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Is 9 Too Young To Ride the NYC Subway Alone?
Posted Apr 7th 2008 11:25AM by Ada Calhoun
Filed under: Children, Controversy
A writer for the New York Sun described (in a much-fowarded editorial) letting her nine-year-old son take the subway alone, at his request. She gave him a map, $20, a Metrocard and quarters in case he had to make a call from a pay phone. He arrived home without incident, very proud of himself.
But when the story came out, whoo-ee, did she get in a lot of trouble. Crazy amounts of outcry greeted her. People said she was basically a child abuser. The Today Show (clip above) had her on for one of those "defend thyself in front of a sweater-set-clad child psychologist" interviews.
We have a special perspective on this, because we were taking public transportation alone in NYC in the '80s in first or second grade. So were all our friends.
Were all our parents negligent? Well, by today's standards, you bet. Plenty of them also smoked while they were pregnant and let us play with the mercury in broken thermometers. And maybe it warped us, but it did have its upside: we Gen Xers were about five billion times more independent than kids are today.
The castigated NY Sun writer explained her philosophy to Ann Curry like so: "Overprotectiveness is a danger in itself."
What do you think? Was she right or crazy to let her kid get home on his own?
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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 3)
1. If it's gotten to the point where a 9-year old riding the subway by himself is making the news (let alone the 'Today Show'), then this country is in DEEP trouble. There are kids all around the world who are dealing with a lot worse. When I visited Scandinavia, there were kids taking public transportation all over the place and no one saw anything wrong with it. If the media would stop its fearmongering, Americans might regain some of the gumption we used to be known for. Right now, we have become so coddled that I think Finland could invade us and take us over (of course, our troops are everywhere around the world but HERE, but that's a matter for another article).
Keith J. Sauter at 12:27PM on Apr 7th 2008
2. I think independance is a good thing, and I think a parent needs to look at the age and abilities of the child. Some 9 year olds are not ready for that. My 7 year old could do it. Easily. But he's also gifted. Would I actually put him on a subway at 7? No. At 9, maybe. It's no different than deciding whether your children are old enough to leave home while you run to the grocery store. Yes, there are parents that shouldn't be allowed to make choices for THEMSELVES, much less their kids, but most of us have enough common sense to make decisions carefully, and what's right for one 9 year old, may not be right for another.
Cheri at 12:38PM on Apr 7th 2008
3. While I agree that some 9-year olds might not be ready, I think that barring a physical or mental disability MOST should be. I just think that for something as trivial as this to make it to national television is a disgrace and a sad indictment of our country.
Keith J. Sauter at 12:55PM on Apr 7th 2008
4.
If we as parents do everything for our children, they will never leave the home - nor would they want to.
Give them the tools and the confidence to live in this world as it stands today - this is our job.
This is our only job - teach them to survive. If you are not doing that, then I think that is akin to child abuse.
She should be proud of her son, and I'm sure he has more confidence now, then when the adventure began. We need to do this for our children!
Bravo!
TJ at 1:30PM on Apr 7th 2008
5. My daughter was 13 when she took the subway alone and all of my (city) friends were chiding me about how long it took me to let go. She was on the verge of being labeled a 'baby' 'cause mom still took the subway with her...I say if the kid is ready in NYC during business hours of say 7 am to 8 pm, run the test like this mother did. Gheesh, the city is really safe now and most kids speak up if any one bothers them, they are New Yorkers.
emanon at 1:42PM on Apr 7th 2008
6. Is your 9-year-old child big enough to fight off th e predator in the men's room?
If not DO NOT let this child take the subway by himself
Lorraine Freeman at 2:00PM on Apr 7th 2008
7. is a 16yr old strong enough to fight off a predator in the men's room? that one is a toss up. but ppl WILL notice a child wandering the streets alone and will step in to help if the situation arises. and as long as the kid is not abusing his new found freedom (ie. skipping school, missing curfew, etc) then i say let him go! we're so busy coddling our kids these days, we wonder why they can't do anything for themselves anymore. i'm proud of the kid! i knew PLENTY of kids who took the bus alone at his age to get to school or grandma's house or run to the store for their parent's. it instills in them responsibility and awareness of what's going on around them. now, some kids couldn't do it at 16yrs old let alone 9, so when you do stuff like this, talior it to YOUR kid. but you've got to learn to let them go SOMETIME, and the sooner the better! all these dreams that parents have for their kids are crashing and burning b/c they won't let go. LET GO!
Devynn at 3:02PM on Apr 7th 2008
8. I belive in " independence " but that's too.YOUNG !
ida saenz at 2:56PM on Apr 7th 2008
9. In general, the answer would have to be "No, a 9-year old should not ride the subway alone". But, there are, of course variables. Starting with the 9-y.o. in question. Some kids handle situations better than others and some are bigger and more mature for their age. Then, there is the question of which line? I've heard New Yorkers describe the 'N' or the 'R' as "White People's" subway. I've never seen a statistic on whether more crime happen on certain lines but I'm sure they do. And of course, a 9-y.o. should never travel alone late at night.
Keith J. Mohrhoff at 2:56PM on Apr 7th 2008
10. Good grief. I think the response from Lorraine Freeman best sums up the current mindset of Americans...they are preoccupied with the boogeyman and as they pass those fears on to each succeeding generation I suspect that eventually we'll have 18 year olds wearing diapers and waiting for mommy to dress them for their first job interview. When I was ten I had a paper route, rode my bike all over creation, knocked on 'strangers' doors to collect, and the boogeyman never bothered me. I was, I believe, 11 when I took my first 'solo' Greyhound Bus trip across three states to visit an Aunt and the boogeyman didn't rape me or sell me into white slavery. I could also cook a full meal and 'babysit' myself at that age. Good grief, untie the apron strings and let the kids grow up.
lordfussy at 3:39PM on Apr 7th 2008
11. I'm with you, lordfussy. Kids are overprotected and monitored more today than ever.
Like lordfussy, I was all over the place as a kid, as young as 7 I would go off to the playground. My mother made sure I knew how to avoid strangers.
And Keith J. Sauter, this is an important topic for parents. That includes a lot of people. So go fawk yourself.
Linda at 4:43PM on Apr 7th 2008
12. To be sure, you want your children to spread their wings and fly, but a 9 year old alone on a subway seems a bit much.
This seems counter to what we hear about co-eds being advised to walk across campus or parking lots in groups.
Willet at 4:51PM on Apr 7th 2008
13. I think it's great that this kid is able to do this by himself and I do believe that being overprotective is a danger especially later in life when the kids get older and can't even take care of themselves.
gamergal126 at 3:45AM on Apr 11th 2008
14. I think it depends on the kid. My son is 9 and I would have to think twice about it, but when my 19 yr old daughter was 9, I would've had no problem.
JD at 5:31PM on Apr 7th 2008
15. I rode the subway, in Queens N.Y., at age six and my brother at ten since 1972. The subway was fun, because parks were far away.
ruavoter at 5:54PM on Apr 7th 2008