My middle school kids take the bus in DC, but I would definitely think twice about it in suburbia. I agree with the PPs who observed that the mid-day walking environment in suburbia is likely to be more deserted than in the city, and all it takes is one creepy guy figuring out your daughter's routine and then getting off at her stop.

I regularly have conversations with my kids about what to do about "the creepy guy on the bus".

Wow. Surprised by some of these responses. I was at boarding school at 14 and regularly took 6 hour train rides, cabs by myself to and from school. I have nieces who are 14 and 13 and wouldn't think twice about them taking the bus - after making sure they knew where to go, how to get help. Especially these days with cell phones.

I just sent my 9 yr old (almost 10) to school on the train by herself on Monday. It's not an everyday thing, but I think it's fine. She knows where to get off, which people she should expect to see on the car, etc. It was fine.

For those that wouldn't, what age would you? Do you yourselves take the bus, or are you scared for yourselves as well?

Depends on the busline. X2? Probably not because I've heard of stabbings and gunshots on X2. But a 30s bus, sure! But that's the District and I don't know enough about Fairfax to say.

Things might work out 364 days out of the year. But, if bad things happened on day 365 -- would you pat yourself on the back that things had worked out mostly well? No -- you wouldn't. Why would you take such a chance OP? Either have another student do this together with your child or drop the idea.

I would be worried about sending my 14-year-old on the metro in the middle of the night, when the trains might be empty and some unsavory characters might be about. But it does not sounds like that is what OP is doing. A bus in the morning and afternoon hours (going to school and back), traveling through the suburbs, has boring commuters on it, and unlike the metro you can always sit next to the driver.

+2

Anonymous wrote:No way, I would not let my DD ride the bus alone. IMO, fourteen is too young. Guys looking for a victim will typically go after someone who looks timid or young.

I used to metro from WFC to King St. and on a regular intervals, there was always some incident... like a drunk guy taking the seat next to you on an empty train, unemployed guys just riding around looking for trouble, etc. I doubt that a fourteen y.o. is old enough to deal with that... and she should NOT have to.

+1

Anonymous wrote:hopefully you are living in lala land pp -- you can believe that nothing will happen to you ... until it does.

Terrible things happened to me too. But I'm not going to let it keep me from living my life or doing what I have to do.

hopefully you are living in lala land pp -- you can believe that nothing will happen to you ... until it does.

Anonymous wrote:OP -- it's not the question of a 14 year old riding the bus alone. It's a question of how many creeps there are in the world. For the people who accused OP of being overprotective -- you may have ridden the bus when you were kids, but times are different.

I walked home from a friend's house in the daylight when I was 16. Two men grabbed me and kidnapped me and attempted to rape me repeatedly. I wouldn't allow a 14 year old to ride a bus alone. All it takes is one day and one creep. I'm really lucky to be alive.

PP, I am sorry about what happened to you. Thankfully, these are indeed different times: statistically speaking, thanks to better policing, better psych meds, more awareness of sexual harassment and crimes against children, and other factors, there are actually fewer creeps in the world than there were 20-30 years ago. Not to say that anyone is guaranteed not to encounter them, but the probability of what happened to you happening to any given person was pretty small to begin with, and it is even smaller now.

Finally, self-defense classes and plain old common sense are always a good idea, but girls do not acquire super-powers and the ability to repel any attacker when they turn 16, or 18, or 35 for that matter. And I would not want to raise my daughter to think that simply by virtue of being a woman, she is never safe anywhere and should never walk alone.

OP, are there any other kids in your neighborhood going to the same school?

My daughter will start taking the bus (in DC) next year. We have a neighbor whose kid, two years older and very level headed, already attends the school my daughter will be entering. For now, her parents drive her, but come fall, the two of them will be busing together. I wouldn't send her alone (though she's not in her teens yet) but I am comfortable knowing there are two of them looking out for each other. We've already talked with the other parents about syncing their schedules, and started talking to the girls about how they are required to remain together. If for some reason (sick days, special activity) one can't go, the other will go with her parents.

OP -- it's not the question of a 14 year old riding the bus alone. It's a question of how many creeps there are in the world. For the people who accused OP of being overprotective -- you may have ridden the bus when you were kids, but times are different.

I walked home from a friend's house in the daylight when I was 16. Two men grabbed me and kidnapped me and attempted to rape me repeatedly. I wouldn't allow a 14 year old to ride a bus alone. All it takes is one day and one creep. I'm really lucky to be alive.

Anonymous wrote:This is VERY common in DC at younger ages. Many children take the metro bus to middle school (starting in 5th grade) as there are no school buses and zones for middle school are quite large.

This exactly. A friend of mine had her son catching the bus from up by Howard U to Capital Hill by himself when he was in 4th grade. She will be fine, lots of kids are doing this in middle school.