[fso301]

Looking on the bright side, neither Indian nor US taxpayers had to finance an expensive rescue operation for this child, whose parents should lose custody of her immediately for letting her put her life in danger.

And how is that any different from handing her a set of car keys?

[Persevero]

I am sure that, statistically, driving a car is far safer than solo piloting a sail boat in the Indian Ocean in the southern hemisphere’s winter.

It’s not as though we have two choices:

1. keep our children bubble wrapped in front of a computer;

2. send them out solo on the high seas.

There is a middle ground!

I do not wish to see these parent prosecuted, but I don’t approve of their decision. I’d let my kid sail, take sailing lessons, race - but I wouldn’t let them solo camp, solo hike, solo fly, solo deep ocean sail - and I don’t think that makes me overprotective. I further believe my kids could live perfectly happy and adventurous lives without extreme solo stuff.

[La Lydia]

When you were at university, by any chance were you required to take a course called probability and statistics? Do you know how that works? Do you know that insurance actuaries calculate risk? Do you know how they calculate risk? If you think letting your kids drive is the statistically equivalent risk of letting them sail around the world alone on a boat, why do you let your kids drive?