Health and safety, what health and safety?

My jaw drops to the floor, every time I pass through Asia's door.

In total i've spent a year and a half travelling throughout Asia and the children really do put us westerners to shame. We've gone health and safety mad!

You're probably thinking what the hell does he mean? Well, here's an example; a 34 year old lady was asked to show her ID when attempting to purchase christmas crackers in her local Marks and Spencer's, whilst many English schools banned the YoYo.

So what I hear you say? Well the point that i'm making is that we have all of these regulations in place to protect us from the oh so scary world but meanwhile in Asia, I watch 12 year old children cruising with their 3 siblings on mopeds without parents. Kids swimming in the 'treacherous' Mekong river, this young man amongst many others, casually carrying a machete and i'm yet to see a single disaster from all of this childhood freedom. I don't advise that you arm your kids with knives and give your niece the keys to your Ferrari but maybe we should all relax a little bit :) don't ya reckon?