16 year old going to a gig in Camden.

[jellycake]

I need some really clear views especially from people who live in London and the surrounding area. Ds is 16, 17 in August wants to go to a 14+ gig in Camden next Monday night. I have said no. We live in Basildon so it's easy to get there but to get to Camden, he would need to get three tubes.
My reasons are:

1. He has college the next day.
2. He is only 16
3. It's in Camden which will be fine to get to, but dodgier getting home if the gig doesn't finish til gone 10. Last train home is 11:05 pm.

He is currently not talking to me
AIBU? I lived in a tiny Welsh village as a teenager and never wanted to do this sort of thing. He has been up to London with a group of friends before but that was in the day for a Comic Con.
Feeling guilty and unreasonable, don't have a DP/ DH to discuss this with.

Don't mean to be the voice of doom but I do wonder how many people breezily pointing out that Camden is not that bad now are day trippers from the 'burbs and, I would respectfully suggest don't know what they're talking about. I live in the borough and love it but there were 589 crimes including 14 rapes, 80 violent mugging and 5 incidences of gun crime in JANUARY this year. A street smart kid who takes care and is aware of the danger will be fine but it's not Legoland.

Come now. I think you do mean to be the voice of doom *Houseofmirth66]].

He will be travelling at a busy time. The 'burbs, as you charmingly call them, are arguably more risky because not as many people are around. That's my opinion as a 'burb babe who now lives in Central London.

"Don't mean to be the voice of doom"

Could have fooled me!

It's London!!!

You're probably right limitedperiodonly. I'm always a bit sniffy about out of towners. I know it's wrong but I just can't help myself

Eve your DS will only have to jump on the Northern Line from Camden down to Waterloo, no changes, about 20 minutes, difficult to go wrong providing he gets Charing X branch rather than Bank

Houseofmirth66 I'm an out-of-towner who moved in more than 20 years ago. Do I pass?

I travel far less than I used to. I find myself thinking: 'Do I really want to go to Clerkenwell or Islington? How do I get there?' I'd have never thought that as a teenager.

Last time I went to Camden was on New Year's Day for a pub lunch. I took the tube which involved one change and then realised a direct bus went from outside the pub to the end of my road and took me home in 20 minutes.

And it was nice staring out of the windows.

Limited you need citymapper app on your phone, it's life changing, check it out!

DS1 went to a gig in Camden the evening before his 16th birthday. Train & tube, group of friends went together. I offered to pick him up from the station when he got back but another of the parents gave him a lift. He had an amazing time and says it was one of the best experiences of his life.

My 16 yo DD has been to a couple of gigs in Camden, but we live a lot closer to London.

It's just that last train I would be worried about, really, so if he makes sure he has a plan for getting to the mainline station in time, I would say it was fine.

I also like my DDs (younger one is 14) to travel with at least one other person, as they can be looking out for each other. I get them to make sure I have the friend's number, too, which makes me feel a bit less panicky, as I have double the chance of being able to contact them, if needed.

Limited you are very close to qualifying as a Londoner! I think they send you a certificate from City Hall when it's made official. The thing is with crime in town, as you'll know, is that it is safe for middle aged mums. It's teenage boys who are randomly stabbed, punched or mugged for their phones. I really don't want to be overly dramatic and of course the vast majority of kids have a fantastic time with no trouble whatsoever. Just be sure that your teenager is aware that they really do need to be sensible. It is more dangerous in London for 16 year old boys than it is on their home turf outside.

citymapper is great.

you can make shortcuts too. I have a button "get me home" and "get me to work". for most of my journeys it is the click of one button.

Will do sleepwhenidie

I was a reasonably sheltered teenager. Not terribly so, but not what you'd call streetwise. Just sensible. My parents were too. It probably helped that we didn't have a car so all relied on public transport in the days where you had to check timetables for the last buses and trains and had to rely on payphones - and no car at the end of it.

I'm not saying that to boast, but it does help you plan. But now with mobiles and apps and cars it's so much better.

