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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Walking vs driving kids to school

458 replies

OpportunityKnocks · 12/02/2020 13:27

I've seen a few rants about traffic on local Facebook pages.

Every single time there is someone who says 'well, if the parents walked their children the half mile to school then we wouldn't have this problem' with an inference that parents are lazy.

Well, actually, people usually drive because it is quicker, just like they drive to work because it's quicker than walking or public transport.

Parents, like the rest of the population have stuff to do. It wound me up because a lot of comments were targeted at parents that don't work. I'm currently on mat leave and drive DS to/from preschool. I have other reasons why I drive him aside from time, but that's irrelevant. Why is my time any less valuable than someone who has to go to work? That half a mile is a 40 minute round trip walking vs a 20 minute round trip driving.

So AIBU to call these people out on blaming parents for traffic?

OP posts:

LaurieMarlow · 13/02/2020 11:54

87% OP. That’s a big number.

Ravenfeet · 13/02/2020 11:58

We live a similar distance away from the nursery school, but I do have to go on to work afterwards in the opposite direction (another 2 miles) so we cycle to save time. In the summer DD aged 4 rides her own bike but with ice and snow on the ground I put her in the trailer. I have a bike computer and the travelling time when we use the trailer is about 15 minutes from setting off to arriving at work, with a little more time added for general faffing with straps, unhooking the trailer, taking DD inside and hanging up her stuff. 25-30 minutes altogether and my commute / nursery run is usually one of the best bits of my day.

I only drive it for safety reasons when wind speeds start approaching 30 mph or higher.

LiveatCityHall · 13/02/2020 12:21

I live half a mile from my DS school and work part time but we walk every day. We leave the house at 8.25 and I'm back home again by 9.00 at the latest. He loves it; he gets to scoot and see his friends before walking into the playground, as well as getting lots of fresh air. The majority of the parents who drive to school live locally and as a result, the roads leading up to the school are always full of traffic.
Last week there was a car outside the school gates that had a small electrical fire and the fire engine couldn't get to it because of the bad parking and the traffic hold ups. I just don't understand why you would drive if you live close enough to walk?

veryvery · 13/02/2020 12:22

I will walk just about everywhere I can, if I'm not running that is. Walked my D.C. to school before they walked themselves. Now I make excuses to walk even more since I've had a FitBit. It really shows how it's great for keeping activity levels up. We are a one car family. My DH takes the (electric) car when he is not working from home. We live in a small town and can walk to lots of places. This was a priority when deciding where to live. I don't know how people get enough exercise if they drive everywhere. Gyms I suppose but I think it's good to spend time outdoors. Although I know there are reasons for some people to drive I think it's good if you are able to make walking a priority. Lots of people don't understand. Criticise me for not driving but we have organised our lives this way. It's hard for me to imagine a different lifestyle.

ScreamedAtTheMichelangelo · 13/02/2020 13:09

I love all of the horror on the thread about having to use the car because it rains.

I don't own a car. I walk or get the bus everywhere. Is it pleasant? Nope. The transport is overcrowded, dirty, often late. I walk down roads with blocked drains and frequently get splashed by cars. I don't like it, but I wear appropriate clothing so that I don't melt. So far I've survived it.

Time is a legitimate concern. Disability is a legitimate concern. Rain is absolutely not.

LolaSmiles · 13/02/2020 13:15

I love all of the horror on the thread about having to use the car because it rains
It's hardly horror about rain.

Most people have just been saying that driving short school runs that are walkable (such as half a mile) is lazy and have correctly pointed out that all these needless journeys add to congestion, pollution, parking wars, and so on.

ScreamedAtTheMichelangelo · 13/02/2020 13:24

@LolaSmiles I agree with you. Sorry I must've worded badly - I meant the horror of rain meaning that driving is necessary, like you'd melt if you went out in it.

NineSwans · 13/02/2020 13:38

Perhaps they have expensive blowdries which Must Not Be Allowed to Come into Contact with Any Form of Moisture.

Overtime2019 · 13/02/2020 13:46

My kids school is a joke as you have parents who live 5 minutes away or just across the road and still take their cars even though their going straight back home then moan when they can't park their car it's got that bad with everyone taking their cars that four kids have already got ran over as parents were driving to fast to try and get a parking space makes me sick

JassyRadlett · 13/02/2020 14:04

I can’t believe all the people who desperately try to avoid a short walk if they’ve the time for it! I’m counting the days until my youngest is at school so even on my working days I can walk them the 15 minutes to school then walk 10 minutes on to the station.

Now like many it’s drop off at breakfast club, drop off at nursery a 10 minute drive away, then park at the station. Walking every day will be so much nicer!

Lweji · 13/02/2020 14:08

I love all of the horror on the thread about having to use the car because it rains. (...) I don't own a car. I walk or get the bus everywhere. Is it pleasant? Nope. (...) So far I've survived it.

