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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

scootering on the pavement

89 replies

madeitagain · 01/04/2014 19:38

On Mother's Day I joined some friends for lunch. They have two children each. One has a child slightly younger than my own (who is 4 and 1/2) and an older one (7) and the other has a 7 year old and a young child who is in a pushchair.
After lunch we all went to a park that was a few blocks away. All the children except the young one (in a pushchair) had a scooter. My child is competitive and quite impulsive. I always keep a very close watch on him when he scooters on the pavement. I was horrified to be part of of group who just basically let their children go for it along the pavement. They had to stop at the kerb and wait for us and to be fair they did.But I was overwhelmed with anxiety and so incredibly stressed. I made my four year old come and scooter beside me. He wasn't at all happy with the other children scootering along with no apparent supervision from the other two mothers. I was livid that both my child and I had been put in such a (to me dangerous situation). I did say something to the other mothers. But basically I was so furious with them.

OP posts:
AllDirections · 01/04/2014 22:13

I don't agree with bikes or scooters being on the pavements BUT I generally won't change what I allow my DC to do just to accommodate other parenting styles and I wouldn't expect other parents to stop their DC doing something that I won't allow mine to do. For example, I let DD3 run ahead on the path but my friend won't let her DD because she will run onto roads. I won't let my DD run into the sea fully dressed if I don't have spare clothes but another friend lets her DD.

I taught my DC quite early on after I encountered a few tricky situations that the rules are different for each family and that what I say goes Grin

FederationPresidentBarryFife · 01/04/2014 22:45

errr awfulmaureen I think you are projecting quite a lot of anger about an incident which has NOTHING TO DO WITH ME OR MY CHILDREN.

As you were.

AwfulMaureen · 01/04/2014 22:53

Barry maybe so but your attitude is the type that will see a similar accident waiting to happen. As YOU were.

Smartiepants79 · 01/04/2014 22:56

I agree with rideyourbike we live in a very quiet village. I let my Dd scoot off ahead of me. She would stop if there was someone in the way and she stops at all road crossings. I keep a very close eye out for car movements and she'll stop the second I shout. I feel she is at minimal risk where we are.
If we just used her scooter at the park there would be no point her having one, all our local parks are covered in grass!
I would also not expect to change what I allow her to do to compensate for another child.

Rexandralpf · 01/04/2014 23:09

It is life. Different patents have different rules, your child needs to learn that.

FederationPresidentBarryFife · 02/04/2014 07:13

why are you picking on me rather than the others Maureen?? Also, there are no driveways on the pavements where my children scoot. Not that I need to defend myself to you.

meditrina · 02/04/2014 07:20

I'm concerned about it because I've seen a near miss (child error, off the kerb)

Also I've read a post here a while ago about a MNer who was still seen because she had saved an unrelated child by instinctively grabbing from path of car as he made a mistake that would otherwise have meant collision.

I've also seen too many collisions between children scooting, plus children scooting into toddlers (who don't know how to jump put of the way), plus other pedestrians being forced out of the way.

MNers perfect, considerate DC are very much the minority. The dangerous (or just rude) behaviour typical of those who school ahead is the majority problem.

Morgause · 02/04/2014 07:22

Children shouldn't be scooting on pavements at faster than walking pace full stop. And they should always be supervised. I saw an elderly lady knocked off her feet by an unsupervised child who ploughed right into her. She broke her hip.

FederationPresidentBarryFife · 02/04/2014 07:23

Mine must be the former meditrina Grin

BoomBoomsCousin · 02/04/2014 09:18

I don't think good scooting is in the minority. I see dozens of children scooting on the way to and from school each day. A few of them are careless, but the vast majority, even when they are scooting ahead, are considerate and don't bump into people or force them out of the way.

justanuthermanicmumsday · 02/04/2014 09:35

I don't think op is overreacting. Cycling is banned on pavements scooters should be too. Some kids are very competent they go crazy fast on scooter jostle past other pedestrians. more importantly they could get run over with cars sneaking out of drives and side streets.

Scooters and cycles for kids should be in parks only no on pavements unless designated areas on footpath.
Regarding scooters in school my kid primary school have banned them being used on school grounds due to other kids being knocked over too much. almost every kid at the school has a scooter, they need a warden lol.

Damnautocorrect · 02/04/2014 09:45

I do agree they shouldn't scoot at speed on most pavements because of driveways.
I crossed the road behind a bmw x6 the other day, my head didn't come up to its rear window so the visibility must be shit. I do appreciate they have reverse cameras but the side angles are limited on them.
But I think ywbuto expect the other kids to follow suit. It's a common parenting problem when your with other people

pixiepotter · 02/04/2014 10:57

There should be no scooting or cycling on pavements they are for pedestrians

this comment I'm a bit confused as to where kids are meant to ride scooters and bikes
It isn't your Dcs god given right to have a place provided ffor them to scoot/cycle.If you haven't got a suitable garden or park, and can't be trusted on the road yet, then you don't scoot.

