Child travelling?

[truckman060473]

What is the minimum age a child must be before he/she may travel on their own without an accompanying adult?

 

[221129]

There isn't one. It is down to the common sense of the child and parent/carer.

 

[Flamingo]

Traincrew or TOC will not take any responsibility for them - this is not to say the Guard will refuse to carry them, but they won't act "in loco parentis".

 

[455driver]

There isn't one. It is down to the common sense of the child and parent/carer.

Parents and common sense, now there are 3 words that are not often seen together.

 

[transportphoto]

I have travelled alone for a while now with out problem, I wouldn't, in general, expect to find anyone under 11 travelling alone, I'd raise concerns if I found a lone child travelling vast distances. But every case has its own merits and I've been for quite long journeys with out question. As a TTI on a local preserved railway, I every now and again come across the lone child, I ask politely where they're parents are, they often say "Waiting for me to do the round trip" - It is down to the parents, train crew will at no point take on extra responsibility other than them being a passenger on their train and to ensure that they are safe as far as the railway can control.

TP

 

[12CSVT]

Parents and common sense, now there are 3 words that are not often seen together.

I remember reading a newspaper item quite a few years ago about the father of a 5 year old boy who put his young son on a train, and contacted his mother to collect him at his destination. It was only when the little boy arrived at his destination that his horrified mother realised he had travelled alone. Not sure where he travelled from or to, but it was a GNER service.

 

[trivran]

I've been travelling alone since I was 8. The police get less friendly the older you get.

 

[jon0844]

I expect it's more like a sine wave, so when you get much older they become more friendly again!

 

[SS4]

I expect it's more like a sine wave, so when you get much older they become more friendly again!

More like the cos "bucket"

edit: assuming one's life corresponds to a single period, perhaps some constant can be used to thin out the graph (as long as it's less than one of course)

 

[WestCoast]

I travelled alone to school at 8 and started doing longer trips at about 12. No problems whatsoever and it's quite refreshing to see that the railways doesn't put an exact age on it. In America the minimum age is something like 15/16 for longer distance trips...

 

[DaveNewcastle]

The police get less friendly the older you get.

Really? Does the Officer's own age have any relevance to that assessment? (I'm familiar with officers from about 20 to retirement, and have been all those ages myself, but I can't quite recognise that correspondence).

. . . . so when you get much older they become more friendly again!

And when a passenger well over 90 is travelling alone, then I'd expect any 'friendliness' to be merlely superficial and Police concern to be attentive.

 

[455driver]

I have a 9 year old son and would have no problem sending him off on a trip on his own, the last time he went off with his mother he was the one who sorted out the connection, a very bright switched on kid (I am thinking of getting a DNA test because he cant be mine ).
It is a question of being sensible, unfortunately most people these days are not sensible.

 

[tsr]

A 10-year-old son of a family friend, whose father happens to be an incredibly knowledgeable rail enthusiast, was recently put on a train at Reading to Bristol Temple Meads and travelled alone for the whole journey without incident. He was accompanied by a responsible adult onto the train, and was met on the platform when he got off. Bearing in mind that an HST set is hardly operated on DOO principles, so staff are always able to help (within reason!), and that he happens to be a very streetwise kid who knows more than a bit about how to use trains, that appears to be fine. I would be worried with some people no matter what age they are (for various reasons - ill health, lack of knowledge of the railway system, lack of common sense...), and most children under about 12 years of age are probably not mature enough to look after themselves. Just like elderly people, I think the main risk is that they may panic and not have an inkling of how to behave if things go wrong, and they also may not understand/follow safety instructions (mind you, commuters can be just as bad!).

 

[Clip]

I used to travel from Scarborough to Newcastle on me own when I were about 7/8.. Well with me brother but he isnt much older..