In response to the 70s 'playing outside' thread.

Was it still 'innocent' in the 80s? 90s??

Over the two millennia and now entered the third it has never been safe for children to play outside. Children have been snatched over a very long time,

Over the two millennia and now entered the third it has never been safe for children to play outside. Children have been snatched over a very long time,


Snatched by this man? Does he look familiar?

http://cheekyonetwo.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/child_catcher.jpg

Snatched by this man? Does he look familiar?

http://cheekyonetwo.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/child_catcher.jpg
That is Robert Helpmann!

That is Robert Helpmann!


It's the child catcher, Philip! The child catcher! I'm scared.  :\'( :\'( :\'(

It's the child catcher, Philip! The child catcher! I'm scared.  :\'( :\'( :\'(
I don't trust a man who makes toys in a land where children are forbidden.

I don't trust a man who makes toys in a land where children are forbidden.


Another man I don't trust.

http://www.8notes.com/wiki/images/ElvisCostello2.jpg

Another man I don't trust.

http://www.8notes.com/wiki/images/ElvisCostello2.jpg
Why Elvis?

It's the child catcher, Philip! The child catcher! I'm scared.  :\'( :\'( :\'(
Let me tell you something, my friend. This nose of mine has never failed me. And if there *are* children here, my friend... you will die.

Why Elvis?


Don't you see those teethe? The creepy aura? The slowly balding head?  :(

Let me tell you something, my friend. This nose of mine has never failed me. And if there *are* children here, my friend... you will die.


Oh God! :\'(

Don't you see those teethe? The creepy aura? The slowly balding head?  :(
You cannot assume on his appearance alone, baldness is hereditary.

You cannot assume on his appearance alone, baldness is hereditary.


Can you really be safe with man with those type of average teethe? I mean, look at them, they're so average!!

He must be British with teeth like that

Teeth


English Teeth, English Teeth!
Shining in the sun
A part of British heritage
Aye, each and every one.
English Teeth, Happy Teeth!
Always having fun
Clamping down on bits of fish
And sausages half done.
English Teeth! HEROES' Teeth!
Hear them click! and clack!
Let's sing a song of praise to them -
Three Cheers for the Brown Grey and Black.

Spike Milligan

In response to the 70s 'playing outside' thread.

Was it still 'innocent' in the 80s? 90s??

I was a kid in the 80s and 90s, and playing outside was generally safe if you were in your own fenced-in backyard. Also, I lived in a gated neighborhood during my childhood, and it was relatively safe to play outside. I even rode my bike around said neighborhood. I even played outdoors in my grandparents' backyards when I went to their homes.

I was a kid in the 80s and 90s, and playing outside was generally safe if you were in your own fenced-in backyard. Also, I lived in a gated neighborhood during my childhood, and it was relatively safe to play outside. I even rode my bike around said neighborhood. I even played outdoors in my grandparents' backyards when I went to their homes.


Can you remember all of the 80s?

He must be British with teeth like that

Teeth


English Teeth, English Teeth!
Shining in the sun
A part of British heritage
Aye, each and every one.
English Teeth, Happy Teeth!
Always having fun
Clamping down on bits of fish
And sausages half done.
English Teeth! HEROES' Teeth!
Hear them click! and clack!
Let's sing a song of praise to them -
Three Cheers for the Brown Grey and Black.

Spike Milligan


;D ;D

Can you remember all of the 80s?

Not really, since I was born in 1980. My earliest memories date to age 3 1/2 or so. Also, we have pictures depicting me playing outdoors.

Over the two millennia and now entered the third it has never been safe for children to play outside. Children have been snatched over a very long time,


like The Etan Patz situation back in 1979.

Don't you see those teethe? The creepy aura? The slowly balding head?  :(



;D

I was a kid in the 80s and 90s, and playing outside was generally safe if you were in your own fenced-in backyard. Also, I lived in a gated neighborhood during my childhood, and it was relatively safe to play outside. I even rode my bike around said neighborhood. I even played outdoors in my grandparents' backyards when I went to their homes.


My neighborhood was pretty safe, this neighborhood I've been living here for over 40 years has been quiet, I don't remember a time in my neighborhood where there was a lot of child abductions and kidnappings.

Can you remember all of the 80s?



I can barely remember my 80's.

Not really, since I was born in 1980. My earliest memories date to age 3 1/2 or so. Also, we have pictures depicting me playing outdoors.


I was born in 1974 and I think my earliest memories was in the mid 1980's.

I can barely remember my 80's.


1980s??

My neighborhood was pretty safe, this neighborhood I've been living here for over 40 years has been quiet, I don't remember a time in my neighborhood where there was a lot of child abductions and kidnappings.


