My son started taking the G2 metro bus this year to school on his own and is doing great. He reports back on occasion that he has met a character or two but nothing worth worrying about. We went with him 3 times on the entire trip and I walked him to the bus for a week the first week of school to make sure he was comfortable. He was super ready to get rid of me after that but he is a bit of a space cadet so I wanted to make sure we had had a few chats abt safety

I see she's starting H.S. She should be able to handle what you describe.

Spacing on the stop happens, especially on the way home. So, OP, discuss that.

What grade is she in? High school? (Sorry if I missed that.) Is there any reason to think she couldn't handle this?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this even a question? Serious overprotection issues here!

+1

I rode the bus to school in DC throughout high school.

And I rode the bus and it wasn't fine. Funny how different people may have different experiences.

Dad, I wouldn't want to stand at the intersection of lee and graham myself. But I took a public bus in hs and always had the creepy guy sit right next to me and stare and he always made sure his led was right up against my leg (while wearing a uniform skirt of course). I lived to tell about it, obviously. But I'm curious was your daughter thinks--that's very important. IMO.

Anonymous wrote:Why is this even a question? Serious overprotection issues here!

+1

What are you going to do next, go to college with her? I rode the bus to school in DC throughout high school.

Yes. She needs to know how to handle herself and carry enough cash to cope with what to do if there's a problem with the buses (just like anyone else).

OP here. I am the Dad. Mom is the one who is giving me friction on this. In any case, the buses run approximately very 15 minutes. I have taken this same line a few times to the metro, and yes in the morning it is filled with people just going to work. The bus stop nearest us is located at the intersection of Lee Hwy. and Graham Road. It is well lit in the morning because there is a Sunoco station there. There is a bus shelter too. The bus lines are 2A, 2B and 2C. The one logistical step would be a line change at the Intersection of Lee Hwy. and West Broad St. (Rt. 7) in downtown Falls Church to the 28A, 28B or 28X towards Tysons Corner.

Yes, I took the metro bus to high school with no issues.

OP,

Yes, many kids in DC start at 11 or 12. This will be terrific for your daughter! She'll feel independent, in the best way. If she has a smart phone, there's an app that let's you know when the next bus is coming. As for anyone bothering her, that's hard when there are other people on the bus. Are these buses generally full or close or close to full? Tactics: Change seats, move to another section of the bus (close to the driver). If the bus is packed, she can say, "Please stop that." I think most people on buses are very focused on getting where they're going and she won't be bothered by anyone. Oh, and she might see schoolmates on the bus!

My 10 year old son takes the bus to school himself. He has had only two minor problems this year: 1. He he lost his bus pass at school. He freaked out a bit, but in the end he called me and I drove to school and picked him up. The lesson learned is that he'll keep a couple bucks in a pocket of his backpack all the time. 2. He spaced out on the way home and missed his stop by 5 blocks. He had a longer walk home in the cold and was pretty miserable when he got here, but he got home.

Oh my god yes. My DD started taking mass transit to school at age 11, for 6th grade.

If you are not comfortable covering all the basics of self defense yourself, I recently saw a posting for "Street awareness and self defense" Workshop. It was geared to children who are transitioning to taking Metro or Metrobus on their own to commute to school. This workshop already happened, but maybe you can get into another that they offer.

Key lines from the note I had received about the class:
.... Ideal participants are students who are going to middle school now or next year, and whose parents want them to commute on their own - 10-12 year olds.
... include a brief description of your child‚s commute to school by public transit so that class role-plays are accurate.

The workshop will be taught by Lauren Taylor's organization, Defend Yourself.
She will make the children confident and competent - able to be "aware" and to be effective in preventing unpleasant encounters with adults as well as to obtain the support of adults when they want it. The class will enable them to commute with confidence. It lets students practice effective verbal and awareness techniques, and it does include some physical skills.

The website is http://defendyourself.org/bringus.shtml

I started taking the Metrobus in DC home from school, followed by a 15-minute walk, at 11. She should do it but PPs suggestions on harassment are good ones. You also may want to ride the route yourself alone a couple times to see what it's like - that may make you feel more comfortable. That early in FFX County it is probably just commuters.

Why is this even a question? Serious overprotection issues here!