Children travelling alone on public transport

I believe it is illegal in the UK for children under 16 to travel alone on trains, which might explain some of the parents driving teenagers around.

Yes, we took buses on our own from around the age of 11, trains too, and when I was fourteen I travelled alone from Glasgow to Copenhagen by air.

But the world has changed let's face it. Rightly or wrongly today's parents all over Europe are obsessed by the fear of their c

hildren being sexually abused, mugged or murdered and apparently all of these crimes are more common than when we were children.

You cannot really blame responsible parents for taking care of their children, can you?

But this can be taken to unreasonable extents.

As you are unlikely to get a university place until you are 18, you are legally an adult when you go there, so should be able to get their on your own, pay your rent and phone bills yourself and do all the other boring things that are part of adult life.

I think 12 is the minimum age for travelling on a train in the UK without someone aged at least 16.

You may be under 18 when attending university open days - my son was 17.

My children all travelled to school by train from the age of 11. Surely it wasn’t illegal?

When I was 7 we move about 3 or 4 miles from school so I went on the town bus both my children and grandchildren were using buses to the nearest city when they were 11
I never had a car so until they bought their own at 17 they all used the local bus
My grandkids went to the city to school at 11 on a town bus it was 1 and a half hours each way they used to get home about 6

It’s certainly not illegals to travel on trains grandtante two of my grandkids travelled to school on the train and there’s many 11 to 16 year olds on the train every day

I well remember children travelling to a local independent school when I was at grammar school and they were the same age as I was. I can only assume things have changed - it was about 60 years ago!

There’s no minimum age to travel on a train alone.

This is a myth.

Just discovered that Amtrak say Children age 12 and under may not travel unaccompanied.

So obviously some companies have different ideas (and some countries).

Sorry, have posted too soon.

I went with dds to some of their university Open Days, but it was largely for company on some long journeys, London to Newcastle is one I remember most. But once there, I let dd get on with it - just arranged to meet her at a particular location before heading home again.

Particularly when I wasn’t at all familiar with the cities dds ended up in, it was really good to spend a day there getting a feel for them.

I don't think the tutors are that thrilled when potential students visit with their sisters and their cousins and aunts who keep interrupting presentations with fatuous questions, and as for the parents who expect to be included in the interview, and those who want to stay on site for the first week; Well.

10 schools in 3 countries, so it varied. But essentially started travelling on public transport alone at 11. New school, where I boarded, but at half term on my parents instructions, and with my younger sister I went down to the bus station and caught the Newbury bus, via Compton, where we got off at the bus stop outside our new home. Next time we did it by train and walked from the station.

By 13 I was travelling from Reading to London by train for dental appointents at the Dental Hospitla in Leicester aquare.

At 15 sis and I were deposited at Heathrow airport to travel out to Malaya, nominally under the care of a stewardess, but mainly left to our own devices. We dealt with plane breakdowns, overnights in strange hotels in previously unvisited countries and Custom men who wanted us to open all our Christmas presents in the customs hall on December 20th.

DC first travelled alone at 11. We moved into a big town as I returned to a fulltime job. On our first day in the house, I walked DC (9,11) into town and bussed them back. After that DS 11 could go out and travel alone, but 9 year old could only go out with brother, At 11 made his first train journey alone, 3 stops down the line to a friend where we used to live.

DGC live in a city near a main road with a frequent bus service. They have been using local transport since they went to secondary school.

From age 10 mum drove me to the village, to get the bus into town then I walked to the bus station to get the bus out to school. The journey took 1hr 15 minutes in the morning and longer in the afternoon. I had a recurring dream that there wasn't any room inside so they put me on the roof of the bus where I slid about like a stuntman, so I must have been stressed, but my parents always made me do things I was scared of "There's no such word as can't".

My sons drove themselves to university interviews. They all learned to drive at school and passed their driving test the month they were old enough and thereafter drove my car more than I did.

I used to travel on the London tube to my dentist in Trafalgar Square from the age of eight and when I started at the grammar school either biked or went by bus as it was eight miles away.

I was quite surprised to learn that DS2 had taken himself to Newcastle for a University interview. Then he decided to try Glasgow as well. I was not necessary either as driver or moral support. He decided on Glasgow and I had to take him there as there was so much baggage. But that was nothing compared to the amount that came back with him after four years!

