To refuse to "Just put her in a taxi and send her home" DSD, aged 11

[SilenceOfTheSAHMs]

Is DP being unreasonable to not allow his DD, aged 11 to travel home from weekend contact in a taxi? DP's XP wanted him to, but he refused and safer transport was arranged. We currently have no car.

It just didn't feel "right" to put her in a taxi alone. Are we being unreasonable?

Yes he is being unreasonable , 11 is not a small child.

Do you have children? If so, what age? Genuine question.

hollie your going of the assumption that men are decent or that they would be too scared to do anything incase the child reported something. Your wrong.

I could not play roulette with my child's' safety, yes at 11 they are still children, they would not be allowed on a train or plane alone.

Even on national express, I had to be 14 to travel on my own.

Of course most men are decent, and the vast majority of those even who aren't decent aren't going to take the risk of assaulting a child when it is known exactly when and where they are with that child.

Extremely naive to think nothing could happen, there is always a chance.

How do you know Hollie, there are opportunists everywhere!

Some really don't care, they will do it anyway, whether it means prison or not!

Aero, I think you need to step away from certain "news"papers.

How long is the journey? Would it have been a daytime journey?

What was the safer option?

No today local rag, not national

Children can fly as unaccompanied minors from age 5 (and that's general airline policy, not law) and just alone from 12.

There is no minimum age for travelling alone on a train, and certainly once secondary age many children do so.

Some very trusting people on here

For those saying 11 is not a small child. They're still a child. Not a teen, not a grown up. Still a child.

Of course there's always a chance! But a very small chance. Are you never going to let your children be alone with another adult ever? You can't eliminate all risks.

Scaevolla I heard that a mainline train station woukd not sell a ticket to an 11 year old unless they were accompanied by an adult. Unaccompanied minor means that the airline is in loco parentis until the child reaches their destination and appropriate adult at the other end. They are chaparoned

Hollie ones that have been crb checked or I know, like friends, teachers, brownie leader, not unknown taxi drivers. Yes when dd and ds are teens they will be more independent, but whilst they are not I'm careful who they are alone with.

Dd aged 7 has an escort with her taxi, noway would I allow that without one present.

CRB checks aren't a protective shield Aero. Aren't children more likely to be harmed by people known to them anyway?

Well they are there as a protective measure, of course there is always a risk, but how do you know that an unknown taxi driver has a criminal record, or they have assaulted in the past. I personally would not take that risk. I started travelling alone at 14. There is plenty of time for that, not when they are not yet teens.

I started travelling alone to further distances by mainline train and coach, not to the local shop

Hundreds, probably thousands of children travel safely on their own in taxis to and from school every day. As suggested, go for a firm the council uses for school transport, possibly with a woman driver if you want to be really sure