Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Right. She had a 10 year old with her, who doesn't even know the difference between "bring/brought/brang". I wonder if this 10 year old is very capable? He isn't verbally. My 6 year old is more advanced than that. The point is not to put down that kid (poor kid, really), but that WE DON"T KNOW the circumstances. Which is why CPS investigates. You guys are all assuming that this was all good because you are comfortable assuming these parents are reasonable. We just don't know that.

Obviously the 10-year-old is incapable because he doesn't know the past tense of "to bring". Really? If I were you, I would be ashamed of myself.

Never said he's not capable. Said we don't know. And you can feel shame all you want, but no, I'm not ashamed of questioning whether this 10 year old is capable of supervising his 6yo sister.

You're not ashamed of making fun of a 10-year-old's grammar, either.

Not making fun at all. Pointing out that we simply don't know his maturity level.

Anonymous wrote:

Not true that nobody has said otherwise. The police report said they were stopped by a parking garage -- clearly for long enough for someone to observe them, call the police, and the police to show up. So was that 5 minutes? 10 minutes? I don't know. But I do know that's not just walking home from the park.

What would I do if I saw a 6yo and a 10yo walking without a parent? Depends on where and how they seemed. If it was in my neighborhood and they seemed scared, I'd probably approach them and ask if I could help and where they lived. If it was really nearby, I'd go to where they said they lived and tell the parents nicely. If it was in my neighborhood and they seemed happy and on their way, I'd probably keep an eye from a distance and my hand on my phone in case something came up. If it was outside the residential neighborhood and more commercial, I'd probably keep an eye as long as I could, hoping adults would show up, and then if I had to go before they showed up, I would probably call the police. I wouldn't like doing it, but I would feel like I had to.

No, the police report didn't say that. Here is what the police report said:

On Sunday, April 12 at approximately 4:58 p.m., the Montgomery County Emergency Call Center received a call to check the welfare of two children in the area of Fenton and Easley Streets. The call was dispatched at 5:00 p.m. and the first officer arrived in the area at 5:01 p.m. The officer made contact with the complainant who directed the officer to the Fenton Street parking garage where the officer found the children.

Also, I'm going to continue with my assumption that the two callers called the police because they saw two children walking without a parent in a commercial district -- that's it, nothing more -- since you yourself say that you would call the police under those same circumstances.

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe people think it is normal and okay to call 911 for 2 kids walking home. I think that is the most upsetting part in all of this. Our parents would all have been arrested. Or at least all the parents in my neighborhood.

Remember, only for kids under 8. Is your statement still true?

Anonymous wrote:

So how come in 1980 it was said that for a 6yr old 1st grader to be ready for 1st grade, they should be able to walk 4-8 blocks on their own? What changed besides parent's paranoia.

A lot of what changed involved the child in New York City who was abducted and killed on the first day he'd been allowed to walk to school by himself. That have a lot of parents pause and a realization that something can go drastically wrong in a moment. We can't protect our children from every possible danger but I do believe that we are morally and ethically bound to do our best to keep them safe in appropriate ways.

Does anyone remember that "Adam" incident/show? I think that was the switchover time. I remember it coming out when I was really little.

I can't believe people think it is normal and okay to call 911 for 2 kids walking home. I think that is the most upsetting part in all of this. Our parents would all have been arrested. Or at least all the parents in my neighborhood.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
+1000. You don't have to be a helicopter parent to think a 6 year old needs supervision. I'm not letting my 6 year old walk a half a mile to the park alone. I would let her do it with me watching from a distance, sure. But I'm not a helicopter parent in the sense that I'd do her homework for her or mediate her disputes for her.

Neither did the Meitivs.

Funny how the helicopters keep making this story more and more "scary" in their eyes. Abandoned garages, evil homeless people, all alone, helpless, dark outside, wandering.... It was 2 siblings walking home from a park on a sunny day. Something you and your siblings used to do all the time because your parents weren't as paranoid as you now are!!

No we didn't. We had a park across a 2-lane road from our neighborhood. Not allowed to go there without an adult because of the road. Allowed to roam in the neighborhood, but we could always be spotted/located by someone's mom or dad if they wanted to. Born 1975. Plenty independent, thanks.

So you were allowed to play in the neighborhood. Was your neighborhood more than 2 blocks wide because that is how far away the kids were from home when they were taken by police. And you do realize that kids grew up then and now in urban areas and know how to cross busy streets. Just because your parents didn't let you cross a 2 lane road doesn't mean your parents called 911 if they saw other kids doing it? Or did they.

You said we all did this. I said no we didn't. Now you're changing that and saying it's irrelevant. You're the one who made it relevant in the first place. Pick a lane.
My parents would have called 911 (or more likely the nonemergency line first) if they saw kids alone in a situation they thought was unsafe for them. I would too.

But yet you didn't answer my question. Was your neighborhood that you were allowed to roam alone and play in more than 2 streets? If so you were doing exactly what got these kids picked up. Walking without a parent 2 blocks from their house. My guess is you were, so technically I am right.

And please call your parents and ask them if they would have called 911 on these kids back in 1979. I am curious for that answer as well.

