And all I can say is that, even for those more naive times, those parents were idiots.
I mean, they let their three kids go to the beach by themselves, trusting a damn nine-year-old to keep a seven and four year old safe? And they don't even set a firm time for when they're too come home, just either the noon bus or the two PM bus.
And the mail carrier sees them strolling along laughing when they're an hour late home, and people wonder why they were not in a hurry to get home? Hello, it's because they're all under ten years old!
Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you criticize him, you're a mile away and you have his shoes!
Steve Martin