Anonymous wrote:Rural poster here...i did occasionally bike home from piano lessons and it took close to an hour. It was about 12 miles on country/very hilly roads where the speed limit was 50mph and there was (and still isn't) any type of shoulder on the road. There are no street lights, so when it gets dark, it's VERY VERY dark. I lived in WA stated where it rains A LOT and there are ditches along the side of all the roads to catch water. I bike all the time as an adult in the cityI live in, and it's one of if not the most bike friendly cities in the US. It's still not without hazards, but to think anyone, let alone a teen should be able to bike around in a rural area is completely ABSURD!!

I was the one talking to you. If you notice, I said no biking at night and obviously not for areas where it would be more than a 20 minute drive between towns (as in so rural that you are driving around with only farms nearby for an hour straight). Not every rural area is just country roads with farms for miles with no towns nearby, so I was not commenting about the type of situation that you would have been in. I also don't know of many areas where there are neighbors that are so far away from you but you being one of the closest that could be a good babysitter option for them, etc. I was just going by the area where I grew up and where I now live, but maybe there are more places like that elsewhere. I also haven't experienced many "back country roads", but normal roads that took a back way (that had a shoulder on them, had lights, had space on the side of the road after the lines but before pavement out), though there were ditches as well. Going by my experience though, I was having a hard time trying to figure out why someone who was working a daytime job couldn't consider riding their bike as a viable option in a rural area.

With the age thing, I think it is because most children are so protected in this day and age. I used to ride my bike around my town by myself when I was 8 yrs old. I was a good rider, and I was safe. I actually started to ride with my dad from town to town when I was 13 for day trips, and I suggested getting a bike helmet (back when no one had them except extreme bikers) and gloves etc. I road from town to town myself at 14, had a job in another town that I biked to at 15-16. These days, an 8 yr old needs someone to watch them while they bike around in a cul-de-sac in their very safe gated community. So I guess 14 might be too early for some to consider letting their child ride their bike like I rode mine.

Let's come to the agreement that it IS an option to some/many, just not to all.

Rural poster here...i did occasionally bike home from piano lessons and it took close to an hour. It was about 12 miles on country/very hilly roads where the speed limit was 50mph and there was (and still isn't) any type of shoulder on the road. There are no street lights, so when it gets dark, it's VERY VERY dark. I lived in WA stated where it rains A LOT and there are ditches along the side of all the roads to catch water. I bike all the time as an adult in the cityI live in, and it's one of if not the most bike friendly cities in the US. It's still not without hazards, but to think anyone, let alone a teen should be able to bike around in a rural area is completely ABSURD!!

When I was a babysitter before I drove, I had jobs in the neighborhood typically. I would normally walk. Otherwise, I'd have my mom drive me and the family drive me home. Typically a family hiring a 14yo babysitter is going to realize that they will need to pick her up and drive her home as part of the deal.

Anonymous wrote:When I did this as a teen before I drove...my parents dropped me off and the other parents drove me home. Although there were some cases where the parents also picked me up.

+1 We use a teenage sitter one day a week and this is how we do it to.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When i was a teen sitter, the family who hired me drove me every time, w/o exception. We lived in a rural area though, so mass transit and biking or walking weren't options. There was one family who lived at the end of our rode within easy walking distance and i'd walk to their house and they drove me home if it was after dark.

I don't understand how living in a rural area means biking isn't an option. This is the best option for that type of situation unless working at night. I grew up in an area where we biked or walked, my parents weren't driving me all over the place.

Do you know the difference between rural and suburban? In many rural areas, homes can be separated by miles and not much is within walking/biking distance. Its easy and pretty safe to bike/walk everywhere in the suburbs, not always so in rural areas.

Yes, I do know the difference. I lived in a rural area while growing up. That is why I said biking is the best option. Unless you live in a VERY unpopulated area (like more than 20 minutes between towns), then you can easily bike around. Or unless you are a very slow bike rider, as it might take you too much time. I used to bike 30 minutes to my job at a cafe that was in the next town (if you could call it that) over.

Yes, because every dad is a perv... That's your story and your preference. My DH also drove our occasional sitter home when we had a 15 year old sitter or a date night here and there. It's kinda the norm within our group of friends. We all have used this sitter and the husbands generally drie her home afterwords..

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a dad try to fondle my breast when I was 15 and my father damn near killed the SOB. when my daughter babysits, the wife drives her home.

Or you. Hard to always control other adults. You certainly forbid your child from going back there.

*can forbid

Anonymous wrote:How do you know who is who in these posts? To know repeat posters for example

And yeah, rural is RURAL. Biking on narrow country roads isn't too smart in daylight. It is suicidal at night.

There is the one obnoxious poster who insists that she speaks for all.

Anonymous wrote:I had a dad try to fondle my breast when I was 15 and my father damn near killed the SOB. when my daughter babysits, the wife drives her home.

Or you. Hard to always control other adults. You certainly forbid your child from going back there.