When I was a teenager I worked at the Hitching Post.  During the summer and on weekends we would have a couple of kids routinely come by and stay all day.  The littlest one (a girl about 5 years old) would get bored with her movie and come out to the lobby and play.  At the time I was upset because I had to clean up after her.  As I look back I wonder where were her parents.  She came with her older brother (about 8).  How is that even acceptable.  I have two children (8 years and 18 months).  I still don't let my oldest go anywhere without an adult.  I've just gotten to the point where I will let her play outside without me watching her.  I would be frantic if she was gone for an hour or more without an adult nearby.  Maybe I'm overprotective, but like you said Tehachapi isn't the same as it once was.

I don't think you are being extreme at all.  In today's society, I don't care where you live, we all should know better.  There have always been predators, but in today's society we are so informed that we as parents should be slapped for not keeping a better eye on our children.  I'm not saying that it is always the parents fault when something horrible happens, but I guarantee you that when you send your small children off to play unsupervised, you are asking for trouble.  I think my children are wonderful.  They are the best, but I am not naive enough to think they are angels all the time.  Isn't it our job to teach our children.  Kids will be kids.  And sometimes they do things we as parents are not proud of, but we need to teach them right from wrong.  And how many times have you seen or heard of another's kids parent saying something to a kid that is doing wrong, and they get criticized for saying something to someone else's kid.  But I still do it.  Here are few of my experiences:

I was outside working on my yard and this boy was walking home from school.  He stopped at the house across the street and was looking at the barking dog that was going crazy.  The kid just stayed there at their fence antagonizing the dog.  I keep watching because I wasn't sure if this kid belong at the house or not.  This went on for about 10 minutes and finally the kid sat down on the sidewalk and started to actually lift up a board on my neighbor's fence.  I finally spoke up and said in a harsh voice "Hey!  Do you live there?"  The boy said "No".  I then said "Then what are you doing ripping up those people's fence?"  He said "looking at the dog."  I reply "Stop it and go home.  You are going to let the dog out and you are making him mad.  What if he attacks you?  Go home Now!"  He stopped and gave me a "eat sh-t" look but left.  Now what would happen if this dog bite the kid?  They dog is doing his job and protecting his house.  Was I wrong for yelling at a kid that wasn't mine?  Not in my opinion.

Second story....My 7 year old is in Cub Scouts.  Now for those of you who aren't familiar with the scouts, every week they meet and do activities.  Once a month, their is what is called a Pack Meeting.  This is where all the different groups come together and receive recognition or awards for their achievements.  This is a whole family affair.  I am appalled every month when I attend.  You have parents just sitting there while their kids are running, pushing, screaming, running in the hallways, jumping on and off of the stage, skating around on their "wheelies" which I hate by the way.  It's held in a church, in a downstairs conference room.  There are other services going on besides our meeting, and we have been told that the kids are out of hand by the church officials.  We have made announcements at the meetings that the kids can't run around the hallways of the church.  But do the parents listen or try to control their kids...no.  I am constantly telling the kids to stop running and wrestling around.  Don't you think that if you saw someone speaking to your child firmly you would want to know what's going on.  There are small children at these meetings that are getting knocked over.  The parents don't care.  Why?

Ok, my last story.  One day I was taking my son to school and I noticed this mother with three kids hurrying up and walking her daughter to school.  We were running late in the car, so I knew the little was going to be real late.  So as I was pulling out of my driveway, I stopped and asked the mom if she wanted me to take her daughter to school since they were running late.  I told her my full name and obviously she knew where I lived.  We have been waving to each other the whole year.  Now let me mention her daughter is only 7.  So, she said yes and I did and she thanked me.  Well for the next week or so I noticed that when I was coming back from dropping my son off at school, this little girl would be running to get to school...of course she was late.  Now mind you, we live on a busy street, that people speed on and drive crazy on.  Also, we live about 12 blocks from the school.  So when I noticed that the girl was running late and was by herself with no supervision, I would offer her a ride to school.  Again, we live in Colorado and there times where it is way below zero, and snowy, rainy, windy, etc.  Well, one day I saw her mom, and her mom ask me not to give her a ride to school because the daughter is a little hyper and walking or riding her bike tires her out so she would sit still in class.  Now the problem I have with this is that this 7 year old girl is walking or riding her bike all that way without supervision.  And when it is too icy or snowy to ride her bike she walks.  And again, she is always late, which is her mom's fault in my opinion, so she is running and not paying attention crossing streets.  I might be a little over protective but I find this to be just wrong.  So now when I see here, I don't offer her a ride, but I do follow her and make she makes to school ok.  Now, I did offer her a ride one morning after her mom ask me not too when it was 12 below zero and cold as all can be.  I told her that her mom can come talk to me if she had a problem.  Low and behold I never heard from her mom.  Now some of you might disagree with me, but I can't in good conscience let something happen to this little girl.  I couldn't live with myself if I found out that she got hurt or worse going to school.  So, like I said, I make sure she gets there ok.  This isn't my job, but I do it.

Colits- I don't disagree with you at all. good for you for taking that little girl under your wing. Now if only her mother cared that much. I also understand about kids being out of control and parents not responding. I have witnessed this also on several occasions.

Dhall- I know exactly where you are coming from. I used to work at the Whiting Center years ago. Oh, the stories I could tell.

After reading this I had to comment.  I have a four year old and a two year old and I may be a little protective but not to the point of being obsessive.  We live in a quiet Cul-de-sac and my kids are not allowed out front without me ever.  Today I let my 4 year old play in the driveway with two older kids and I was checking on them every few minuets.  I don't know how parents can relax not knowing if their kids are okay or doing something dangerous or being lured in by predators.  Now my story that completely shocked me.  When my husband and I were first married I moved to Arlington, VA to live with him.  I would stay home all day and was always looking for something to do so I would browse Craigslist and one day I saw an ad from a woman who needed immediate care for her 10 year old daughter.  I called her and she told me she needed someone to pick her up from school and watch her for about 5 hours until she got home for the next two weeks.  Well she needed someone to start the next day and I agreed to do it.  So I asked if I should come by that evening to meet her and get all the info and she told me she didn't have time for me just to tell her what kind of car I drove and she gave me a description of her daughter and she would meet me that night when she got home from work.  So I picked the girl up she came straight to my car and got in and I met her for the first time on the way to her house.  Now how did that mom know I was an honest young woman answering that classified ad?  I could not believe that she would put her daughter in danger like that.  Honesty that whole scenario is a pedophile's dream.  Well I can't believe that some parents don't worry the way I do, I would be devastated if something happened to one of my kids especially if it was due to my carelessness. 

I think we all have stories like these.  I think that everyone who reads this blog should take a few minutes and share theirs.  Sometimes people just need to have their eyes opened a little bit.  I'm sure their are parents out there that said "OMG, I did something like that.  I should of thought first."  So maybe this should be a learning opportunity.  I have a story that relates to my comments.  When I was a kid, I use to go back to New Jersey every summer to visit my Aunt.  This lasted from the time I was 5 to 18.  My dad thinks about this now and he just cringes.  Now of course times were a little different and the Air Lines catered more to people.  But my parents sent me on a plane by myself when I was 5.  The shocker to the story is that my parents had a shirt made that look like a envelope.  On the front it had the name, address, zip on where I was headed (NJ) and on the back it had the name, address, zip of where I was coming from (Ca).  It was a big sign on my chest saying "Child traveling alone!"  Now again that was 30 years ago, but still my dad gives his thanks everyday that nothing happened to me because of them not thinking it out.  It was a cute ideal though.