Parents: At what age would you/did you let your teen take public transportation?

Question

AKA the city bus?

Answer 1

I think it should be fine if your kid is older than 14. Just tell him to leave the cell phone on when your kid is traveling. Also call them and tell them not to hang up, this way you will be able to hear whatever is going on incase something bad happens.

Answer 2

High school

Answer 3

I would ride the bus with your kid first and see what kind of people are ridding the bus.....  It is 2008 you can't trust anyone

Answer 4

it depends on how responsible your teenager is. its a lot safer then letting them ride with another teenager where they can get in a wreck much easier. i would say about 15-16...at least if it were my kids i wouldn't want them far enough to have to drive there...if something happens i'd prefer them close to  home. but of course my kids are only 4, 2 and 5 months so i might change my mind and not raise them like i was raised  

Answer 5

What city?

There's a huge difference in safety between Lagos and Boston, for example!

I took the subway all over New York City when I was 12 - but that was 18 years ago.  

Answer 6

Our son started at grade nine, when he began high school. We are in a city of just over 200,000.

I think your daughter will be fine. Have her call you when she gets there.

Answer 7

Im 14 as well and my friend live across town from me too.

and my grandparents were tired of taking me,so I just started taking the city bus about 3 months ago,and I ride it almost every 3 days.I get to my friends house safe and back home safe,and if she's responsible then let her take it,just make her call you when she's at her friends and when she's about to come home,just so you know she's ok :)

edit:I actually use to live in Fairfield County when I was 10 and when I was 12 I started riding alone then when I moved to Florida I had to learn the ways around here.But I'd say it's safe if I was doing it at 12,your daughter can be doing it at 14

Answer 8

In Fairfield County? As soon as he could understand the fares, and routes etc. If it is a teen, then now.

My cousins grew up in Darien and took the train to the City when they were teens. I think that is a great self-reliance skill for a teen to have. I'd allow my 12 year old daughter to do even that if I lived out there.

I guess 11/12 would be my answer. Maybe younger if it was to come home from dance lessons or sports or something like that and not every day.

Answer 9

Depends on where you live and how responsible they are.  I live in the midwest...I was taking the city bus before I was even a teenager.  I would let my 13 or 14 year old take the bus as long as they had their cell phone and could call me with any problems.  If we lived in a big city, I might thing differently.

Answer 10

all depends to where and when, to school obviously yes *s*, to other places, sure as long as someone was waiting to pick them up, and i knew they were smart enough to not be lead astray and stay in front with the buss driver as long as they were alone, in a group its also safer as they can watch out for eachother

so really you just have to go with your gut feeling on what other parents do and what works where you live

Answer 11

I'd say 14 is fine, especially for a city in that area. I was a teenager when I first took the bus system in my mid-sized city, I was 18 when I first booked a train ticket, got to the station, and took the train into NYC by myself (having never done any of those things before, even with a parent), and I could navigate the NYC subway system almost in my sleep within a week of first using it when I was 18, and the first time I used it, I was alone. However, I'm a huge fan of public transportation, and have an aptitude for reading the associated maps and schedules, so it was more or less OK with me - I have a friend from Long Island who's in her 20's, grew up in the area, and still doesn't have the foggiest clue of how to use the NYC subway system or the LIRR.  

Answer 12

Ive been riding it since I was 13, and I never had any problems.

Sure, the bus system is full of freaks, but most of them really DO mind their own business.

I dont think a 13 year old (Boy) would really be at any risk of being abducted by someone on a bus.

Its fairly safe, there's transit police and what not.