AIBU to be angry my sister left my 16-year-old alone?

How old are you now, OP?

How old is your DD?

You both might want to think about wising up.

(Then again, it is the school holidays.)

I thought the same as you.
DD was hardly with dangerous criminals.

There’s no mention of tube. Niece was met at station and walked by sister to coffee shop. I’d expect her to be able to retrace steps back an hour later. Look on google maps if unsure.

Jesus i stuck a backpack on at 17 and spent almost a full year backpacking around Asia.

Even the wording you have used op is she agreed to set up coffee. She’s done exactly that.
I did some work experience at magistrates court at 16 ish. Friend of my cousin. I got public transport there it wasn’t local to me, I’d not been on a tram before. I was very grateful to my cousin and his friend for opportunity.

At 15 I took 2 planes and a train to meet my older sister in France. I'd never flown before or even been abroad. I don't remember either me or my parents thinking this was odd and this was years before mobile phones.

I think you need to let your daughter grow up and equip her for adult life.

I started full time work three weeks after my 16th birthday, in a different town to my home. You need to stop babying your DD.

Why would your sister sit in on the coffee or hang around?

If you expected this you should have made it clear.

Were you expecting your sister to sit in on the coffee too? Or was she perhaps waiting for your DD to call her once she was done to meet up with her again?
This is a big part of becoming an adult being able to navigate these situations on your own. They sounded great by safely getting her back to where she needs to be, but like others have said, Google maps would be your best friend here. Alternatively ensuring you have some cash available in the bank to get a taxi/Uber back to the station directly.

I work with teens and I would have been clear about the plans and ensured we were on the same page and make sure your daughter knew how to get back afterwards, if for whatever reason I couldn’t wait around.

London and tubes etc is a lot for a teenager who has never been there before, or never been there alone before and perhaps your daughter would have dealt with it differently had she known she’d be left alone rather than have it sprung on her in front of strangers without any opportunity to talk it through.

If your dd is mature enough to take up other people's valuable time to develop her career plans she's old enough to sit and speak to them without a nanny and to find her way to the local teain station. If she's not mature enough for those things then perhaps that's what she needs to work on.

For me both sisters failed, unless you asked about all the arrangements for travelling?

Is this a joke? My then 12 year old navigated us round NY, found restaurants to cater for specific dietary requirements, He can do this because we have taught him how! By the time he’s 16 I’d expect him to be able to navigate himself on and off planes, through airports and get to a hotel! It’s a life skill. Rather than concentrating on your sister you should be building up your DD, congratulating her on dealing with the situation, be grateful to your sister for giving your DD this opportunity. Find out what particularly was difficult for your DD and talk through how to handle these situations

You have a couple of years before she will be navigating herself round uni, living life as an adult. Make sure she’s equipped for this!

16... Or 6? They have to grow up eventually.

I can understand you would have preferred your sister to escort your DD to her train home from London as it was her first time in London alone and to be a supportive presence at the meeting, but your DD managed really well,tell her you are proud of her. How did your DD feel about it?
But i think YABU to be furious.
Sound like it was a helpful experience for your DD in many ways.

A 16 year old should be able to travel to London by themselves unless she has additional needs. Yabu unless there is additional needs you not mentioned

YABU, My DD turned 16 in the August, and in the September she was making two train journeys taking an hour and half to get to 6th form college.

You need to give her the confidence to branch out a bit!

I’d encourage your dd to get a pt job after her GCSEs, McDonalds did my 16 yr old world of good.
And encourage her to branch out maybe with a friend and go to new places under own steam in hols.
Take a step back and encourage her to book own appointments, return goods in shops etc.
They can stay in youth hostels from 16. Mine went by train as a little group age 16/17 to a concert and stayed overnight in a hostel, train was rail replacement part of way so needed to deal with that too.
It’s much better if they get used to some independence rather than turn 18 and be unable to cope away from home.

Is this a reverse? Are you the sister that arranged this and got bollocked?

She's 16, this is the kind of experiences she should be having. Getting her bearings, finding her way. Has she got a phone ? If she does then she has the ability to easily contact for help. I was working an evening and weekend job at that age and transporting myself there and back.

I was abroad on holiday with my mates at 16.. not saying that is ideal but just to give you a different perspective!!!!

(I wouldn’t let my daughter do that now.)
I think London is ok. Presumably your dd had a phone and google maps! Xo

At 16 your daughter couldn't possibly have asked her aunt how to get home, before she left the cafe? 🙄

It's embarrassing the couple felt the need to actually escort her to the train station, and wait until she got on the train, instead of just giving her directions.

Also, does your DD not know how to use her phone?

I was wandering about exploring on buses when I was 11. I didn’t know where I was going ..it was an adventure. I also cycled off miles, all day into the countryside finding out what was there. Often had to ask how to go home. No phones then. At 16, kids used to be able to get married, not so long ago, definitely leave school,and get jobs. If she can’t navigate her way about, she needs to learn. Parenting is about teaching children to be independent, not about keeping them dependent . She will do better next time…and you should be encouraging it

She should have waited and seen her back to the station or at least communicated that she would be making her own way back.

Does she have kids? If she lives in London she probably didn’t think as at 16 years old this would be normal.

Have a calm chat with your sister.

Och, wise up. At 16, DD can have sex, leave home and get married. She should be able to locate a major London railway station and jump on a train to Brighton.