I walked to school and home. In K-6 the walk was about half a mile. Jr High we walked 1.9 miles, HS was close to a mile. Nothing happened, there were reports of people exposing themselves. Kids were grabbed on the news, but Moms and Dads were not frightened, they told us about dangers and to get home right after school. Now people drive to the end of their driveways to pick up their child that is bussed a few hundred feet. We live in a world of paranoia, and laziness. The streets are safer than they have been in years. Not letting children walk home, leads to less children walking, making it more dangerous because of lack of a crowd, and they get fat.
I walked to school and home, about a mile each way. I went to a playground about 6 blocks away and stayed for hours.
I would never let my children do that today.
Well 55 years ago, I ran around all over the place, too ... but I was also shot at by a carload of Mexicans at our school (killing one boy next to me and wounding several others) and I was molested by a stranger asking for directions to the post office. I spent one year in one school “knowing” that I could be killed at school any day (spent the whole year that way).
I also sat in the front of the bus, in those days, was there when Kennedy got shot, said prayers in school, memorized Bible verses in school and everyone said the Pledge of Allegiance at school.
STILL ... I wouldn’t let any kid run around on their own today.
Yeah, what’s with all these moms waiting with their kids at the bus stop?