12 yr old OK to Ride City Bus to School?

My 12 yr old step daughter stays with her mom during the school week. Her mom chose to enroll her in a middle school outside their attendance boundaries. Now, her mother is unable to take her to and from school, so she has decided to send her on a city bus. It is a 3 mile ride and she is riding with a friend. Yet, I still cringe at the idea of her compromised safety, especially in the college area of Tempe. Am I overreacting??

Parent Answers to "12 yr old OK to Ride City Bus to School?"

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my daughter is 13 and she is taking a public bus to school everyday, it's about 15 min ride. Bus driver knows her and me by now, i went with her to the bus stop at the beginning. I think at this age it's good for them to have a little of " i do it my self" time.

No, you are not overreacting I would definitely agree with you on this one. There are alot of weird and creepy people out there and I really don't think it is a good idea for her or her friend to be riding the bus at 12 years old, anything could happen to them, it's not like the school bus coming to get them they are riding a bus with a bunch of adults not children it just doesn't seem safe to me. Has she considered putting her daughter back in the school of her district?

Hopefully the mother is with her when she leaves for school on the bus. Everywhere in Az is risky to leave a young child on its own. It's not always safe. I would make sure she had a cell phone and she could text you and mom when she gets to school everyday and that would make you feel more at ease and also in case she has any problems where she could call. Half the year has gone by and it doesn't sound like the 12 yr abuses her freedom getting to and from school. Just hope she stays safe.

no, you are not. It is at risk to send a 12 yr old on a public bus. I will do something about it.

I'm a student at ASU-Tempe and I ride the bus frequently- generally, there are few problems (Tempe is one of the safer places to ride the bus... it's mostly college commuters and school kids, especially in the mornings and afternoons).

Generally, if she's going to be riding the bus, I'd suggest riding with a friend if she can. While it's not horribly unsafe to take the bus, there's safety in numbers and it's not always a bad idea.

Also- if she's going to be taking the bus, if she's unfamiliar with it, recommend having her mother ride with her a few times as practice, so she can learn where the stops are and when to get on and off.

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