Teen travel

I’m sure he will cope, he needs to be cautious re mobile phones and bank cards.
He could be living independently in a year or so and needs to make a start.

It seems like only yesterday I was encouraging him to go into the shop alone and buy and pay for my shopping. His mum had never allowed him do this.

I think I worry about my GC more than I ever did their parents!
When my 17 year old autistic grandson started College in South London it meant 2 trains and a walk through Croydon, not the most salubrious of areas ( apologies to Croydonites). His parents, who have to be the ones to lay down the rules initially, told him about safety. Not wearing his expensive ear buds or using his phone in public. Helping him plan the safest route to venues. His Mum tops up a credit card for him to use if there is ever a problem with public transport and he needs a taxi. He has all our numbers on his phone. Apart from covering all the bases, safety wise, then you have to let him go. You will still worry, it's natural, but it will open up a new world to him and he will gain confidence and a sense of achievement by doing it on his own.

Actually I was in London for a hospital appointment three weeks ago and a friend came to support me so we decided to stay for a couple of nights.

For three days we wandered around the centre of London, two old vulnerable ladies, peering at Google maps on our phones, going to the theatre, eating our lunch on a bench in the park, walking along the Embankment late at night to see the lit cityscape.

Not once did we encounter anything unpleasant or feel insecure or threatened.

In fact there was a point in the park with us on the bench amongst other elderly people, children racing around, business people enjoying their lunch hour in the sun and groups of teenagers just hanging about together when I wanted to take a video to say “This is London”.

The press and others on here might disagree with me but that was my experience.

I think I lost a stone worrying about my first grandson heading on his own to Edinburgh , he wanted to drive , luckily the cost prohibited that
He will be fine

Yes, stabbings and muggings do happen on the tube.
But taking into account that up to 5 million people a day travel on the tube the chance of this happening to your grandson are small.
All I would say is: walk with purpose. Don’t look as if you’re worried or afraid. Head up, not looking at the pavement.
Obviously no backpack, and no use of phone. That’s what the scroats want: a phone that is live.

I agree with Lathyrus3, but I would suggest that he has a pocket atlas of London to refer to. Mobile phones used as maps are vulnerable to being snatched.

grumppa

I agree with Lathyrus3, but I would suggest that he has a pocket atlas of London to refer to. Mobile phones used as maps are vulnerable to being snatched.

A perfect target for the scroats.
Someone on their own studying a map of London.