You're lucky then!

Not really, since I was born in 1980. My earliest memories date to age 3 1/2 or so. Also, we have pictures depicting me playing outdoors.


Oh, so you really do remember a lot of the 80s!

1980s??


Yes.

Oh, so you really do remember a lot of the 80s!

From a kiddie point of view, yes. They were my single-digit years. :)

It all depends on where you live. I spent A LOT of time playing outside in the '90s and early/mid '00s and never felt unsafe, but I grew up in a middle class suburb of Chicago.

I would say that in general it is still safe to play outdoors.  Probably there are areas where it isn't, but abductions etc have been over-hyped I think.  There is probably no more risk of that happening now than there ever was, there is just more perceived risk.  which is a shame

Don't you see those teethe? The creepy aura? The slowly balding head?  :(


Now this is exactly why I rarely show my face!  ;D

He must be British with teeth like that

Teeth


English Teeth, English Teeth!
Shining in the sun
A part of British heritage
Aye, each and every one.
English Teeth, Happy Teeth!
Always having fun
Clamping down on bits of fish
And sausages half done.
English Teeth! HEROES' Teeth!
Hear them click! and clack!
Let's sing a song of praise to them -
Three Cheers for the Brown Grey and Black.

Spike Milligan


Now Karen ... don't be a Goon!  ;D  Love Spike... :)

In the 70's I played outside all day and only came in for meals!  I went all over our small town, riding my bike through the bush (I guess that translates to forest in the U.S.) ... I climbed into storm drains until I couldn't see any light. Great days they were...

These days, if anyone was getting on like that, they'd say that their parents were neglectful ... and, these days, they would probably be right!  That sort of blissful freedom is long gone. But as Philip said earlier, there was always an element of danger. Perhaps we were just ignorant ... and very lucky!  :-\\

In some areas of our town you will still see lots of children playing in the street.  It doesn't happen where we live because it is a very busy road, and there are not that many children living in the immediate area.

My kids still play outside.  In the school holidays they will go down to the local park by themselves and have been doing this for a number of years.

In some areas of our town you will still see lots of children playing in the street.  It doesn't happen where we live because it is a very busy road, and there are not that many children living in the immediate area.


There are some kids who play in the street in my neighborhood, it's a pretty quiet neighborhood.

I would say that in general it is still safe to play outdoors.  Probably there are areas where it isn't, but abductions etc have been over-hyped I think.  There is probably no more risk of that happening now than there ever was, there is just more perceived risk.  which is a shame


Actually Karen is quite right.
http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/americas_missing/2.html

In the US, anyway, according to statistics, "Only about 100 missing-child reports each year fit the profile of a stereotypical abduction by a stranger or vague acquaintance."

I think too, it is a heightened sense of wariness that makes us feel it isn't as safe as times past. Of course, some places are probably higher risk than others, but..there you go.

Now this is exactly why I rarely show my face!  ;D


:o ;D ;D

In response to the 70s 'playing outside' thread.

Was it still 'innocent' in the 80s? 90s??


Yes, especially in the '80s.

Kidnappings are actually less common now than they have been for a long time. Crime in general is down actually.

In response to the 70s 'playing outside' thread.

Was it still 'innocent' in the 80s? 90s??


I'm the original poster of that thread. It wasn't "innocent" then and its not now.  As someone else noted, crime has actually decreased statistically in recent years. I noted a few scary incidents I encountered then and I have several more in the 1980s to share in a future post.

As the father of a couple of youngsters, I have let my oldest outside on his own since he was 4yo (with some range restrictions), despite living in a slightly higher crime neighborhood than I grew up in. What scares me most is the traffic and the speed at which people now drive. 

There are obviously fewer kids under 8-10 who are playing outside in my neighborhood, but that could reflect demographics in my neighborhood. Most of those who do go outside do so on a sporadic rather than daily basis, like when I was growing up.  There are several households on my block that  never let their kids outside, which is very sad.  Several others restrict them to the driveway of their house and nearby sidewalk which is not much better.  A lot of kids who used to be outside very regularly essentially vanished when they hit middle school.

Overall, there are too many competing activities for all age groups. Besides the obvious (TV, internet, and videogames), kids have regular homework assignments starting in Kindergarten and the range of organized activities and local businesses catering to kids is breathtaking. Karate studios are in every stripmall. Ballet studios are a dime a dozen.  Don't even get me started on "summer camps"...

Crime may be reported more often and sounds like it occurs more often because of that...and paranoia ensues.  >:( Unless where you live is truly horrible, you can let your kids play outside or go down the street to visit their friends and it will be ok.