To not want so to stay over in London

[TooMuchJD]

DS & his gf are both 17 (18 in a few weeks). They want to go London and stay over for one night together. AIBU to want to say NO!! because I keep imagining scary scenarios where they're mugged/kidnapped etc. and don't feel they're very streetwise being from the sticks and "Up North".
They have been very sensible, got a nice hotel not too far from Oxford St, booked rail tickets, looked at closest tube stations etc. They are paying for it themselves with Xmas money.
He has stayed in London several times but always with family members.
Am I just being a tart about it

Yes yabu

He will be going off to uni soon/moving out.

You are being ridiculous.

You're being a bleeding idiot (and that's putting it politely).

Seriously, have a cup of tea and get a grip.

Yes YABveryU.

I’d be more worried about becoming a grandmother than anything else!

Are you being serious? My boyfriend and I are from the northern sticks and we've somehow managed to live in London for 5 years without being kidnapped...

Kidnapped? Who gets kidnapped apart from drug dealers and gangsters!?!!

They'll be fine.

In a few months, they'll be of an age where a lot of students from the sticks / oop norf move away to university in London and are just fine.

Yes, muggings happen (largely by thieves on mopeds who snatch phones without violence, though it's not so much of a problem in central London) but when was the last time you heard of a kidnapping in London by someone not known to the victim? I've lived in London for years, I can't remember a single case.

Yabu, this is how he can get streetwise.

Few hotel's allow under 18'svto stay alone.

Well Oxford Street is full of tourists so your ds and his gf will be at an advantage streetwiseness-wise since they are from this country
Seriously, YABVU they're not off to Beirut
But it's hard letting go. What choice do you have though really, you can't keep him locked up.

Yabu; they'll be fine

I moved to central London from the Sussex coast to live alone at 16! FFS! You are being so ridiculous.

Lol. Thank you, that's what I thought too.

MrsWhirly - I hope bloody not! They're actually good kids (and we had that chat ages ago )

He's the eldest so all new territory for me

I didn't really anticipate him being kidnapped btw

Possibly slipping and falling in the Thames........

Kidnapped?! By who? And to what purpose?
Yes, muggings do happen fairly often to people who are wandering around with their phones out looking at Google Maps or whatever but not so often as to be a massive concern- there are sensible steps to take as a tourist such as keeping your phone away, having cash on your person and not all in your wallet/ handbag in case of pickpockets etc and keeping a credit card in the safe in your room if possible but that would be sensible when visiting any major city you're not resident in.

YABVU! But I think you know you are .......

Do check though if the hotel has an age policy. Some say that at least one of the guests has to be 18 at the time they stay.

If they are about to turn 18, is it even up to you? Assuming he is paying for it.

They aren't going to get kidnapped.

Pickpocketed would be the biggest risk. Don't wander around with expensive phones in hands or open bags.

Actually you'd be surprised by how many people do get kidnapped in the UK - held in a room for a few days and taken to a cashpoint every 48 hours to take the maximum cash out of their accounts twice at 23:59 and 00:01. Not huge numbers of people but more than you'd expect. But people with money, not random teen couples up from the sticks.

DS checked the age restrictions when he reserved a room. They just need to take ID with them.
He's shown me the website etc. it's part of a chain of small hotels and seems really nice.

Why do you think they're at risk of being kidnapped? Are you being sarcastic?

YABU.

Absolutely ridiculous. You can't be serious.