Has Societies Armchair Critics Got this Wrong?

[vim_fuego]

I was an independent type from an early age. Life as a Cub then Scout meant camps away, hobbies including fell walking and climbing were character building stuff for a young buck, and in tandem with all that doing my Duke of Edinburgh awards meant planning and executing expeds all over the UK.

When I was 15 I planned and completed a 3 weeks cycle tour of the Outer Hebrides, wild camping the whole time, from Oban to Barra then up the whole chain, me and another lad…no mobiles…and I had £30 in total on me. My parents checked my plan and went ‘go for it’. I reckon those life experiences shaped and conditioned me wonderfully for the military life I had to follow.

Kirsty Alsop has been reported to social services for letting her 15 year old go inter-railing with a mate for a few weeks. He’ll be connected by smartphone (and probably tracked), have a stacked bank card and likely family friends all over Europe to lean on.

Anyone else feel saddened by this? That someone thought it irresponsible rather than beautifullly challenging to a lad who will learn a fuckton and come back better for it?

Kirstie Allsopp reported to social services for allowing son, 15, to travel Europe solo

The Location, Location, Location presenter has been contacted by her local services amid allegations of "neglect" - but she has defended her decision to let the teen interrail across the continent.

news.sky.com

 

[busby1971]

Hopefully the demographics of this website should be positive on this, unless they are anti Allsopp, which is probably why this complaint has been raised.

Our world has become a more uncertain place over the past decade or so, however, this shouldn’t be the reason to stay in doors, the rise in timidity and nanny state needs to stop and personal adventure and responsibility should be strongly encouraged.

 

[Deltaitem]

Reported to Social Services isn't the same as being criticised by Social Services. Someone had a concern about the situation, they told the authorities, who will then investigate and conclude once they're in possession of all the facts. The whole story is probably something we won't ever get.
I can see both sides to this.
At 15, you're extremely vulnerable to a lot of very sophisticated predators, and at 15, no matter how grounded you, or your parents might think you are, by virtue of your age, you're likely to be naïve and inexperienced, and, I might suggest, possibly reluctant to take advice, no matter how good it might be. In the real world, this guy is an ideal target for kidnap, ransom, exploitation, trafficking and modern slavery, and once lost, he's gone.
On the other hand, he might be a mini-me Ray Mears and David Hayden all in one, and totally boss the whole thing.
It's the parent's responsibility to own it, whether he's Gillick/Fraser competent or not. Who'd be a parent, eh, or, for that matter, a social worker?

 

[Downsizer]

I see no issue here. Move along.

 

[Tin basher]

Blackpool, the tower , beach, candy floss etc was around 2 hours cycle from the original TB Towers I grew up in. 3 or 4 mates day trip with sarnies to the seaside then cycle back no mobiles, no dramas. Gary D****** once had a puncture so we found a phone box, made the call and his dad picked him up the rest of us cycled home. On one occassion as I'd forgotten the factor 50 stuff and came back redder than a ripe tomato. Part of growing up and expanding your personal vista.

 

[muttywhitedog]

I used to travel around the country as a 14 and 15 year old. Once a month, me and a couple of friends would get a weekend rail rover for north west England and start at 6pm on Friday riding the trains from Wigan to Crewe to Chester to Liverpool to Southport and Wigan, then to Manachester, Blackpool etc. I also travelled to football games by train with my 15/16 year old mates - Plymouth with a 4am start. Southend via London on a Friday night were a couple of ones I remember. We felt safe and enjoyed ourselves. No smartphones, no trackers. Our parents knew where we were going for football games but on the weekend rail rovers we'd be out from 9am to 9pm.

 

[Downsizer]

To be honest this is more about who the mother is than what the vhild was allowed to do.

 

[Tin basher]

To be honest this is more about who the mother is

I'm guessing this Alsopp lady is a "trending celeb" of some sort. Before this thread I'd never heard of her, storm teacup etc

 

[J Y Kelly]

I'm sure that he will be alright, as long as he doesn't meet Marco From Tropoja.