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Original poster

Would you put a 10 year old in a taxi alone?

92 replies

Himitsu · 08/06/2024 15:08

My daughter has a club she really loves however my husbands hours have changed which means he’s is now at work. I won’t have time to go home and collect her and take her to her club before then going to collect my younger one from nursery.

Trying to think of ways to get her there! Would you feel comfortable with this?

OP posts:
BarbaraWoodlouse1 · 08/06/2024 21:52

No chance

Badassnameforadojo · 08/06/2024 21:51

Longcovider · 08/06/2024 21:08

No and I doubt that the taxi firm would agree. Children of that age who are transported to special schools have to have an escort

And hundreds of children transported to mainstream schools in taxis do not have an escort.

Escorts are to take care of the child’s additional needs. Not because children can’t be alone with a taxi driver.

My high school kid goes in a mini bus taxi which collects loads of kids on the way. My primary kid goes in a taxi alone. No chaperones are needed.

wizzywig · 08/06/2024 21:49

Badassnameforadojo · 08/06/2024 20:06

Since when was that a rule? I started going to Glasgow on the train at weekends with my mates from the age of 12. We’d get the train home, be too lazy to walk from the train station so would all jump in a taxi at the taxi rank. Never got turned away!

Show quote history

We found this to be the case when we wanted to arrange a taxi service to take my 16yr old to and from school. This was last yr.

Crimblecrumblerules · 08/06/2024 21:24

Do you have a Driving Miss Daisy branch near you?

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Before you continue to Google Search

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Longcovider · 08/06/2024 21:15

@ARichtGoodDram ah okay, maybe it is LA specific, or more likely due to cuts. My dd had this maybe 6 years ago

outside1inside · 08/06/2024 21:14

My sister was raped by a licenced taxi driver after a night out aged 22. She got the number plate and he was caught. It went to court and he got a year in prison. No I wouldn't put a child in a random taxi (school transport is different)

ARichtGoodDram · 08/06/2024 21:13

Longcovider · 08/06/2024 21:08

No and I doubt that the taxi firm would agree. Children of that age who are transported to special schools have to have an escort

Not all have escorts. My DD hasn’t had an escort for the last 3 years. None of the children who travel by taxi to her school have escorts. Only the minibuses now have escorts.

Longcovider · 08/06/2024 21:08

No and I doubt that the taxi firm would agree. Children of that age who are transported to special schools have to have an escort

soupfiend · 08/06/2024 21:03

School transport taxis take young children all the time without a chaperone. They are of course contracted by the LA and have DBS checks

Therefore, if needed, I would seek a company like this, most taxi firms are doing it, it wont be hard to find one, its extremely lucrative, what will be hard is finding one who has a slot at that time if its around school time.

Spinthewheel1 · 08/06/2024 20:59

Absolutely not

Universalsnail · 08/06/2024 20:47

Absolutely not no

Toastjusttoast · 08/06/2024 20:46

Nope.

tarheelbaby · 08/06/2024 20:37

Oh, jeeze! MN overthinking it again!

So the big question is whether you (and your 10yr old are sensible)? Can you cope? Probably. If so, riding in a pre-booked taxi should not be a problem for your DC.

I had the same issue for a while: clubs' clash. I booked a taxi and let the dance teacher know. She made sure someone supervised DD into the taxi so we at least knew that side - not that I was really concerned. Naturally, the taxi company just brought DD home. They don't want any bother; they like a guaranteed fare and they're keen to move on to the next fare. As soon as I'd paid, they'd forgotten DD.

In the nicest way, I wonder whether most of you are being a bit precious. Taxi drivers take clients to/from places all the time, some clients are vulnerable for a range of reasons but it all works, nonetheless. It's A to B for the taxi drivers. If there's any complaint, everyone knows where they were and who was in the taxi. 99.9% are just taking a person to/from a destination. We hear about taxi horror but compared to the millions of journeys, these are an infinitesimal minority.
There are dodgy types on buses and at bus stops too.

Carebearsonmybed · 08/06/2024 20:18

Get the younger one from nursery first. Or do get the nursery dc?

Riversideandrelax · 08/06/2024 20:10

Would it help if she stayed on at after school club and you got her from there after collecting from nursery?

purpleme12 · 08/06/2024 20:10

My child is 10
We use taxis but I don't think I'd want to do this, no

HappyHedgehog247 · 08/06/2024 20:07

What about employing a babysitter to do this? Eg from a website like Sitters. Is that an option?

Badassnameforadojo · 08/06/2024 20:06

wizzywig · 08/06/2024 18:48

I thought taxis couldn't take under 18s unless it was a school taxi?

Since when was that a rule? I started going to Glasgow on the train at weekends with my mates from the age of 12. We’d get the train home, be too lazy to walk from the train station so would all jump in a taxi at the taxi rank. Never got turned away!

cestlavielife · 08/06/2024 20:05

Hire a baby sitter

Badassnameforadojo · 08/06/2024 20:03

My kids get a taxi to and from school every day, provided by the council. It’s just a local taxi firm they use and I trust those drivers. I know they’ve gone through disclosure Scotland, and are deemed safe to be with the kids and I also know them a bit. I’ve met one of the driver’s wives! So, if my kids ever need a taxi without me, that’s the company I call. Usually I can get one of the people who drives my kids from school but if not, I know all the drivers are used on school runs (you can’t book this company during the school run times because all drivers are used) so are all safe as we can be sure.

Find out which company does the school run for your area, and book them?

LaPalmaLlama · 08/06/2024 20:00

I’ve booked taxis for my 13 year old son and told them that in the booking notes and they’ve been ok with it. Must vary by taxi company or maybe just at discretion of the driver. I pay on my card so there’s no risk he wouldn’t pay.

maw1681 · 08/06/2024 19:59

As others have said if it was a taxi driver approved for taking school children.

Or a female driver?

Abitorangelooking · 08/06/2024 19:58

There’s one in my area called lady driver, it’s very much a one woman taxi service. She has a pvg ( Scotland ) and does school taxi driving. I’d trust her to get my 9yo twins from A to B. Maybe ask around locally.

Cucumbering · 08/06/2024 19:54

Only with a regular female taxi driver as statistically females are safer

WhatASurprisee · 08/06/2024 19:53

Would this be allowed? I wanted to put my son and daughter in an Uber but it wasn't allowed and they are older

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