Be home by the whistle?

[gudrin]

Okay, this is just kind of an informal information gathering type thing. When I was little, I lived in a small town. That town always had the fire siren go off once every day at 8 p.m. during the school year and 9 p.m. during the summers. It was common for parents to tell their children to "be home by the whistle." There was no curfew in the town, it's just what they did.

I had forgotten that until last night when we were coming home from my in-laws and were driving through another small town around 10 p.m. and the whistle blew. My husband was surprised and said, "Wow! There's still a small town that does that!?!"

How many of you have ever heard of this and are there still other places that do this?

 

[ChooksChick]

I think that's brilliant! I was always told to be home by the time the street lights came on.

I wish we had propriety like that nowadays, so that it would make some parents be more responsible...we have parents who just don't keep their kids safe around here...

 

[charmed one]

My kids, when they were little, knew to be home before the street lights came on too! I guess that's a pretty common thing. The whistle is a great idea!

 

[The Chicken Lady]

The street light thing is pretty common in city neighborhoods, I think, at least among parents who enforce a curfew. I have heard of my students mentioning having such a rule at their house.

I didn't have a curfew growing up because we had a huge yard and we were expected to stay in it.

We lived in the middle of nowhere so there was nowhere to go, anyway.

 

[mzrea]

I don't know about a town wistle, but my son was always told to stay within wistling distance. I would wistle and he would come!

 

[mamagardener]

My town growing up didn't do it at night. It did it at noon, so we always knew when it was time to go home for lunch.

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

My mom also told us to be home when the street lights go on also when I was growing up but with my kids living in the city I just knew where they were or they had to be back on our street just before dark....or else !!!
In the country same thing I also have a bell in case I need someone right away ...an emergency...means run your #^* off....or used when the kids need us when were out in the woods /pastures...

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Our small town has a nine o'clock P.M. curfew whistle ever since I was a small child, and that's along time ago!

It has different whistles for fires, curfew and the local prison would have/has escapees.

One of my aunts always whistled to let my cousin know it was time to come home from our house.

 

[raroo]

My mom blew a conch shell when it was time for us to come in.

Our tiny town barely had a gas station, and our backyard was a huge field with a mountain range in the background. Siiiiiigh.

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

Quote:
Don't forget the Monday night at 7:00 whistle that signaled the beginning of the volunteer firemens meeting!