Children literally have not had the experience to recognize these situations, their brains aren't fully developed, and aren't fully in charge of their own lives. I agree that if you're doing this often then you may want to have a conversation about how it keeps happening, but it's much better for a kid to feel like they have a safety net. Otherwise they may stick in the shady situation and end up in more trouble

eh, its good to have a plan whether or not certain occurances are common.

I know what to grab (if I can) and where I'm going if my house is on fire because i made a plan. doesn't mean my house catches fire often, just that I'm realistic about possible dangers and how to respond to them.

So this sounds like a kid who's in high school, probably 14 or 15. Enough freedom to go off and make mistakes, not old enough to always be able to bail from weird situations (no car or license, just doesn't have the confidence yet to speak up).

You want your kids to go out and make mistakes, just not ones that have permanent consequences. Having a set up like this is how you let them go get in a little trouble and have a reasonably safe exit plan.

Not necessarily. It's perfectly possible to have a healthy friendship with someone who has some self destructive habits that you aren't going to hang around for (drugs, alcohol, etc). As an adult, you'd just remove yourself from the situation and not worry about being uncool, but this is a teenager we're talking about.

So I was a kid who was goofy and hung out with gamer kids. One LAN party the kids from the other high school showed up and we went for a drive.

I had no idea it was going to happen, but one kid had a handgun and shot out from the moving car window in a residential neighborhood without any warning.

I probably would have taken my parents up on the offer to bail if I had a code word to do it, but I wasnt about to call my daddy in a car with an unstable kid with a gun to say im scared come get me.

Tldr its a good thing don't shit on it.

This is the opportunity for them to learn that without getting injured or arrested.

Friend had a safe word because she wouldn't poop at other people's homes.

Have you forgotten what it was like to be a child? Granted maybe age has something to do with it?

Finding yourself in situations that change is a part of growing up. I'm a fairly quiet 49 year old dude that grew up in the country but at times I found myself with friends drinking and driving, stealing cars, breaking into houses, but also biking around town, playing handegg or playing D&D or NHL 94.

Point being you couldn't know where the situation might take you because you're not as good at sussing out the bad ones and even if your parents knew would you listen to them? Lol

I suspect this deal would disintegrate if a niece or nephew ever did something that would get them in trouble with their parents.

Can you give an example?

In high school, a few friends and I had this. I had a really great friend group. Never needed it, fortunately.

Don't worry, there's no young people here.

Suggestion for new safeword: