When I was growing up in the '70s I used to ride my bike everywhere. Even at 10 years old I was riding clear across town, with absolutely no supervision. What parent allows their kids to do that today?
One of the places I'd ride to during the summer was a nearby river. We'd all go swimming there, jumping off the bridge and such. But who would ever go swimming in some river now, despite the fact that water pollution is far better now than it was 30-35 years ago?
Full disclosure: I was hit by cars twice while on my bike. And at the river I once dove off the rope swing head first and let go where the water was only 3-4 feet deep, so I'm darned lucky I didn't break my neck and drown. But I did survive.
The dangers to children from very mundane sources and activities seem just as exaggerated as the dangers from crime. The trend has been developing for a long time, too. When I look at the sort of stuff my dad got to play with as a kid in the 50's, I'm downright jealous.
When I was growing up in the '70s I used to ride my bike everywhere. Even at 10 years old I was riding clear across town, with absolutely no supervision. What parent allows their kids to do that today?
One of the places I'd ride to during the summer was a nearby river. We'd all go swimming there, jumping off the bridge and such. But who would ever go swimming in some river now, despite the fact that water pollution is far better now than it was 30-35 years ago?
Full disclosure: I was hit by cars twice while on my bike. And at the river I once dove off the rope swing head first and let go where the water was only 3-4 feet deep, so I'm darned lucky I didn't break my neck and drown. But I did survive.