Public Transit - What do you allow?
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Anonymous
| We're in the suburbs but very close to a Metro station. My just turned 15 year old likes to explore. He doesn't have any neighborhood friends that do this, so often meets up with a friend at the other end of the line. Curious what your rules are around public transit and how far kids can go, etc. Is the answer different whether they're with friends or alone? |
Anonymous
| Um yes. My now 14yr old has been going on MC transit buses and the metro for at least 2 years. |
Anonymous
| My 15 yo had been doing bus/metro for about 2 years now. But I don’t like him going alone. We are in Silver Spring if that makes a difference. I’d be ok if he took the bus alone to DTSS; alone on the metro is a no go for me. I just think the metro is an all around shitshow nowadays. |
Anonymous
OP here. Do you have any limits on how far/what neighborhoods? For example, from one end of the red line to the far end of the blue line, etc.? |
Anonymous
| Mostly I just want to know what his plan is and have him share location if its something complicated or far. |
Anonymous
| My 12 year old goes on the red line and public busses alone near our home, we will let her go further as she gets older. |
Anonymous
|
My DD started taking mass transit home from school by herself at the end of 4th grade. So age 10.5. She had a flip phone with three phone numbers on it. I met her where she came up to street level. The following year she sometimes took mass transit TO school (but I'd walk her to the train) - it's a straight shot and then two blocks to school and by that point she'd been going there five years and was totally comfortable.
We live in San Francisco. It's seven miles by seven miles. She could go anywhere in the city with friends, except NOT in the ocean. They basically just went to each others houses and to Japantown or downtown, which is fine. She wasn't allowed to take mass transit by herself when it was dark out. With a boy, I'd feel differently. |
Anonymous
We let them know that they have to respectful to the bus driver, and the other riders and they are allowed to go eat, and friends house. They are now banned from going to National Harbor without an adult. MY DS is 16 years old. |
Anonymous
| Depends on which line. |
Anonymous
| OP, elementary school kids take the subway without parents. It’s time to let go |
Anonymous
I do allow it so I have let go. I was curious what normal is since my kid will go to the very furthest stops just to get off and look around. I've also never seen an elementary aged kid solo on the Metro before, and I take Metro everyday. For the most part, none of my kid's schoolmates are on the Metro regularly that I have seen, so that's why I was trying to gauge what's normal. I know DCPS kids use the subway all the time, but suburban kids are far less likely. |
Anonymous
My kids take metro daily to school, starting in sixth grade. There are still some metro stops I wouldn't want them going to by themselves, as well as time of day considerations. |
Anonymous
| My 15-year-old has been taking metro rail and bus solo for a couple years now. Mostly orange/silver line between rosslyn and Reston. I rode with her the first few times until she was comfortable. She hasn't ridden into D.C. Solo yet but I'd let her. |
Anonymous
| My kids were taking public transport from around 12 or 13. I just ask they let me know where they are going. No particular restrictions, but they haven’t asked to ho to Anacostia. I grew up in London so taking public transport from a young age was normal. |
Anonymous
OP, your child is in high school. Don't you think it's time to let your students do what most DCPS kids have learned to do? As for you not seeing elementary kids riding solo, my guess is that you aren't riding the parts of the lines where this happens the most, when this happens the most. |