Lazy parents drive me nuts...

ben500

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

No, it was intended as a useful and helpful suggestion. You actually said something like "between 20 and 30 minutes longer" on a 9 and a half minute journey. Wasting that amount of your own time, sitting in congestion and making congestion worse, is ridiculous.

And the topic at hand is congestion - which you are worsening. The idea that school traffic is making "real drivers' important journies" congested is just selfish and unrealistic - everyone driving at busy times of day is part of the cause of the congestion, not just one section of those drivers.

When you do finally decide to read the op and eventually discover the topic of discussion perhaps you'd like to come back and post something pertinent.

pinkfluffybabe

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

No, it was intended as a useful and helpful suggestion. You actually said something like "between 20 and 30 minutes longer" on a 9 and a half minute journey. Wasting that amount of your own time, sitting in congestion and making congestion worse, is ridiculous.

And the topic at hand is congestion - which you are worsening. The idea that school traffic is making "real drivers' important journies" congested is just selfish and unrealistic - everyone driving at busy times of day is part of the cause of the congestion, not just one section of those drivers.

The topic at hand isn't congestions, it's lazy parents. Congestion has arisen as a concern, but so has bad parking at schools, and other things.

Savvy_Sue

And I pointed out that leaving earlier or later isn't necessarily an option! for parents or anyone else ...

lessonlearned

When I was at school (a long, long time ago :rolleyes: ) we had our own classroom and our own desk where we could leave most of our stuff, only taking home the essentials each night. Walking two or three miles wasn't therefore a hardship. During the week before the end of each term we would gradually empty our desks, bringing home a sensible amount of stuff each night.

Nowadays most children have to move from classroom to classroom for their lessons, and apart from the few lucky ones who manage to get a locker, (because of course there are never enough to go round) they have nowhere to keep all their stuff and so it all has to be lugged to and from school on a daily basis. It's called progress!!!

My children would be loaded down with books, homework, sports equipment etc and their bags were unbelievably heavy. I cannot think that it can be good for young backs to have to carry so much weight for any great distance.

So, although it was only a twenty to thirty minute walk to their school, I would take pity on them and get the car out. And of course, you can get very, very wet on a 30 minute walk. Yes, you can wear a mac and carry an umbrella but soaking wet shoes are no joke and of course, school uniform rules did not allow the use of wellies.

Lazy parents and lazy kids who cannot be bothered to walk - some maybe but for most people the car is the only option.

Another interesting point. My son, who was 17 years old and 6ft 2in at the time, was mugged one day at about 3.30 pm - winter time but still daylight - as he walked home from school, not by school bullies but by a gang of older youths (in their 20's). Before you ask we live in a "good area" within the catchment of a top performing school.

Is it really so surprising then that many parents prefer to drive their children to and from school.

ailuro2

I had to wakl around 3 miles to school every day, and back aswell, and yes I carried all my folders for school, all my pe kit, and also had a very heavy trumpet case to carry three days a week aswell.

I never ever got a lift, my parents didn't have a car. However, to keep on topic, they would have been too lazy to give me a lift- they didn't work so didn't get out of bed in the morning to make sure I had breakfast,never mind takeme to school!:rotfl:

I've never been as fit or as slim since.:rolleyes:
I have started walking to work- just over two miles, or cycling, but I'm not as hardy as I was as a teen and insist on wearing a coat for these activities,whereas when I was young I'd only wear a coat if it was snowing!

We forget that kids and teens don't feel the cold as much as us.