You want an example? I moved from Illinois to California several years ago. My wife, who is from California, thinks tornadoes are scary, and earthquakes are barely worth mentioning. My mother, who is from Illinois, doesn’t even get excited about tornado warnings, but thinks earthquakes are a fearsome event.

People are simply far more scared of risks they are not normally exposed to… urban parents are exposed to the risks you mentioned and suburban parents, in general, are not.

Each point seems very valid to me, and Rob while reading yours I feel you’ve struck close to the heart of the matter - hive versus individualism. Interesting post, we see it all the time yet don’t consider it but in passing unless you’re part of it all. I think it could be also the fact that in the burbs things are more spread out. Used to be a time when they had neighborhoods of “safe houses” for kids, but even that was after my time. To think you’d even need to worry is sad. But I think, too, that the “isolation” feeling of now walking burb streets has parents concerned. Maybe there will come a time when no one has to worry, but Steve your stats on the sex offenders both urban and suburban is alarming.

I think you are right. It goes beyond the safety issue alone. But I still think it is a big part of it. We know people who drive their kids 500ft to the bus stop and then wait there until the bus comes. Not for a Kindergartener but for 5th-7th graders.

@Rob
I see exactly what you are saying. But I grew up in a rural area and I was allowed to ride my bike miles away on gravel roads. I would think the strong individualist or parent who values personal liberty would allow their kids a much longer leash than the ones that want government solutions. Maybe I’m wrong. It appears I may be.

I live in the suburbs, and I want to let my kids walk to the parks and freinds houses by themselves, but I don’t think I will because no one else does. If I did it, my kids will be the only ones travelling alone, and that seems far more risky than in a place where lots of kids are running around.

People living in cities are more likely to trust their fellow city-dwellers to be a kind of surrogate set of eyes and ears to keep their children safe, while a more rural parent will prefer to take matters into their own hands.

Those that choose or prefer to live in big cities are attracted to something I call the “hive mentality”. They will cite reasons such as: more interaction with people, public transportation, more community events and activities. They are also more likely to prefer community-driven or city-driven amenities, activities and services. That is to say, they are attracted to the sense of belonging to the “hive” of the city and see great benefits of that lifestyle.

Those that choose or prefer to live in more urban areas are more inclined to view self-reliance and individualism as higher values. “You do your thing and I’ll do mine”. They tend to express these values in terms of more personal freedom, privacy, etc. Instead of looking to community for answers, they tend to want to look inward.

These differences are highlighted by what you typically see during elections. Urban areas will tend to favor parties and candidates that promote social and government solutions to problems while more rural and suburban areas tend to favor more personal liberty.

That’s my take on it anyway….

Half my life ago I went to a high school where many students drove and there was not enough room in the parking lot, so students would park in streets. My friend lived by the school and walked (about 5 minutes, most of which was the parking lot). His brother drove. Other students would literally park in his spot in front of his house and walk the rest of the way while he would drive 200 feet and park in the parking lot. I’m sure it was not a safety issue.

But yeah, I agree with the drop kids off one or two blocks away idea. People are interesting. They want to avoid traffic and yet they decide to become part of it while they don’t necessarily have to anyway.