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The Cost of Safetyism

Hacker News · May 25, 2026, 2:29 PM

Key takeaways

  • Steve Magness May 19, 202686818Share When I was 11 and 12, I’d ride my bike to meet friends at the local sandlot baseball field 1.5 miles away, or to a friends house to go play pickup football in the street.
  • Today, 84% of 11 year olds aren’t allowed to leave their street, with 53% not even allowed to leave their front yard.
  • In England data shows that in 1971, 86% of primary-age children traveled home from school unaccompanied.

Steve Magness May 19, 202686818Share When I was 11 and 12, I’d ride my bike to meet friends at the local sandlot baseball field 1.5 miles away, or to a friends house to go play pickup football in the street. When I was 14, I’d go on 10+ mile runs, exploring every bit of road, sidewalk, and path I could find. Exploration was a rite of passage.

Today, 84% of 11 year olds aren’t allowed to leave their street, with 53% not even allowed to leave their front yard. For 14 year olds? 92% aren’t allowed to leave their neighborhood, and 55% can’t leave their streets.

In England data shows that in 1971, 86% of primary-age children traveled home from school unaccompanied. By 1990, that had fallen to 35%. By 2010, it was 25%.

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