Would you let 15 yr old take train alone
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Would you let 15 yr old take train alone
| Sun, 11-04-2007 - 8:53pm |
My dd--going on 15 just made plans with a friend from camp to go spend winter break with them--the day after Christmas.

I would let her travel alone. At 15. she is old enough.
Some of it depends on
Well she's going on a train and I presume will not get off and have to transfer to other trains and stuff like that, and she'll be met where she's going -- it doesn't sound too bad to me.
I think it depends on what you call a train. LOL. Living near NYC myself, I know that a train is not a train is not a train, if you know what I mean. An Amtrak train with big cushy seats and a couple of stops is not the same as a train that stops in all the suburbs and rushes under a river to end up in tunnels under the city ultimately becoming a subway (which we still call a train). I think allowing her to travel alone completely depends upon where she is going and what her transportation will be. Will there be transfers? What cities will she be stopping in? Will there be layovers? Trains are notorious for stopping in bad sections of town. These things *do* need to be taken into consideration. If she's going from NYC to Boston (let's say), she'll probably not be stopping anywhere, and be just fine. But she'll need some instruction on not getting off the train, even for an extended stop (some trains will stop in a city for 3 hours). When I was 18 I travelled across the country by train a few times and there were a few places that were kinda scary when I either got off for a layover or had to transfer. I definitely don't recommend an x-country bus trip, however. Going into the city by bus, however, to me, at 17yo, is no big deal. My dd has done it several times. The people on those buses are usually commuters. X-country travellers on buses, however, can be kinda scary. I did that also, when I was younger.
Your dd is 14/15. Each year of the teen years brings new freedoms and responsibilities. I definitely did not allow going into the city alone/with friends at 14 but I do now at 17. So while I don't think its unusual that you have not allowed her to travel alone yet, I think if you feel comfortable letting her go by train *now* that it's entirely appropriate for her age, depending on the distance she may be going and the other factors I mentioned.
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You can say that again!!
Ramona Mom to 2 great kids and wife to one wonderful hubby since 1990!
Hi,
I really appreciate your reply.