I caught the bus home (about 5 miles) from junior school - or walked to my father's business and waited till after 6pm for a lift home.

At 10 or so I went by train to the Isle of Wight. A friend of my father's crossed me across London and my aunt met me at the ferry.
By then I was at the grammar school and caught the bus the 8 or 9 miles home. Sometimes I walked into the city as if I missed the 4pm bus the 5pm one would sail straight by as it would be full.
I took busses to meet friends and to go window shopping from the time I went to grammar school.

My husband travelled round Europe at 15 (nearly 16) with a friend.
He was travelling to and fro from boarding school by train much younger than my IOW trip.

I went to my grans who lived about a mile from Liverpool city centre when I was about 12. It was over an hours bus ride from where I lived the outskirts of Liverpool.
Our junior school was only five mins walk away from my house my secondary school was just under two miles away. We walked hail rain or snow our mum couldn’t afford bus fare for us. It wasn’t far enough to get a bus pass I don’t even think we thought of applying for passes.
I often went into town to window shop there were some nice shops then in the 70s mostly gone now. By my teenage years I had stopped being travel sick so I didn’t mind the bus journey. I think we got the train just once but were put off by men hanging around in Lime street. We just felt better going by bus our mum was constantly telling us to keep away from dirty old men! They may well have been just waiting for trains but we took advice and steered clear of trains.

I was about 5. It was very deep snow and my Primary one teacher sent my home for lunch with a note to my
Mum, not to send me back. My Mum did not agree with this and gave me a penny to go back to school on the bus.
It was in 1945.

eazybee

I don't think the tutors are that thrilled when potential students visit with their sisters and their cousins and aunts who keep interrupting presentations with fatuous questions, and as for the parents who expect to be included in the interview, and those who want to stay on site for the first week; Well.

I remember hearing some chap saying he’d sat in with his son or daughter during their interview at Oxford. I thought, WTF?? Surely not!

Turned out it was actually Oxford Brookes. I was still amazed, though - I never heard of any parent sitting in on an actual interview - as opposed to e.g. general Open Day talks.

Witzend I wonder if they had additional needs?

When I went for my only university interview - and no open days in the 1960s - I went alone from my home in south London to Newcastle upon Tyne and back again.

My father ws stationed in Germany so, as I was staying with relations and a few days before I started university the railway company van came round and collected my trunk and the next time I saw it was inmy room in hall. I travelled up on my own but met a fellow student on the train and we shared a taxi to our Hall of Residence.

My children travelled by bus and train to school in the next city from the age of eleven. At thirteen DD flew from Germany via Amsterdam unaccompanied. At sixteen and fourteen DD and DS flew to Germany from Heathrow to spend several weeks with their aunt and uncle.
DD used to travel to London as a teenager and stay overnight to sit music exams at the Royal college of music. She learned to be very indepe
My GD never rode on a bus until she was sixteen.

We had a house move on the last day of summer term, my last day of junior. I had to collect my younger sister from primary and get two buses to.get to.the new house. Did not enjoy it.

lol this is something we were discussing other day my Dil parents. Step grandson is 13 never been on a bus alone goes to cinema with friends gets dropped off and picked up when he’s ready my 13yr old granddaughter gets bus to school. We said step grandson should get bus. I was getting on bus about 6 I was going all over on bus with my friends by time I was 11 no mobile phones then. We are bringing these kids up not independent they never going to learn to stand on their own two feet if you do everything for them. We won’t pick him up we tell him to get a bus lol

My children were raised to be independent travellers on public transport and we never got into the habit of ferrying them around as they all had bicycles and the town we live in is reasonable small. However, my husband and I took turns accompanying our sons to university open days, at their request, so that we could discuss the pros and cons of each.

My grandchildren only ever travel on buses and trains when they stay with me and they find it a great adventure. All of them have bicycles though and I expect when they’re older they’ll get around by bike.

As a 7 year old in 1950sI was put on a bus and the driver was told where I should get off. My aunt met me after about a 100 mile trip.
I wouldn't like the. idea of my GGDs using public transport on their own now. Even a short trip.