Taking risks is typical adolescent behavior. We've all done something. It's part of normal human development. The trick is to give kids an opportunity to do inherently risky things with guidance about how to manage the risks. In suburbia that might be something like indoor rock climbing, or racing go karts on a track. In the city, kids ride bikes in traffic for want of structured opportunities to test themselves.

Expect kids playing in traffic. Expect aggressive and incompetent driving. Expect jaywalking. Be careful and remember that you were once a dumb reckless kid.

If you really want to do something. Support after school and summer programming for kids. We have a lot of youngsters in Lowell.