[greyhair]

As a parent of three young adult kids, all I can say is WTF.

My kids were allowed to walk, scooter, and tricycle around our block from the time they were five years old. They were allowed to walk into town, as long as they were with at least one friend, from the time they were eight.

From sixteen up, as long as they were with a group of at least three, they could take the train into NYC.

When my son was sixteen, we put him on a bus with one friend (also sixteen), for a five hour bus ride to Boston so he could go visit his sister at college, and so his friend could visit her sister at college.

And this mom got arrested because he kid walked a half mile on sidewalks to get home?

In our town, there are no busses for the middle school, the kids walk, some of them over a half mile, every school day.