AIBU to not let DS go to a rave

[ThatLimeNewt]

DS16 wants to go to a "rave" in London over Christmas. The event is from 4-9pm and it's only for16-18 year olds. AIBU unreasonable to not let DS go? The event is organised by Take off and its happening in the Ministry of Sound which is in a dodgy part of London. I am concerned about the safety of DS as he will have to walk through the dodgy area in order to get to the event. Also only one of DS's friends wants to go, shouldn't he go in a bigger group? He's been quite pissed at me over the past few days because I've refused to let him go.

I’d let him go.

Are these a thing?! 😆

Good for the flat chested I suppose, but I'm already a D. Would be a bit alarming to have to suddenly go up to GG in the interests of getting pissed.

It's an underage day rave. So totally appropriate. Nobody above 18 will be there.
MOS isn't in an especially dodgy area either.

It honestly sounds fine.

This sounds like a great opportunity to try out independence and nightlight. I would let him go or he will like he missed out as others talk about this experience. Trusting him is the way to go. Elephant & Castle isn't dodgy btw!

My 15YO DD went to one of these in our city for Halloween. Her friend's dad took them and picked them up and they absolutely loved it. Let him go. If you are concerned about the area can you or someone else collect him?

This thread bought back those memories of being sweet 16 again for many of us😅

Elephant & Castle has been regenerated and is massively gentrified. Cut those apron strings!

Ministry of Sound is not in a dodgy area.

this is a great opportunity for him to learn some independence as he might leave home in a couple of years and these sorts of trips out are the best way you can set him up for that.

I went to see The Ragga Twins at the Rocket when I was 15! I told my mum I was having a sleepover at a friends.

Think MOS also had an event called Raver Tots! Feel like the word 'rave' is being mis used!

I think I saw an ad for them. As a smaller chested woman they could work for me.

Back in my day it was half bottle of vodka in my handbag, but they probably even check water bottles now.

Dodgy area? Why do you think it's in a dodgy area???

I’d let him go. Just Uber him there and back. My dd went to one last year. She had just turned 14 it was a 12’s to 16’s rave. It had all the well known dj’s and she loved it! It was 6pm to 10pm. I dropped her and her friends off and picked them up. It was like a massive marquis where the rave was and there was food stalls and things kind of like a mini festival. All the kids had bag checks and was breathalysed before entry to make sure no drugs/alcohol. Dd and her friends had a great time. She’s going to another one in December this year.
they are growing up at that age and want to do more “adult” type things.

This - the area is much nicer than it was. It's not dodgy especially at that time.

Elephant and Castle used to be pretty unsalubrious years ago, before all the regeneration. I guess it takes time for attitudes to move on, especially if you don't live in London and haven't been there since its dodgy days.

Ridiculous. Let him go. You’ve got much bigger fish to fry in the years ahead if you struggle with this!

It sounds great and I would ENCOURAGE my dc to go!

Let him go and have a totally age-appropriate adventure. This sounds like a good excuse for him to develop some independence in a relatively safe and controlled scenario.

Could you drop him off and pick him up if you’re worried? I think he should go.

If the under 18s are clubbing in the early evening and the over 30s are having their club nights that finish at 9 and those in prime clubbing age don’t tend to do that anymore, is there even a late night club scene anymore?

To go back to the days of sticky carpets, talking to randoms in the toilet queue and dancing to great tunes would be a dream

There is no valid reason not to let him go to this event. It’s time to start letting him have age appropriate freedom. In 2 years he can do whatever he wants and you don’t want him to reach that age not trusting you and not having a clue how to handle himself alone in public

Could you drop him off and pick him up if you’re worried?

He's 16 and there's a tube station along the road. OP's worries are not a reason to limit his (fairly tame) age appropriate independence and experiences.

Apparently it is dying as Gen Z like to be in bed by 10.30pm.

I remember clubbing til 4.00am and then going on in a crowd in search of somewhere open for breakfast. We used to stagger to the pubs by Colombia Road Flower Market where you could get a drink in the early morning. I also had a flatmate who worked on Fleet Street who would invite me to join them for lunch on my days off (I was temping at the time so had plenty of time off between contracts) and lunch would go on for hours and hours and then some journo would pick up the tab as 'expenses.' They really were Fleet Street excesses with 6 hour lunches (mainly liquid) charged to the Sunday Times. I remember a couple of times joining Isabella Blow's party. She liked an entourage. I was also a bit of a fag hag as my gay friends knew all the best clubs that had the best dance music. It was so much fun in the 80s & 90s. It was a different mindset and women could definitely hold their own, blokes thought nothing of being told to piss off and would do so. I think women brought up in the 1970s weren't conditioned to think of ourselves as 'victims.' Young girls today have so many issues, too many, I think.

I probably saw you there! I remember little stickers they’d give to the people who got in on the list. Now that was in a dodgy area!

I was so cool decades ago. How things have changed.

That's hardly a rave is it! Seems v tame, let him go.