One night four of us 15 year olds came back from a gig and got confused over the tube lines in our bid to see one girl home safely. We thought we could pick up a connection but we were mistaken.

Anyway, three of us travelled back to Liverpool Street and had to sit on the platform for an hour waiting for an overland train to take us to Ilford for 1.30am. But we were sensible girls. We phoned our parents from a payphone and we all stuck together. One dad picked us up and drove us home. If he was annoyed he didn't show it. He said: 'You made a mistake but you all stuck together.'

Now I'm his age, I'd say the same thing.

It's teenage boys who are randomly stabbed, punched or mugged for their phones. I really don't want to be overly dramatic and of course the vast majority of kids have a fantastic time with no trouble whatsoever. Just be sure that your teenager is aware that they really do need to be sensible. It is more dangerous in London for 16 year old boys than it is on their home turf outside.

I completely agree Houseofmirth66. I'm dipping in and out of a thread about public safety that's been going for a while and one of my many issues with it is that the safety of young men ought to be addressed, perhaps more so than young women, simply because young women are policed by their parents or themselves, and young men think they are invincible.

"It is more dangerous in London for 16 year old boys than it is on their home turf"

I suppose it depends where your home turf is.............

I started going to metal gigs in Wolverhampton and Birmingham when I was 15, and ones in Europe when I was 19 - a lot of my fondest memories as a teen were of gigs. Assuming that Camden isn't a crime ridden hell hole (I don't know, not been there for years, was fine last time I visited), he should be fine!

Im also from the borough and would say going from the gig to the station should be fine but stay on the high street. I kind of lean towards houseofmirth66 but I think just make sure he's carefull and hope he has a good night

I used to go to gigs in Camden aged 15! I loved it! Although we were only a bus ride home so a bit different. In fact, the first club I ever went to was in Tufnell Park on a school night!

He will have a great time!

Houseofmirth I actually find Camden to be safer than where I grew up. I would go shopping on Wood Green high street with my pocket money aged 12 but I wouldn't go there now. Compared to Tottenham, Camden is very upmarket!

Why is it three trains? You can get to Basildon on the overground (Camden Road) one change at Stratford to Basildon

"Don't mean to be the voice of doom but I do wonder how many people breezily pointing out that Camden is not that bad now are day trippers from the 'burbs"

I'm in the next borough over and one 20 min bus ride away and I agree, someone else posted further back about Camden being one big community and I chuckled a bit at the naivety. There are lots of different types of "community" in Camden and not all of them are the nice sort.

He'll be fine in a group, no wandering off, be careful of anyone peddling their "wares" on the bridge etc, stick to the High St and Chalk Farm Road. Camden is great, but there are still shady characters who hang around waiting to pray on the un wary. Its London not Legoland is the best thing you can tell him.

Also if he has to get the train he may miss a lot of the final act, if its at Underworld/Koko/Electric Ballroom the acts are supposed to finish in time for people to get public transport, but they tend to time this for generic TFL times and finish at 10.30/45 to let them all spill out onto the street.

Oh and if its at Bar Fly, he will not get in at 16.

"Don't mean to be the voice of doom but I do wonder how many people breezily pointing out that Camden is not that bad now are day trippers from the 'burbs""

I must introduce you to Sheppey some time..........

Camden is hardly the Bronx
What's wrong with the Bronx?

jelly good call to pick them up from the end of the tube line. Just check the venue admission policy, sometimes it is over 14s only with an adult.

He'll be fine. I used to do this all the time 30 years ago,and I lived in Colchester so further out. There were no mobiles, no way of my parents checking if I was ok, but I always was.

My ds has been travelling to gigs in London and Norwich from the age of 15, and went to the Reading festival with mates aged 16. He's never texted me to let me know he's ok, the deal has always been he needs to text me if there's a problem. I don't really understand why people think their kids need to text them every 5 minutes to let them know they are ok.

I'm sure your son will be fine and will have a great time.