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Comment by zhdc1 | Hacker News Reader

My son is expected to walk to and from school without parental support once he starts kindergarten.

We don't live in the states.

Switzerland ? One of the places that is somewhat normal...

actually this is more than normal in all 3rd world countries. Starting from 6-7 years most kids walk to/from school on their own.

> in all 3rd world countries

Not true.

Yes, the poverty stricken parents have all the time in the world to walk their kids around all day. /s

They'd be lucky to even have two live parents and in the picture.

You have some really deep knowledge of what 3rd world countries are like.

Please continue and tell me more about the topic.

I'd go even that far that 7-9 yo kids in Vietnam, Laos or Thailand already ride motorbike (scooter) at that age, I crashed because of them once in Laos (on the way to Plain of jars), just suddenly stopped in front of me on dusty road, I stopped as well, but sadly I had passenger behind me who balanced in other direction, so we flipped to side when bike slipped a bit.

Also normal in germany. At least for elementary school (which is after kindergarden). My guess would be that it's normal in other european countries.

Heck I was riding the U-bahn at age 11

I grew up on the countryside. Elementary school was in a different town. I had to walk 500m to the bus station and then take the school bus each day at age 7. At age 11 it was then secondary school, which included a longer walk to a different bus station and taking a public bus instead of a pure school bus.

Yeah that blew me away when I was stationed (GI) in Frankfurt, all the kids riding the trains and streetcars to school.

My kids, ages 8 and 6 walk 2 km home from school on their own. New Zealand, largest city. It's definitely fairly normal here.

It's hard to fathom that this could be considered illegal.

Do you do a school walking train? If not, be careful. Under 14 unsupervised, even walking home, is illegal. Some parents have started reporting this to schools in AKL and WEL.

This sounds insane.

What fun is it being a kid if you can't explore? That was the only really good part, otherwise childhood and adolescence is mostly suffering.

Wasted youth.

They only legislated this in the 80's directly after the US serial killer craze started. Golden State Killer, Son of Sam, Hillside Stranglers, Ted Bundy, etc.

Richard Ramirez became popular a few years after the law was enforced, and at that point it solidified for everyone "this was the right decision".

Many parents in the 90's let their kids walk home alone, and explore their neighbourhoods on their own.. And even today it's popular in rural areas. But the nature of where people live now is more related to cost of living and jobs, which everyone changes every few years - so nobody knows their neighbours or their community.

Now it's normal to shame parents who do this. And schools automatically notify the authorities if they're told about it.

Would kids get taken away from parents for this? Unlikely, legislation only pushes a $2,000 fine.

Yes, kids have been abducted in New Zealand. Yes, kids have been assaulted in New Zealand. It is a possibility.

I grew up in the Bay Area in the 90s and we were allowed to roam as free as we wanted. Sometimes we were a bit naughty but nothing too too crazy.

Everything is a possibility, it's all about the statistical probability of a bad outcome actually happening.

Someone could break into my house and murder me at any moment. I still don't wander around with a bat or a club because such events are sufficiently rare here in West Menlo Park.

When I was a kid, it seemed like adults were idiots by and large.

Now as I'm getting a bit more ahem, experienced, my perception is regressing back towards this hypothesis.

Why are the karens winning? :/

Very normal in Spain, too

Middle East.

Very normal in Japan. Kids that age routine take subways around Tokyo by themselves, ride bikes by themselves, etc.

As usual, America is the weird one, perhaps with some other Anglophone nations following suit.

Some of my kids 7yo classmates already walk to school ~1km in Prague by themselves in pairs, I guess alone it would be boring, personally I don't mind having at least morning walk to/from school since for the rest of the day I may sit next to desk, asked my kids if he wants to go by himself, he said no, but I guess when I will walk my younger daughter they can go back home together. Only thing I am really affraid is them crossing the road, I am certainly not affraid about anyone kidnapping them or other nonsense.

Recently when going by tram with kids somewhere I saw ~8-9yo girl travelling by herself seeing her confused started to cry, so I approached her, she said she is going wrong direction, told her to get off with us and then just directed her to right tram in different direction and went with my kids own way. Told her it's not big deal, she just lost few minutes and it can happen anyone to confuse tram numbers. Before COVID I used to approach tourists going in direction to my home since many of them went wrong direction, but surprisingly often I am met with German tourists who like riding trams whole line back and forth, I've had this hobby with Beijing subway lines when I lived there.

Actually my father (from small 40K town) came to visit just yesterday and he also took tram in wrong direction, realized it after 3 stops, but had problem to get back since there was no stop in opposite direction nearby, which happens with some stops, usually you just need to cross the road/tracks.

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