To not want my dd to go to London on the train?

[Haxdret]

Its a 2 hour journey on the train then the tube to where they want to go. Would you let yours do this? She's 13. Travelling with one other then meeting two friends en route.

well, I that age I was travelling by train across the country, so - being with a friend - I can't see the issue.

Why do you think London is more risky than another part of England?

My dd is 15 and I wouldn't let hr go alone.
She'd probably be alright and lives in a City mostly, is sensible but there's just so much to negotiate by themselves.
If she'd done the journey with an adult before and knew what to expect, but for a first time no.
That's at 15.
The only exception I suppose is they were meeting an adult.

@ totallyradllama but that’s 10 journeys a week for London kids (escorted for a while first then let off on their own) not a child coming down from outside London, not knowing the tube/bus system.

I would allow it at 13

But there are a lot of predatory people that may be able to use overconfidence (which I see as an unlikeliness to consider that some people / situations are extremely dangerous).

I'm not trying to say that she's inconsiderate or stupid.

But she is a young teenager!

Ahh, sorry I should have read the post properly. I took my friends along with me when I was 13/14/15 but my Dad was almost always with us. I know London pretty well but no, I don’t think I’d let my 13 year old do it without adult supervision. Mostly because your 13 year old has no experience with London so may well get lost.

My dd is 15 and I wouldn't let hr go alone.

Good luck to these teenagers when they need to start uni, or travel somewhere for a job interview - or god forbid, take a gap year around the world with friends!

It’s not just the city - again ‘creepy guys’ hang out where young adults go to have some fun.

I used to travel down when I was still at school (off to Camden) and guys would invite you to ‘parties at a mates house’. I sensibly never went.

Most posters object to the Camden bit (and rightly so!), not the train journey or even London.
Camden is dodgy these days.

@7Worfs - Im not talking about museums Im pointing out that cannabis willl be very likely to be on offer in OP's home town - her DD will not have to go to the stews of Camden to find corruption.

Camden is shit but I did let my 13 year old go when there was a specific reason for her to be there. Generally I’m happy for her to be on the tube with friends, it’s really really fine. Eldest was allowed around oxford street / Carnaby street / soho at end of year 9 and in year 10 and more widely from year 11. Year 12 allowed in central London at night provided had a plan of where he was going.

7worfs...sorry, cant quote you, but there was a documentary on BBC1 the other week about pickup gangs. They operated in Oxford Circus. It was grim.

OP, Camden is overrated, imo. I second Shoreditch. Or ideally somewhere so she can just get the train into,and avoid the tube.

I wouldn't trust mine to understand the transport system tbh, but I may be doing her a disservice.
I wouldn't be bothered about homeless, drugs or drunks as you get those in Manchester too.

There are bound to be more chilled parents who are fine with this at 13 but I think it's absolutely fine to feel uncomfortable about it and to say no. It doesn't make you a paranoid nervous wreck of a parent to not fee happy about it.

7worfs...sorry, cant quote you, but there was a documentary on BBC1 the other week about pickup gangs. They operated in Oxford Circus. It was grim.

OP, Camden is overrated, imo. I second Shoreditch. Or ideally somewhere so she can just get the train into,and avoid the tube.

well, I that age I was travelling by train across the country, so - being with a friend - I can't see the issue.

Why on earth were you travelling around the country on the train alone at 13?

Okay okay I’d still avoid, overconfident 13y/o girls can make some really stupid choices, I should know

but shes furious (isnt usually) this is a new school and new friends.

This is much more about 'face' with the new friends than it is about the actual trip.

I’m quite chilled but I think that’s a bit young if you’re two hours away. Mine did it but we live near London

I'd put money on all the others having told their parents that all the others are allowed to go and that their parents are fine with it. They probably all feel anxious about it.

I get nervous as a 30 year old.

Definitely not at at 13

My DD is 15 and I wouldn’t let her travel to London on her own. Also about 2 hrs away from us. She is also grown up for her age but I just wouldn’t feel comfortable.

Why on earth were you travelling around the country on the train alone at 13?

I was visiting my family. Or one of my trainers (also family). 🤷🏻‍♀️

I wouldn’t let my reasonably mature and sensible 13 year old, or actually even her 15 year old sister. I have taken the older one to London and let her and a friend go off on their own for half a day with me and the younger one around the same area. Kind of a halfway house. Maybe because I did some ridiculous things when I first went to London alone in my teens 😱