CK’s school run moan!

thelawnet

mikey72 wrote: »

So, 12 mikes is ok for kids, but no chance of you doing it then.
You don't know how big school catchment areas are either, do you?

My kids walked to the village school when they went. The kids from the next village 6 miles away didn't though, and my kids certainly don't walk the 14 miles to the secondary school.
Neither do the parents who work in the town strangely enough, so you're not alone driving to work.

I think you are missing the point.

The most antisocial journeys are the shortest.

I own a car, a nice one, and I use it.

But for instance people round here are up in arms because a car park is closed for six months for development. Who uses it? People in the village one mile from the town centre. It's very convenient admittedly, surface car park, quick to get in and out, but it's so damn antisocial to drive short distances, people could walk or cycle very easily, but they are too lazy and car-dependent to realise what they are doing is stupid, not to mention immoral.

I know for a fact that most school run mums (it is mostly mums, not because they are lazier than men necessarily but because women do more childcare) here live close to school, a mile or less, very few more than two.

They turn up at school in their giant 4x4 wearing their gleaming tennis whites looking smug, and I just think 'you idiot'. What kind of person buys an Audi Q7? I mean really? Why????

custardy

thelawnet wrote: »

I think you are missing the point.

The most antisocial journeys are the shortest.

I own a car, a nice one, and I use it.

But for instance people round here are up in arms because a car park is closed for six months for development. Who uses it? People in the village one mile from the town centre. It's very convenient admittedly, surface car park, quick to get in and out, but it's so damn antisocial to drive short distances, people could walk or cycle very easily, but they are too lazy and car-dependent to realise what they are doing is stupid, not to mention immoral.

I know for a fact that most school run mums (it is mostly mums, not because they are lazier than men necessarily but because women do more childcare) here live close to school, a mile or less, very few more than two.

They turn up at school in their giant 4x4 wearing their gleaming tennis whites looking smug, and I just think 'you idiot'. What kind of person buys an Audi Q7? I mean really? Why????

no doubt the local paper is full of people ranting about how they need to park for all those large items they are buying
people always seem to be buying large items when parking is threatened

My boy is still at nursery
Its a private one with a tiny gravel car park
tight entrance,onto a busy little rat run road
I generally get the bus as there are stops at either end of the road
every day the car park is jammed with cars,the road is jammed
I can often walk down the road,go in,get my boy with a chat to the kids/staff.
then walk down and walk up to the bus stop (at the pce of a 4 year old)
then see the same car still sitting,waiting to get into the car park

thelawnet

custardy wrote: »

no doubt the local paper is full of people ranting about how they need to park for all those large items they are buying
people always seem to be buying large items when parking is threatened

This car park is purely for the lazy. There are two multi-storey car parks attached to the shopping centres and access to some shops at street level for picking up large items (but very limited parking).

Basically to get in and out of the multi-storey takes 20 minutes, so people would rather park in the surface car park, which is across the road (dual carriageway with crossings) from the town centre.

It serves no purpose other than to facilitate car dependence.

Well, some coaches do use it, but most traffic is cars.

NBLondon

thelawnet wrote: »

What kind of person buys an Audi Q7? I mean really? Why????

Gordon Ramsay has one. What does that tell you :cool: ?

Strider590

A point that many seem to be missing here......

School run traffic, the Chelsea tractors, etc etc etc. They DO cause traffic havoc, BUT the real reason the traffic is so much better during half terms and the summer holiday's, is that people have time off work to look after the kids.

LudaMusser

You're driving a 2.2 litre automatic, that's quite a big engine and automatic's are not as economical as manuals.

Your mpg does'nt surprise me, stop start driving is awful for mpg. My friend has got a 1.9 TDI mk5 Golf and hits 65 mpg @ 80mph on a motorway run. Having to change gear all the time and moving off from a standstill is what gives bad mpg

Strider590

LudaMusser wrote: »

Having to change gear all the time and moving off from a standstill is what gives bad mpg

As do speed limits, especially and mostly 50mph limits......
Most cars are designed for a purpose, some for town (30-40mph), some for long haul driving (60-90mph). I've yet to drive a car that would cruise more comfortably/efficiently at 50mph than at 60mph.

It's slightly too slow for 5th gear (once you hit any kind of hill), but slightly too fast for 4th.

Now im sure someone is gonna come along and discredit that, but I personally believe that 50mph limits are generally the least efficient. They're also pointless, if it's residential it should be 30, if it's a wide A road it should be 60mph (unless it's a DC).
If I can hammer down a narrow rural road at 60, then I sure as hell should be able to cruise down a wide A road at 60 too....