Quoteunquote · 02/04/2014 11:06

Try to see it as, you had an opportunity to practice controlling competitive impulsive behaviour and managed it.

Your child is going to have to learn to manage risk, just keep talking to him about your concerns and he will learn to look out for the dangers, like reversing cars.

Expecting others to adjust their behaviour to accommodate your child is completely self defeating.

There was a study recently that identified the reason secondary education students were involved traffic accidents in increasing numbers, was that the culture of driving primary education children everywhere had meant they were unequipped with the necessary awareness and road skills to walk to and from school safely.

Teaching children to prioritise caution beside the road, and save the competition for a safe environment is just good parenting, your friends may feel they have already installed this in their child.

Nancy66 · 02/04/2014 11:09

My very elderly neighbour told me recently that she now longer does her daily walk to the paper shop and back because she is too frightened that she might get knocked off her feet by kids on scooters. How sad.

I fucking hate the things and would cheerfully smash the lot of them. They are not for busy pedestrian areas.

ferretyfeet · 02/04/2014 11:15

Pavements are for pedestrians. Not bikes,not scooters and certainly not car parking.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 02/04/2014 11:24

I wish I could ban scooting at speed on pavements. Scooting at a regular pace is fine but anything else is a menace to other pedestrians, to say nothing of the risk to the child itself!

madamginger · 02/04/2014 11:29

If your child is prone to scooting off then you should have made him walk until you got to the park.
I am one of those mums that let her dc scoot ahead, they know to stop for roads and they watch for pedestrians and other pavement users.

steppemum · 02/04/2014 11:33

I think there are several different issues

  1. your child is 4, they are 7, there is a world of difference. 7 year olds (in KS2) here are allowed to walk/ride/scoot themselves to school unaccompanied. 4 year olds are not. This reflects the age difference, expectation difference etc.
  1. general scootering etiquette. I am constantly amazed on these threads that people don't allow for the fact that we all live in different streets. Busy/not busy; wide pavements/narrow; houses with driveway/no driveways and so on and so on.
My kids scoot. I spent the years between 3 and 6 teaching them how to scoot along safely, avoid pedestrians, go at a reasonable pace, stop and look at the small entrance half way along our road etc. Once they were consistently sensible, I let them scoot off ahead. I can see them, and if they are unsafe/antisocial, then they don't get to use their scooter tomorrow. In our context, they are fine. In another context, they might not be allowed to use scooters. It is ridiculous to make blanket rules 'no-one should be allowed to use a scooter on a pavement.'
littleducks · 02/04/2014 11:35

I let my kids scoot on pavements. They are not only for pedestrians to walk on but a shared space where everyone needs to show consideration for others. There are loads of people running and jogging around here and a few mobility scooters (the smaller type that don't go on roads). Also some bits of pavement are shared with cyclists too.

Sometimes we walk and sometimes they about but I let them go ahead. They know to stop if a car engine is running on a driveway and consistently do (even if it is clearly stationary or is waving them across or doesn't have a driver in). They have had scooter training at school which was run by the council which has helped build up their awareness. I cogently they were told there to Scott on the pavement but never on the road.

Someone inconsiderately scooting us no different to someone inconsiderately running.

Morgause · 02/04/2014 11:42

Children shouldn't be running or scooting unsupervised on pavements.

A mother let her child scoot ahead and knocked an old lady off her feet as she was leaving her gate. She couldn't see the child coming because he was shorter than the hedge. She broke her hip. Her husband had to go into a care home because she was unable to look after him.

All because a parent let her child "scoot ahead" unsupervised. That parent is getting sued now, I'm glad to say.

sezamcgregor · 02/04/2014 11:53

Talk to your child about safe scootering.

Have a rule where child can go ahead IF THEY ARE SAFE ie stay near the wall, not the road; stop at crossings and WAIT for you; do not wizz past people etc

If child is SAFE, they can go ahead, but break the rule and they must either scoot beside you or walk with it/carry it.

Gives your child the responsibility.

When scootering with friends - explain to them your rules and consequences. Although I am seen by some to be a killjoy when I put my rules in place, other parents will often make their children come back and stay with us too telling their own children that they are going too far ahead, too fast, dangerously etc.

When we're on our own and DS is on his scooter, we race!

Morgause · 02/04/2014 12:04

If they stay near the wall then they are likely to plough into someone leaving their home. So not safe at all.

On the pavements it should be walking pace or not at all.

pixiepotter · 02/04/2014 12:06

I let my kids scoot on pavements. They are not only for pedestrians to walk on

I'll think you will find that they are

candycoatedwaterdrops · 02/04/2014 12:12

Someone inconsiderately scooting us no different to someone inconsiderately running.

What tosh! An inconsiderate scooter could cause significantly more harm to his/herself or someone else than a runner

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