No, I didn't live in an area with "blocks" like that. And anywhere we went, we were in the yard of someone we knew who was home. Either they were out in the yard working and keeping a very vague eye on us, or they were inside doing stuff peeking out occasionally. If you had asked anyone's mom where we were at any given time, they could tell you who's yard we were in.

So how come in 1980 it was said that for a 6yr old 1st grader to be ready for 1st grade, they should be able to walk 4-8 blocks on their own? What changed besides parent's paranoia.

A lot of what changed involved the child in New York City who was abducted and killed on the first day he'd been allowed to walk to school by himself. That have a lot of parents pause and a realization that something can go drastically wrong in a moment. We can't protect our children from every possible danger but I do believe that we are morally and ethically bound to do our best to keep them safe in appropriate ways.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm not a helicopter, but I'm also not assuming it was all rainbows and sunshine. something caused the people to call the police. I don't know if there was something bad going on, but you don't either.

Your reasoning is that something bad must have been going on, because otherwise the people wouldn't have called the police.

Nope, once again, my reasoning is that something bad "MIGHT" have been going on, because otherwise people wouldn't have called the police. One person? Yeah, that person might just be nuts. But two different people on different occasions? That merits a bit more agnosticism.

The bad thing that was going on, which led to the calls, was two children walking without parents. Nobody has said otherwise.

What would you do if you saw a six-year-old and a ten-year-old walking without a parent?

Not true that nobody has said otherwise. The police report said they were stopped by a parking garage -- clearly for long enough for someone to observe them, call the police, and the police to show up. So was that 5 minutes? 10 minutes? I don't know. But I do know that's not just walking home from the park.

What would I do if I saw a 6yo and a 10yo walking without a parent? Depends on where and how they seemed. If it was in my neighborhood and they seemed scared, I'd probably approach them and ask if I could help and where they lived. If it was really nearby, I'd go to where they said they lived and tell the parents nicely. If it was in my neighborhood and they seemed happy and on their way, I'd probably keep an eye from a distance and my hand on my phone in case something came up. If it was outside the residential neighborhood and more commercial, I'd probably keep an eye as long as I could, hoping adults would show up, and then if I had to go before they showed up, I would probably call the police. I wouldn't like doing it, but I would feel like I had to.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Right. She had a 10 year old with her, who doesn't even know the difference between "bring/brought/brang". I wonder if this 10 year old is very capable? He isn't verbally. My 6 year old is more advanced than that. The point is not to put down that kid (poor kid, really), but that WE DON"T KNOW the circumstances. Which is why CPS investigates. You guys are all assuming that this was all good because you are comfortable assuming these parents are reasonable. We just don't know that.

Obviously the 10-year-old is incapable because he doesn't know the past tense of "to bring". Really? If I were you, I would be ashamed of myself.

Never said he's not capable. Said we don't know. And you can feel shame all you want, but no, I'm not ashamed of questioning whether this 10 year old is capable of supervising his 6yo sister.

You're not ashamed of making fun of a 10-year-old's grammar, either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
+1000. You don't have to be a helicopter parent to think a 6 year old needs supervision. I'm not letting my 6 year old walk a half a mile to the park alone. I would let her do it with me watching from a distance, sure. But I'm not a helicopter parent in the sense that I'd do her homework for her or mediate her disputes for her.

Neither did the Meitivs.

Funny how the helicopters keep making this story more and more "scary" in their eyes. Abandoned garages, evil homeless people, all alone, helpless, dark outside, wandering.... It was 2 siblings walking home from a park on a sunny day. Something you and your siblings used to do all the time because your parents weren't as paranoid as you now are!!

No we didn't. We had a park across a 2-lane road from our neighborhood. Not allowed to go there without an adult because of the road. Allowed to roam in the neighborhood, but we could always be spotted/located by someone's mom or dad if they wanted to. Born 1975. Plenty independent, thanks.

So you were allowed to play in the neighborhood. Was your neighborhood more than 2 blocks wide because that is how far away the kids were from home when they were taken by police. And you do realize that kids grew up then and now in urban areas and know how to cross busy streets. Just because your parents didn't let you cross a 2 lane road doesn't mean your parents called 911 if they saw other kids doing it? Or did they.

You said we all did this. I said no we didn't. Now you're changing that and saying it's irrelevant. You're the one who made it relevant in the first place. Pick a lane.
My parents would have called 911 (or more likely the nonemergency line first) if they saw kids alone in a situation they thought was unsafe for them. I would too.

But yet you didn't answer my question. Was your neighborhood that you were allowed to roam alone and play in more than 2 streets? If so you were doing exactly what got these kids picked up. Walking without a parent 2 blocks from their house. My guess is you were, so technically I am right.

And please call your parents and ask them if they would have called 911 on these kids back in 1979. I am curious for that answer as well.

Anonymous wrote:

No we didn't. We had a park across a 2-lane road from our neighborhood. Not allowed to go there without an adult because of the road. Allowed to roam in the neighborhood, but we could always be spotted/located by someone's mom or dad if they wanted to. Born 1975. Plenty independent, thanks.