Letting 15 year old Son travel to Europe by rail

Blissful ignorance and blind luck!

I've read the whole of this thread as it develops and still feel this is a non-story.

I don't understand why I'm even bothering to talk about it really.
I think I'm just amazed at all the finger wagging.

Some of us think it's OK. Some don't.
That's all there is to it.
Nothing to be done either way.
Some 15 year olds will continue to go off on adventures with friends and some (most probably) won't.
🤷‍♂️

Aveline

Doubt you'd find it so all these years later. It's a different world. Different people. Different morals and standards and expectations.

Adolescents were born into this world and are much less (if at all) daunted by it than many of their elders. They know no different and have developed relevant coping mechanisms. Most, fortunately, lack the perceived fear that many older people, sadly, seem to live under.

OldFrill, your post expresses my views on the coping mechanisms adolescents develop in order to negotiate the world they live in.
We had the freedom to roam, take risks making dens in empty buildings, rope swings and a where I lived on the coast, we made rafts out of old oil cans and wood begged from local businesses. We cycled, road ponies, wandered miles. How lucky we were but traffic has stopped those adventures
These days children and adolescents rarely have unsupervised freedom but they do have great opportunities like Go Ape, climbing walls, farm visits.
Life changes, people adjust

As I said previously, it's the other people that they might have the severe misfortune to come in contact with that is the problem. The world has changed.

I agree with you Aveline but I think we have different lives and live in different areas. Knife crime and violence is an issue where I live. I imagine these people catch trains abroad too 🤷‍♀️ It would be nice is everything was nice but it isn’t.

Yes JaneJudge. A lot depends on people's experience of what modern life is really like.

Aveline Of course, but since most of us, now and then, return from our adventures safe and well, what is their to worry about. But life runs on blind luck for good and ill.

My family have had their fill of blind bad luck losing close family members in car accidents and also disabilities, but also good luck. Life doesn't come with a guarantee.

I know that very well having lost several family members in tragic accidents. They were all sure it would never happen to them but...