The grieving parents of a 7-year-old child who died hours after being hit by a car were charged with involuntary manslaughter after allowing him and his brother, 10, to walk home unaccompanied by an adult from a nearby grocery store.

  • Noxy@pawb.social
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    1 day ago

    I walked two blocks between home and school every day when I was 7. This is insane.

    • barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
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      1 day ago

      Back in the 60s, I walked to and from kindergarten in a school that was at least a mile away, starting when I was 5 years old. Once I could ride a bike, around 6 years old, a typical Saturdayor summer day meant hopping on my bike after breakfast, and disappearing for the day, with no phone, wallet, id, money, etc. My pockets would be literally empty. If I needed a drink of water, I would knock on a stranger’s door and ask for one. The only rule was be home by 5 for dinner.

      Everybody was a free range kid back then.

    • Pnut@lemm.ee
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      1 day ago

      Half the kids in my school lived in town, they all walked home. A lot of our streets didn’t have proper sidewalks.

    • disco@lemdro.id
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      1 day ago

      5 blocks for me but it’s the same thing.

      Glad I grew up when I did and in Canada.

      • LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works
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        1 day ago

        About a Kilometer for me. Felt longer as a kid… My brother had to commute by bus at 8, because the school was fused together with the one in the next village.

        The US are seriously weird.

          • LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works
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            1 day ago

            Frankly, I hated it. I am happy that as an adult, I can now walk a two-digit amount of kilometers without having to take a break and being at peace with myself enough to not get bored. I do sometimes get nostalgic about school, but not because of the walk. It felt like forever. In addition, being an unpopular kid that got into fights meant there was a non-zero chance of getting my ass kicked at times.

            Yes, it contributed to me being a self-sufficient person who is not afraid of physical activity or picking my own ways. Still, as a 7-year old in winter with a heavy bagpack, I hated it.