Free Range kids?

I stumbled upon a blog that I have become obsessed with. Free Range Kids is the site, and it is an outlook or philosophy on parenting that would be an alternative to the "helicopter parent". If you do not know what the term means, the blog has this definition:
It’s a sort of disparaging term for parents who believe their child is so vulnerable — to injury, to teasing, to disease and disappointment — that they have to sort of hover (like a helicopter) over the child, ready to swoop in if anything remotely “bad” happens.

You may have heard of the woman who runs the blog. She has been labeled, by some, as the worst mother in the world, because she and her family live in New York, and she let her 9 year old take the bus and subway alone. From that, this sort of movement sprang up. I am 37, and most people in my, and previous generations, would probably say that we were raised as a free range kid. I am not a parent yet, although I have been a nanny, and I am an aunt and a member of society, and I must say that I have witnessed the so called helicopter parent all too often. I happen to agree with the philosophy that fear should not run your life. I can see how easy it is to succumb to fear, since all you hear are bad, horrible, negative stories in the news. Which is why I love that this site exists. It helps give some perspective. Anyways, check out the site if you are interested, or just want a better idea of what free range means. And let me know your experiences or thoughts on this matter.
Have a great night!