Stop driving children to school: It could be a lifesaver

[speedog]

Stop driving children to school: It could be a lifesaver.

A suggestion out of Toronto where a 5 year was recently killed in a drop-off-and-pick-up area outside the Downsview school where she attended kindergarten. Link to associated news article.

Yeah, I know the pressure many parents face results in kids being driven to/from school but is this all possibly the result of choices made by those same parents? This probably hits smack dab in the middle of beyond's demographics so is worthy once again of a discussion - certainly the little girl's parents didn't expect to be burying their daughter at such a young age but one has to wonder that if different choices were made, would've that little girl ever found herself in that unfortunate situation.

[craigcd]

I walk with them every day that I can. I did the same as a kid and expect the same from my kids. After all, in a couple years they will be walking themselves.

[ExtraSlow]

The modern trend of having two working parents is to blame. People sending thier kids to specialty schools and not thier local one is another culprit.

[speedog]

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The modern trend of having two working parents is to blame. People sending thier kids to specialty schools and not thier local one is another culprit.

You have kids if I remember correctly - will they or are they walking to school? Now I do also recall that there are some challenges that you are facing with one or both of your kids and that may very well change the situation.

But you are most likely correct in what you stated and I would dare say that applies for a good number of beyond members. Snowflakes?

[ExtraSlow]

I'm mostly making fun of myself here, and I guess I need to be explicit about that these days, but no, neither one has ever been regularly walked to school.
One rides the short bus to a special program that's not at our local school. The other gets driven to her before and after care and they walk her the one block to her school. Although we do walk her a little in the spring and fall.

Both of mine are special snowflakes, just like thier parents.

[Hallowed_point]

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The modern trend of having two working parents is to blame. People sending thier kids to specialty schools and not thier local one is another culprit.

Yep. Let's pop out kids like puppies and then have some poor Filipina nanny raise them aka Calgary parenting 101

[Seth1968]

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Yep. Let's pop out kids like puppies and then have some poor Filipina nanny raise them aka Calgary parenting 101

It's kind of the other way around. That is, pragmatic people have been limiting their child count for decades, while the dumbest pop them out like puppies. That's why we're headed into another religious dark age.

Anyway, this isn't the 50's anymore in which the father could work while the mother the tended the household. It seems now that both parents have to work to cover even the basic necessities.

[ExtraSlow]

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It seems now that both parents have to work to cover even the basic necessities.

Like two leased cars and a 2500 square foot house in the suburbs.

[speedog]

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Like two leased cars and a 2500 square foot house in the suburbs.

Dunno about that, my wife opted to be a stay at home Mom because we couldn't justify the high cost of child care and money was still always tight despite a decent paying job at Hellus and we certainly did not have two leased cars and a 2,500 square foot home in the burbs. Now granted we bought in the inner/near inner city which resulted in higher housing costs but the trade off is that we got away with running only one vehicle for over 25 years.

[Seth1968]

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Like two leased cars and a 2500 square foot house in the suburbs.

Yes, that's true for some, but that's obviously not the demographic I'm referring to.

[Feruk]

I'm definitely guilty of this. Gonna wait till they're 6, and then it's cya later, walk your asses to school.

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Like two leased cars and a 2500 square foot house in the suburbs.

Don't forget the Maui trip every year and vacation property in Invermere. Necessities.

[03ozwhip]

So my kid takes the bus to school. This started in grade 2, now in grade 3. However, there is a new school that should be open in September that I could probably almost throw a rock and hit.

This will result in him walking to school and possibly even myself or my wife walking him to school once in a while. It's definitely something that I think about.

Once all of those parents start driving around the neighborhood, it will be a hell of a lot more unsafe than where he is now. That being said, he'll be walked to school until he can figure out the dynamics of all the cars being around.

[rage2]

C-Train for our oldest this year. Great life lessons on self dependence. We do drive him when it's really cold out though, as there's a 10 min walk from C-Train station to school. Even when that happens, he's dropped off 1-2 blocks from the school, away from the gong show of parents and cars.

[A790]

Walk their kids to school? The parents that live around me don't even walk their kids to the bus stop.

Every morning my street is littered with parents that park haphazardly, blocking visiblity, parking on the corner making it difficult to see around it, etc.

In my experience, parents become some of the most inconsiderate drivers anywhere near a school.

[Sentry]

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In my experience, parents become some of the most inconsiderate drivers anywhere near a school.

They also clog all the other roads. When school is on break, morning traffic is 100% better without all the fucking dodge journeys on Crowchild and Glenmore and Deerfoot.

[botox]

This has nothing to do with walking, driving, or busing your kids and all to do with inattentive drivers and stupid parents. No driving will just mean more kids at bus stops where the traffic is moving even faster. Also this increased traffic is because of reduced number of yellow school buses this year. We've done all the above and idiot drivers are everywhere and I've seen lots of near misses from people blowing by buses and idiot parents blocking the road or the classic lazy parents waving for the kids to run across the street when it isn't safe. I thought we were finally free this year as both kids, 13 and 15 are taking public transit now but about 2 months ago my boy got hit from behind crossing country hills drive. 100% driver fault and there was a witness. Luckily he was just sore for a few days with minor injuries.

[J-hop]

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This has nothing to do with walking, driving, or busing your kids and all to do with inattentive drivers and stupid parents. No driving will just mean more kids at bus stops where the traffic is moving even faster. Also this increased traffic is because of reduced number of yellow school buses this year. We've done all the above and idiot drivers are everywhere and I've seen lots of near misses from people blowing by buses and idiot parents blocking the road or the classic lazy parents waving for the kids to run across the street when it isn't safe. I thought we were finally free this year as both kids, 13 and 15 are taking public transit now but about 2 months ago my boy got hit from behind crossing country hills drive. 100% driver fault and there was a witness. Luckily he was just sore for a few days with minor injuries.

Yea it’s just for the headlines. I don’t think anyone is silly enough to believe it. More kids have been killed walking to school with or without parents than have ever been killed getting dropped off.

But at least it gets people talking.

In my neighbourhood the worst drivers are parents. Especially middle aged men in minivans. I think it’s because buying a minivan is clear sign you’ve thrown in the towel

[ExtraSlow]

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Yea it’s just for the headlines. I don’t think anyone is silly enough to believe it. More kids have been killed walking to school with or without parents than have ever been killed getting dropped off.

How many more? You sound like you have looked into this.

[flipstah]

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Yep. Let's pop out kids like puppies and then have some poor Filipina nanny raise them aka Calgary parenting 101

We're awesome caregivers. Filipinos are the Rolls Royce of nannies.

[Disoblige]

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Walk their kids to school? The parents that live around me don't even walk their kids to the bus stop.

Every morning my street is littered with parents that park haphazardly, blocking visiblity, parking on the corner making it difficult to see around it, etc.

In my experience, parents become some of the most inconsiderate drivers anywhere near a school.

Yup, in their head, they have the whole "It's for my kid, gotta do it for them" mentality to justify their shitty actions.