And if you live in Scotland...

Visit a Restaurant and are under 16 years of age needing to use the bathroom? Your parents must now accompany you! How bizarre, what is this world coming to and how many times has that question ben asked.

Soon you won't be able to go to the bathroom at all, for fear of drowning or burying somebody at the sewage treatment works!!

I think it's time we took a step back, wiped the sheet clean and started again don't you?

It does seem ridiculous doesn't it? Having said that, I remember a particularly horrific case a number of years ago when I lived in California.

The boy and his family had been attending a reunion at a paid camping area at the beach at Oceanside Harbor. His aunt escorted him to the public toilet, just steps away from his family campsite and as the she waited outside, she saw a person she described as a teen-ager enter the restroom, according to police. A few minutes later the teen-ager came out, and the aunt became worried about her nephew.

She told police she went into the men's room and found Matthew on the floor, bleeding from an ear-to-ear slash across his throat.

I always think these horrible incidents are the exception rather than the rule but one has to assume that the authorities have their reasons for making such rules.

In the end the only thing parents can do is to educate their children to the dangers and teach them to trust their instincts when going to public toilets etc.; if they feel at all uncomfortable they should not go in.

I remember that story, Diana.

My friend had a friend who took her little boy to a public bathroom and let him go in by himself, he was about seven I believe. He was attacked and had his penis and testicles cut off and left bleeding to death.

This was in South Africa (Durban), where such human organs are used for rituals.

I'm sure we would like to think that this sort of crime would not happen in our neighbourhoods, but you just never no, especially now, in England where it is so multicultural.

I think 16 is a bit old though, maybe 12 and below.

It does seem crazy!!

You know, i'm not sure if the world today is more dangerous, i think we just worry more about it!  the media are great at panicking people, and obviously the media are more powerful now than years ago, due to more outlets! There has always been dangers, we just think we can prevent everything now .. we can't, we live in a dangerous enviroment, the problem arises when we kid ourselves, with the help of health and saftey info, news etc.. that we are immune to danger if we follow the guidelines (no lifting, always use zebra crossing, always wash your hands, don't drink alcohol, etc etc... ) but a lot don't seem to realise .. we're still in a dangerous enviroment! we need to start to be more concerned about sharpening our inbuilt senses, not allowing machines or guidelines to do it for us!

Imagine trying to cross a busy road, we've all done it, the more we do it, the better, usually, we get at judging traffic and car speed, we become more switched on to the enviroment we live in, now someone that uses the pedestrian crossing EVERY time, doesn't give the traffic a thought, the lights will stop them, never has to judge traffic speed etc ... the 1st time they end up crossing without aid, they get killed by a speeding car, because they had no awareness, they had lost the ability to judge for themselves!

Going the loo in a pub!  under 16's need to become aware of their enviroments too!! in a similar way, they need to have learned (from us as parents) and now have to become aware of potential dangers, we need to stop wrapping everyone in society up in cotton wool!!

phew...... need a sit down now!!

I worry about my daughter who is 15 but she is able to go to places alone. But she is a very smart girl, who we've taught how to defend herself. We were actually once in a situation where we felt we were in danger at the mall. She was well aware of what was happening and she was the one who looked for a security guard and reported what was happening.  My youngest on the other hand...she is 7...I never let her out of my sight. She does know what to do, how to defend herself but how can a little girl deal with a much bigger attacker.

It's very sad that we have to deal with this kind of danger. I don't remember being fearful at that age but that does not mean the danger was not out there.

With all the natural dangers in the world, it just seems a shame that other human beings are among the most dangerous.

But we always have been dangerous to each other! most animals act the same too.

I remember been aware of danger when i was a kid! You have to become 'streetwise' or you'll struggle to survive well. Its easier now if anything! look back in history, it was REALLY dangerous!!

But animals do it for defense...not just for sport...like some humans do!!!

I remember the biggest thing to worry about as a kid was the odd razor in the apple at Halloween!