Would you let your 15yo out for a solo rural walk now?

[LadyofLansallos]

DD thinks we are extremely unfair & ridiculous for not letting her go out at 8.30 on her own, to walk through the village to take the footpath up the hill on her own. It is dark here by now.

Would you?

All the nope.

I’d be wondering who she was actually going out to meet…

ME TOO. Especially as I’ve just realised she’s changed from jogging bottoms into mini skirt for the outing.

Ahh that old chestnut. Let’s meet on the field. Bless her. That would be a no.

depends what the path up the hill is like. I mean, is it dark, and has bushes either side where someone could hide?

The problem is that predatory people will always usually look for someone who's alone, or with young helpless children and no-one else passing by (like Rachel Nickell). Rural areas aren't all wholesome and innocent, they sometimes worry me more than urban areas which usually have lots of people around to intervene, at least during daylight hours, and closer availability of emergency services. Look at Josie Lawrence and her family. I'm sure that happened in the most idyllic of locations. Even people claiming the protection of a dog can't do much against someone with a knife. A dog may put someone off if they're likely to bark at an attacker and attract the attention of someone in the vicinity.

But on the other hand, you can't let that very low risk of something happening stop you living your life. It's a hard one, OP.

Come on OP - she's meeting someone! And someone up a hill? In the dark?

Nah.

I wouldn't care in London but I wouldn't let a 15 year old in a rural area. Just seems more dangerous bizzarely.

Well, I would have thought you're less likely to be attacked on a motorbike than you would be as a pedestrian?

No chance. I’d give her some Mace (yes I know it’s illegal) or a personal alarm plus a Rottweiler or German shepherd. Not even joking.

Sorry I missed your post - yes that sort of location but inland.

For the walk, fine. She would be (and mine are) welcome to go for a walk when it’s dark. Fields or paths, the road or the canal. We’d never get anywhere otherwise and the teenagers walk in the dark all through the winter.

I would be questioning quite hard about the sudden reason for such a walk first though.

And who even cares what other people did?

Hey, guess what? My Nan actually booted me out the house at 3am on a council estate when I was aged 5 during a psychotic episode. Yeah, I survived. But it was fucking freezing I remember that. True story.

The oneupmanship on this site over EVERYTHING is so boring. She obviously wants to meet a boy bless her. It’s a no. Too dark, too rural, save your walk for the morning 😉.

depends on where you live and the lighting.

where I live - safe rural village with street lights - yes.
I’d be suspicious if it was my 15yo though! He’s not one for going for walks.

At the end of the day she’s 15 and you’re the parent, so just say no? She can go tomorrow in the daylight!

Sounds like she is planning on meeting someone which is a different scenario all together but I wouldn't let her go walking when it's dark, I don't even walk the dog/run alone in rural places in the dark. It's not an age thing but a safety thing in general. I don't even feel that comfortable in the early morning (always stick to roads when running before 7am). It's probably not actually more dangerous but I don't feel comfortable.

Really surprised at these answers. I live rurally and have been waiting for it to get dark so my primary age dc and I can go out over the fields and woods tonight to look for bats. I would say it’s fine. Whether or not she’s actually going for a walk or meet someone is another question!

Ok seen the skirt update - she's meeting someone. Insist on going or don't let her out.

Miniskirt suggests meeting someone yes! Hadn’t seen that update. I was thinking more about going out for smoking or to buy something they shouldn’t from someone.

I wouldn't do it myself and I'm a haggard old 40 something.

So, no.

This.

Wouldn't blink twice about it. 8.30pm isn't late.

That's different, you're a group.

With you is different, isn’t it?

anyway we do let her walk on her own in the evening, & if she had asked an hour earlier it would have been fine. It was just the pitch dark. And then I noticed the outfit change!

That's where it changes from yes to no!

Cos it's not about whether the area is safe for a walk. She's not going for a walk!

This time last year (well Queen’s funeral time) I was staying in Dymchurch area with a relative. I had my car with me but decided one day to do a big walk to nearby Hythe. It was fine on the way there but on the way back it was late afternoon (not dark) and I spotted a path by a river that by my sat nav brought me back to where I was staying. I was happily walking their ear pods in and the only people I passed were some solo fishermen. I must’ve been about 20-30 mins in when my wifi connection went slow and not showing up much. I had to double back on myself all the time noting it was getting darker. But was still light.

After that walk I realised how stupid I’d been and my relative said not there but in the area there had been the occasional random attack and she wouldn’t advise walking there. I assumed as I’m a Londoner that it was safe everywhere.

Yes of course. Outfit change is definitely suspicious though!