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Opinion: Your Grade-Schooler Doesn't Need a Cell Phone {ParentDish}
Sep 3rd 2010 8:25PM I don't think this is a black or white issue. There isn't one set age where a child should or should not have a cell phone. It is completely dependent on the individual situation. When I was a kid, cell phones were relatively new. Mine was huge! :) I got a cell phone when I got my first car at age 16. I did not have any features like texting or internet. I was required to tell my parents where I was going and when I was going to be home. If I deviated from my plans, I was to call them before to have them approve. I never once abused my cell phone, and used almost exclusively to talk to my parents. It was great if, say, my friends and I decided to go out to eat or to the mall after school. My parents didn't have to worry about where I was going.
I think some commenters make a very good point about the decline of pay phones in public areas. They can be very difficult to find nowadays. I used to use the pay phones in middle school when I wanted to reach my parents. There were ten of them in the lobby. Now, in the same school, there is one. Many gas stations and stores no longer have them. And another very important factor is that many families no longer have house phones, but rely exclusively on cell phones in their home. I have actually done that in the past and know many friends who have as well. I see no reason why children couldn't have a cell phone for emergency situations or to contact their parents.
That being said, my oldest daughter is six and I haven't even thought about getting her a cell phone yet. Of course I don't ever leave her without adult supervision and I would never leave her with an adult who I thought would take off or take her somewhere without my prior approval. She is involved in activities like T-ball and Girl Scouts but there is a set time for pick up and drop off that does not change, and regardless the leader has my contact information. When she is older and doing things more independently I will consider buying her a phone - when the situation warrants it.
A cell phone can truly be a lifesaver for a child who is lost or abducted. Emergency personnel can use turn on the cell phone's GPS system (I believe most phones have this) to find the location of the phone. This can help to find the child or at least point the authorities in the right direction. When I was young, if I needed help I could run to just about any neighbor's house and feel secure. This is not necessarily the case any longer. What happened to "Safe Houses" along the school routes?
The US military housing rules vary but generally state that a child must be at least 12 to be left alone without an adult in hearing or visual range, with the exception of walking to and from school. Even in kindergarten kids can walk to and from school alone. I'm not sure what the laws are from state to state - they probably vary - but in response to some other posters - I believe 15 is plenty old enough to be left alone. I would be happy to let a responsible 15 year old babysit for my children after school.
But in this situation, and all of these situations, it really depends on the child. A blanket policy or answer to these questions seems ineffective to me.
Where's My Tip - a cashless way to tip when you travel {Gadling}
Jun 15th 2010 4:44PM As a person who has worked extensively in restaurants and bars, I am not really sure how this would work for waitstaff/bartenders who are typically tipped by cash or credit/debit card and rely upon tips for their income. Legally the IRS requires tipped employees (I believe it is those who receive more than 50% of their income as tips) to declare 100% of their earned tips for tax purposes. I've always had to declare all of my tips at the end of the shift I was working - not days later. So is this money coming in from PayPal "under the table" or will a system be set up for the tips received in this way to be declared to the IRS at a later date? The computer systems set up at places I have worked don't have that option, but perhaps the owner or manager could go in to adjust it (though that could be time consuming). I don't have that much of a problem with the card tipping idea - and would rather receive one than no tip at all - but I think for waitstaff the whole thing might be more trouble than it is worth.
