Kids are so different, you know? My one sister and I could have done the subway home thing alone at nine or ten. The other sister was pretty shy at that age and would NOT have enjoyed it. She could probably do it, but it would have been very upsetting for her.

Good point. The son of the essayist really really wanted to, and has been begging his mom for a while to let him have his solo subway adventure.

Also, in England they let a cat take a bus alone....

Small-town AK, but I still made my parents drop me off at one of the few pub. trans. lines so I could take the bus somewhere else. Also, I routinely got lost in the acres and acres of woods around my parents' house.

Also, in England they let a cat take a bus alone....

But they don't let the pigeon drive it, do they?

Providing the list is more culpable than aiding and abetting? What's an example of A&A?

Actually, what I meant was the list could allow the list-provider to be charged with the robbery via either conspiracy or aiding and abetting. I know more about the former than the latter. But looking at the description of A&A, it could be both conspiracy and A&A. Uh, I got this from a memo I wrote once:

Under federal law, one who “aids and abets” another’s commission of a crime assumes the same degree of criminal responsibility as the person who commits the crime. 18 U.S.C. § 2. The elements of aiding and abetting are that (1) another person committed a crime under US federal law; (2) the defendant associated himself or herself with that criminal action; (3) the defendant assisted or participated in the criminal venture as something he or she wished to bring about; and (4) he or she sought by his or her actions to make it succeed.

I know I'd been taking public transit to school in Jamaica, which means I was ten or so, because we moved to London at 12. And I certainly took public transit there alone right away.

My son and I often stop by McDonald's for a bite to eat after homeschool bowling on Fridays. But not today...

Not today, in light of reports that McDonald's has decided, apparently, to declare war on my family. And to declare war on the civilization of liberty, independence, creativity, and humanity under God that my Dad fought for in World War II.

Those bastards at McDonnalds have "reached out to the gay and lesbian Chamber of Commerce"! Family and civilization-destroying bastards!

[link]

I probably ought not to follow that link lest my head explode.

public transportation in tennessee is pretty laughable. so i never had that particular childhood experience, but my parents had no problem letting me and my (2 years younger) BFF ride our bikes about a mile away to a greenhouse that was quite popular for the kids to meet and hang out. i was probably 9 or 10. when i got a little older my little brother would come with me and he is six years younger than me.

now? i doubt i'd let my kids(if i had any) do the same thing.

I was riding the city bus at 10 or 11. And I'd bike off by myself for hours as long as I stayed between 4 roads in a rough 1 mile square from 7? 8? (they were boundries because they were the busiest roads and scary to cross. You could get a dispensation to cross them, though. Parents just had to know beforehand.)