not East LA or Compton, but hey we were still on our own, unsupervised, with no cell phones, and no one I know had anything bad happen to them.
I think I got my bike stolen once, in 7th grade. I had to walk home that day.