A pavement parking odyssey

[glasgowcyclist]

My primary school was an 18-minute walk from home, which I did with classmates as my parents were both out at work long before I had to head off. Front door key was on a string around my neck, under my shirt.

Secondary school was a walk of 21 minutes. There was no such thing as the school run then. (Unless you were running because you were late.)

 

[Drago]

It was just under 4 miles each way for me age 8 to 12. No excuses - killer sun, pishing rain, two feet of snow underfoot, find me own way to school or face the wrath of parents and teachers.

Sometimes I woukd cycle, but generally preferred walking as I'd call on me chums on the way.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

The grand-daughter is 11 and can get the bus home
but the walk would be about an hour (or just under)- which is too far at that age IMO

her brother is only 3 so hasn;t started proper school yet - and the cousin is in Reception - so neither are OK at walking that far on their own for a fair few years yet!

When I was 11 I started getting the bus home from school - took 2 buses and the route basically went round 3 sides of a square
thinking back I should have persuaded my parents to let me cycle but I think they through the hills in the way were too steep!

 

[BoldonLad]

My parents didn't have a car, until I was age 13.

Primary school was approximately a mile ie 20 minute walk away, so, age 5-11 I walked there and back.

From age 11, I had a longer journey, about 4 miles, which I cycled. At age 14, life got a bit harder, I had to do my paper round, before cycling to school, and, in the evening, after cycling from school, do my evening paper round.

But, I had big crusts of Hovis to sustain me

 

[Drago]

Having done it myself I don't think 4 miles, about an hour and 10 minutes depending on how much me and my chums were arsing about, is at all unreasonable.

Certainly it ingrained in me a willingness to walk where walking is feasible. Kids being routinely driven lesser distances, often well under a mile, are being taught that it is normal to be in a car for such daft short journeys. That isn't good at any level.

 

[Alex321]

Having done it myself I don't think 4 miles, about an hour and 10 minutes depending on how much me and my chums were arsing about, is at all unreasonable.

Certainly it ingrained in me a willingness to walk where walking is feasible. Kids being routinely driven lesser distances, often well under a mile, are being taught that it is normal to be in a car for such daft short journeys. That isn't good at any level.

It does depend a lot on the age of the child.

And when I was a teenager, I know we got free bus passes if the distance from home to school was more than 3 miles, which was the case for the first 18 months I was at my last school, when we lived about 11 miles away (though the bus station where we got off was nearly a mile from the school). After that we moved to the town, and were only about 2.5 miles away, and cycled to school for the remaining 5 years there.

I also remember during the moving process, when we had the keys to the new house but were still in the old one, with somebody needing to be let in to the new one, being given the keys and told to cycle over there (I was 12 or 13 at the time) and let them in. So this was about a 12 or 13 mile ride, on roads I didn't really know (the bus was 11 miles, but went via the A1 dual carriageway), but there seemed to be little thought about any possible dangers.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Having done it myself I don't think 4 miles, about an hour and 10 minutes depending on how much me and my chums were arsing about, is at all unreasonable.

Certainly it ingrained in me a willingness to walk where walking is feasible. Kids being routinely driven lesser distances, often well under a mile, are being taught that it is normal to be in a car for such daft short journeys. That isn't good at any level.

Ina way I agree - if I had been in charge the kids would have gone to a more local school
but their Dad - in spite of not seeing the inside of a church excpet for wedding and funerals since he left school - insisted on them going to a Catholic school
and the best school - according to them (after all - why ask me to check I only used to be a teacher!!!) was this Catholic one
and then the Mum's sister sent her boy to the same school

so until the 2 boys are older someone will have to pick them up

Now - I would be thinking of someone cycling with them to school for a week or so and then letting them do it themselves - but the pain-in-the-neck and very busy junction on the way is a concern
The oldest is starting secondary school in September - and will get the train home
at the start anyway - dunno if she will find an alternative herself after a while

 

[Drago]

Why not let them walk? I mean, if it's the bronx then fair enough, but if its just a run of the mill regular town then why not? Despite the overwhelming parental taxi service, many do still walk and manage just fine.

 

[T4tomo]

I have a mate who's kids grew up in Switzerland. Even from kindergarten, aged 5, the kids were expected to walk to and from school and back home and back at lunchtimes (as bizarrely school didn't provide lunch) on their own -i.e. no accompanying parent.

It was the norm and everyone in the town / village knew there would be kids walking the roads at those times and took care.

 

[oldwheels]

Both my grandchildren cycled the 3 miles to school mostly on a cyclepath and were joined by a pal who lived on a farm a couple of miles further away.He was taken by car to join them but there was a busy and dangerous junction they had to cross at half a mile from home. One parent was always there to supervise the crossing both going to and coming from school. They phoned when they left the school to return home.
In Helensburgh I cycled to secondary school after a morning paper round which kept me pretty fit.

 

[sheddy]

25 years ago we walked ours to school, often passing parents who chose to drive theirs less than 500m.
Guess who got to the school playground first.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

1968 to 1975, 1 mile each way, walk to primary school, every day. 1975 to 1982, 4 mile bike ride each way, every day. 14 years walking/cycling. My dad drove the only car in the household, to work in a neighboroughing town, was gone 2 hours before I set of for school, and home two hours after me.

My own son, from 1992 to 2006 walked the mile or so to primary and then same to senior school, never took him in the car once in 14 years.

Is it just different times, or are (most) kids completely wrapped in cotton wool nowadays?

 

[BoldonLad]

1968 to 1975, 1 mile each way, walk to primary school, every day. 1975 to 1982, 4 mile bike ride each way, every day. 14 years walking/cycling. My dad drove the only car in the household, to work in a neighboroughing town, was gone 2 hours before I set of for school, and home two hours after me.

My own son, from 1992 to 2006 walked the mile or so to primary and then same to senior school, never took him in the car once in 14 years.

Is it just different times, or are (most) kids completely wrapped in cotton wool nowadays?

I think, to a degree, it depends how long ago you are talking about. In my walking to school days (1952-58), and cycling to school days (1958-1963) there was much less traffic. I am not sure when it changed, but, initially, (1952) my recollection is that in a street of approximately 100 houses, there was one car!

The other factor IMHO, is that due to 24/7 news people are much more aware of crime, not saying there is necessarily more crime, but, people are more aware of it.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

I think, to a degree, it depends how long ago you are talking about. In my walking to school days (1952-58), and cycling to school days (1958-1963) there was much less traffic. I am not sure when it changed, but, initially, (1952) my recollection is that in a street of approximately 100 houses, there was one car!

The other factor IMHO, is that due to 24/7 news people are much more aware of crime, not saying there is necessarily more crime, but, people are more aware of it.

Fair points, although I grew up in very car centric Coventry, and even in the late 60s, and certainly the 70s and the very early 80s, there was a lot of traffic.

Agree with the perception of crime, via 24/7 media and social media, although this same media doesn't seem to do a very good job of promoting the excellent long term health benefits of regular cycling and walking, built into your normal school / working day. Shame.

 

[Drago]

Adjusted for population numbers and differences in recording standards adross the years, kids today are far less likely to be robbed, abducted, or have something otherwise unpleasant happen when out and about.

And the irony is that the longer the faulty perception of street safety persists, the more fat parents use that as an excuse to drive their kids on 400 metre journeys, the less ODP there are on the street, and the worse it potentially could become.

Add to that such chauffeured behaviour depriving kids of the opportunity to develop risk perception skills, the ability to judge velocity, and suppressing opportunities for spatial awareness to develop, they're setting their kids up for a future of elevated exposure to risk and poor response to danger.