Hey, Cherie!

What do you do when your parents are too overprotective? I am writing from New York City where I am on vacation with my family, my best friend Katarina and her family. Katarina and I are both 15 and our families have been friends since we were in a playpen together. Our parents trust us, but there are many things that Katarina and I would like to do here in New York without the involvement of our parents.

One example is that we would like to get haircuts at Astor Place Hair Designers, a cool place in the East Village where people can get radical haircuts. Our parents are not very interested in modern art, but we would like to go to the Museum of Modern Art. Our families want to go to a Yankees game, but we hate baseball and would rather go to Chinatown by ourselves. Our parents are all small town people who are too scared to let us go off on our own in New York.

Cherie, it is not such a bad place. You can get around on the subway, and we are not babies anymore. I know by the time you answer this we will be home again, but maybe it will make a difference for someone else or even us on our next trip.

— Leashed!

Hey, Leashed!

One of the strangest things about life is that we humans tend to worry about the wrong things, bless our little emotional hearts. Or, as my husband is fond of saying: “Cherie. Don't worry about Bin Laden. Worry about slipping on the wet floor after you take a shower.” Which is to say, everyone has nightmare scenarios, especially in a big city. You're robbed. You're kidnapped. Or even worse.

But the thing is New York City — and this goes for most American cities at this point — is one of the safer places to be in the country. To put it another way, this is not your parents and Katarina's parents' New York City. There's a great police force, the streets are safe, and the crime rate is probably about the same as many places that people think are “safer.”

My opinion is your parents should give you and Katarina a reasonable amount of freedom in NYC. Cell phones are a big help here. So are hours — start in daylight and work up. I hope this helps next time.

Hey, Cherie!

I am a busboy at a restaurant for my summer job and I just got fired. My boss said for me not to come in anymore and he didn't give me a reason. I am 16.

Is there anything I can do?

— Fired!

Hey, Fired!

I'm not a labor lawyer, but unless you were fired for some illegal reason —race, religion, gender — bosses have just as much right to hire and fire as you do to apply for a job or to quit. Sometime when you run your business, you'll appreciate that.

It might be useful to inquire now as to the reason; you could learn something. But your ex-boss doesn't have to tell you, just as you wouldn't have to tell him why you would want to quit.

Cherie Bennett is a best-selling author of books for teens and young adults. Visit her website at www.cheriebennett.com. To find out more about Cherie Bennett and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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