While hostelling recently I noticed that under-16's can no longer stay
ay YH's unless accompanied by an adult.

How long has this been going on? It seems to have been brought in very
quietly.

I was very surprised and saddened. From age 13 to 16 I was often off
hostelling by myself or with friends the same age, and have many happy
memories of those trips (cycling London - Dorset, walking in Surrey,
etc). It certainly did me no harm and I think it did me a lot of good.
I am upset that tenagers now will not have the same opportuinities.

One more step in the infantilisation of teenagers.

Can an organisation which bans under-16's really still call itself the
Youth Hostel Association ?

Jon

On Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:16:12 -0700 (PDT), Jon
 wrote:

>While hostelling recently I noticed that under-16's can no longer stay
>ay YH's unless accompanied by an adult.
>
>How long has this been going on? It seems to have been brought in very
>quietly.
>
>I was very surprised and saddened. From age 13 to 16 I was often off
>hostelling by myself or with friends the same age, and have many happy
>memories of those trips (cycling London - Dorset, walking in Surrey,
>etc). It certainly did me no harm and I think it did me a lot of good.
>I am upset that tenagers now will not have the same opportuinities.
>
>One more step in the infantilisation of teenagers.
>
>Can an organisation which bans under-16's really still call itself the
>Youth Hostel Association ?
>
>Jon

About 18 months ago the policy changed.  AIUI on the advice of lawyers
that YHA would be responsible if anything happened to an U16
travelling alone.

That said the number of U16s on their own was even before this change
almost negligible in terms of overall users so the disadvantage casued
is zero.

In answer to the last point yes - if you look  back to the 30's 40's
and 50s the youths then were the u25s not the under 16s. 
replace SPAMHATER with n and t*sc*li with totalise