AIBU to be 'judgy' over my friend leaving her 8 & 6 year old home alone for 10 mins?

[nevermore]

Popped round to see a friend the other night and her two boys answered the door saying both parents had popped out. Was rather shocked since they are 8 & 6. OK it was a short time and only a few streets away but they went by car (therefore risk of being involved in crash) and it was late evening. I told her I was shocked and thought that if police had called they could have been in trouble. More worrying though to me is fire etc. Am I being a smug suburban mother (am certainly not perfect) but I find this quite shocking & suspect we may fall out a bit over it.

Pagwatch-No, my poor parents! The thing is, I didn't even have sex with the boyfriend and he later dunped me for being "frigid"!
No luck at all!

It's true about getting kids acclimatised to these things I think, but I will still have to try and brainwash myself into thinking that ds wont be scoffing piles of drugs and having unprotected sex in my bed!
Innocence is probably bliss in these cases!

Ok, no sex by Clintonian standards anyway

Cheadle Hulme is a decent place but if you have a flash fast car on the drive then I would definitely tell your 12 year old not to open the door. Same thing happened in my street recently in South Manchester. Fast Audi parked on street and burglars came into the WRONG house demanding the keys. I live in a really nice place but that doesn't mean it is crime free. Also there are loads of dodgy people trying to sell stuff on the doorstep - I wouldn't want a 12 year old answering the door to these people either. Defo do not answer the door

Have to say if I lived in an area like that the last thing I'd do then is have an expensive car, and would probably move away from it. Can't see that privileging expensive possessions over acquiring life skills is a good compromise for children who are thereby growing up in a climate of fear and mistrust, not developing essential life skills. Is precisely why we moved away from the place we used to live in the SE.

Can honestly say that if you tried 95% of the doors around here you would find them unlocked even when the owners are out. But no sane person would want to pinch the cars either- usually caked in mud and beaten up from close encounters with hedges and potholes.

I was in my kitchen once when someone tried to open the back door. It is really important to keep them locked here. Telling a 12 year old not to open the door is just teaching them to be street-wise and it is just common sense not to open the door if you don't know what you would be faced with. I am a single Mum and I would not open my own front door after dark. My son's friend got mugged in broad daylight just around the corner from where we live. I'll bet any kid growing up in Manchester will be much more crime aware than a kid growing up in an area where the doors are kept unlocked and better able to cope with surviving in a new city when they go to uni or wherever.

I should also add that in spite of the risks Manchester is a fab place to live as there are so many opportunities here. I have lived in quieter places but I have to say that I love the diversity that this place offers my kids.