AIBU to not allow my daughters to get the bus to Dundee

[iamarealmother]

Hi all, just wondering whether I'm doing the right thing here. My two DDs (one 17 and 14) want to get the bus from Glasgow to Dundee with their cousin (also 14) to go to the big swimming pool there. I've told them no as I'm just not comfortable with them going this far on their own (mainly the two 14 year olds - DD1 is moving out for uni in a month!) just want a few other peoples views as I do feel a bit bad, they won't otherwise be able to go as DH is busy all weekend!

Yabu. I'm quite shocked you needed to ask. Why would this possibly be a problem?

They sound enough to sort themselves out to get there. Unless they have special needs and cannot go out alone, then you would have concerns.

Crikey, I was off to London with a similar aged friend at 12, possibly younger! 90 mins on bus, and no mobile phones in those days either.

Yes yabu and I am often shocked by the amount of freedom older teens have on mumsnet.

Itsallgoing well yes but these lasses are from Glasgow! Surely they can acclimatise quickly . Dh manages ok and he's from Edinburgh and has lived in England for 20 years.

Poor English born dd1 oth caught a train last summer over to Oban and did struggle with the language . Dh put her on train at Carlisle and then she changed at Glasgow then changed again to the Oban train. Wheerupon she discovered that the Oban train split at Crianlarich and she needed to be on the right bit. The train was full, she was 16 and the accent of the train staff both face to face and over the speakers was not very easy to understand. Poor lamb was in a total tizz but she made it, catching the ferry from Oban to Mull and then a 20 mile bus journey the other side. Mind you when we drove past Crianlarich station this year she did pale slightly......

At the age of 16 my sister was allowed to travel around Australia by bus for 3 months.
At 14 I regularly used to take the train for 3 hours with friends for shopping trips.
Completely unreasonable!

Thanks, Northern.

Why would you not let them?

Does Dundee have a plethora of "paedos"???
Good grief, at 17 she can marry.

YABU to post this without saying how long it would be, and whether they'd have to change or could get just one bus (or one train).

Two sensible 14 year olds would probably be fine.

A 17 year old who is leaving home in a month had BETTER be fine.

Two sisters aged 14 and 17 would probably be fine, but they are the worst combination out of the options as they might fight.

Ah northern I remember taking the Oban to Mull ferry as a teenager (on my own, op take note, aged 17, having travelled up on the train from England!). I'd missed the one I was supposed to be on, was in a bit of a state and the lovely ferrymen took pity on me and plied me with tea, biscuits and chat in the cabin while I nodded politely:) I tried hard but strong accents + bushy beards meant I could only understand about 30% of what they were saying!

Your dd wasn't heading on to Coll by any chance?:)

Good grief, at 17 she can marry

And have voted in the independence referendum.

No she was staying on Mull (by herself) for a week in B&B whilst volunteering on a whale watching boat. We've holidayed on Mull for years so she knew the set up well but obviously never arrived alone by train before. I was dead proud of her tbh

I went from Edinburgh to London on the coach when I was about 15. No mobile phones either. What on earth are you worried about?????

My son was off to work at the other end of the country at 16, they'll be fine !

I was catching trains all over the place at 17. One particularly memorable journey from Hull to Derby, I was catching the train via Doncaster which was delayed by a tractor getting stuck on the line, which left me needing to make a detour via Sheffield. I asked questions, I read notice boards, I used a payphone (no mobiles back in the 80s, of course) and I reached my destination just fine, if only an hour late.

A single bus is not that complicated.

I went to festivals on my own at just 15 and abroad at 16 - a bus trip sounds fine to me!