But people who have cars prefer to take it easier and take the car. It's not horror at the rain.

thaimelon · 13/02/2020 14:32

It's 20min each way walking to DDs preschool, so 40min round trip twice a day, it's over an hour of walking but I absolutely love it! Helps me stay slim, the baby gets fresh air in the buggy, and the dog gets a walk!

veryvery · 13/02/2020 14:46

Perhaps they have expensive blowdries which Must Not Be Allowed to Come into Contact with Any Form of Moisture.

Now, I can be a bit precious about the 'Barnet', oh the joys of middle age and the dreaded frizz! But in terms of going out for a quick walk or run it's shove a hat on it or tie it back if it looks a mess / it's wet outside. If it's chucking it down, let's face it, no one can really see what you look like for the rain. And if I never went outside because of the hair it sort of defeats the object of styling it.

PhilomenaChristmasPie · 13/02/2020 14:49

We walk a 40 minute round trip to school. After that I walk to our massive Sainsbury's, walk round it, walk home. A 40 minute round trip doesn't seem very long.

ScreamedAtTheMichelangelo · 13/02/2020 15:04

@Lweji To be fair there're a few posters on here expressing dismay at the concept of they or their kids getting wet...

Vulpine · 13/02/2020 15:07

I'd rather my kids get wet outside a car than breathe in the fumes inside the car

BackInTime · 13/02/2020 15:08

It's better for the environment
It's better for your health
It's better for your DCs health
It's often safer for all kids if there's less cars around the school
It's cheaper than driving

Can't see what the problem is?

MimiLaRue · 13/02/2020 15:11

Sure, I could probably walk but I often dont. Thats because the weather recently has been fcking horrendous. Its been so cold where I live that your face literally hurts when outside because its been so bitter. So yeah, sorry I'm not walking in the freezing cold and lashing rain and gale force wind but I dont see why I should have to deal with all of that twice a day when I dont have to. Plus, I dont think its fair to the kids that they arrive at school absolutely drenched in freezing cold, wet clothes and have to sit in them all day. Not doing it and I dont really care if anyone judges me for that. I dont see everyone else walking to work - we all contribute to traffic, its not solely my fault alone lol

Sirzy · 13/02/2020 15:19

Can't see what the problem is?

You might melt in the rain! Children can’t possibly walk in the rain.

Iggly · 13/02/2020 15:20

Get a decent coat and pair of shoes. Problem solved

ScreamedAtTheMichelangelo · 13/02/2020 15:21

Here comes @MimiLaRue to prove my point.

FishCanFly · 13/02/2020 15:22

Walking your child to school is actually one-one-one time to spend with your child. Not so unvaluable time.

Lweji · 13/02/2020 15:30

The problem with rainy days is that even more people take their cars.

TBH, I'd rather not walk more than 5 min if it's cold, windy and raining heavily. Even with appropriate clothing and wellies. No point in trying to be superwoman if I can use the car.
But, I wouldn't drive just a few hundred meters down the road just because it was raining.

But it's true that in the UK I very rarely got enough rain that would make me want to drive instead. It's mostly a drizzle.

LolaSmiles · 13/02/2020 16:05

TBH, I'd rather not walk more than 5 min if it's cold, windy and raining heavily. Even with appropriate clothing and wellies. No point in trying to be superwoman if I can use the car.
But, I wouldn't drive just a few hundred meters down the road just because it was raining
That's how I feel about it.

I think people have a different level of tolerance to perfectly reasonable weather so see a couple of clouds and decide with delight everyone needs bundling into cars or use the cloud to justify the lazy decision they'd have made anyway, whereas other people would say "it's a bit of rain but we'll live" whilst being perfectly happy to drive if it was heavy. Of course there'll be the outliers who walk 25 miles a morning in a gale and Wade through floodwaters but they're a negligible group.

GinDaddy · 13/02/2020 16:08

Nice to see that the populace is busy trying to drive @OpportunityKnocks off her own thread (excuse the pun).

Look, for me it comes down to the fact that car ownership has become a lot cheaper and more accessible to people than ever before. So much of the UK populace see the car as an absolute life essential, and base their lifestyles around it.

The question no one ever seems to be able to answer is this:

If everyone considers their time important, and lots of people have something time-sensitive to drive to after school, then that means dozens of people, or perhaps even 50-60 people, will want to be pulling up at the same time in a narrow strip of road which only holds a dozen or so cars.

Which is why of course we have the mayhem we see at school gates.

Isn't the key to find flexibility at the other end of their schedule once you've dropped off? Staggered work times, or choose a child group with a different start time..?

I think people almost "find" reasons to use a car regardless of whether they need to or not sometimes.

As a PP said, walking your child to school is a positive experience and activity in itself, it's not meant to be designed as a chore.

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