Walking vs driving kids to school

[OpportunityKnocks]

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?

I think theres an assumption that as a sahp you have control and flexibility over your time. I work pt and on my non-working days I'm able to walk more and I prioritise that, for various reasons, mainly health and environment.
When I work I have to be at a set place at a set time and so I have to drive, I've looked into public transport and it's just not possible.
I do agree that unpaid labour is undervalued, but I struggle to understand why people don't see walking short journeys as a priority.

@MimiLaRue Waterproof clothes exist.

You didn’t like being judged as lazy by others on Facebook

You want to drive because it’s quicker for you

I don’t want you to drive because it’s literally sending people to an early grave, thousands die early

These aren’t separate issue

You don't know what I do with my day or its relative importance to me, my family and society in general

Yes but judging people when you know nothing about them is much more fun! As is the eco olympics and bragging that you’re better than other people because you walk further than they do!

@OpportunityKnocks It’s because as a SAHP you have far more control over your own schedule than someone whose working hours are set and who can legitimately lose their income over failure to adhere to them. I realise that your schedule is very important to you, and that you don’t think the environment is relevant. But this is a battle between car driving and the environmental/health damage of cars. You will not convince anyone that your activities should be given the same weight as the need to hold down a job necessary for financial survival. In short, if either you or a full time worker without any say in their contracted hours has to walk, it’s you that’s getting picked.

Rolling my eyes at the lazy comments specifically directed at me. I've already stated I have other reasons why we drive, but they are irrelevant to the point I'm making about the value of my time.

What do you actually have to do with your time that an additional 40 mins out of your day would make such a difference? Unless you stop being so cryptic and actually say, it’s hard to imagine “managing a family” and “keeping to a schedule” with one baby and one preschooler to look after is going to be so strict that you can’t walk to school and back

Why are sahp and their children are not allowed the time efficiency of a journey that the working person is allowed?

They are. But people are questioning it because you are essentially making a choice to drive when you could walk. A working person is more likely not to be able to get to work on time without some sort of commute.

You don't know what drives a sahp schedule.

I do because I am one. I don't know what drives your own personal schedule because you haven't told me.

Because my time only matters if I'm being paid?

Absolutely not. I am a SAHP and I hate this attitude too. I used to feel bullied into volunteering for all sorts when my D.C. was at primary because I didn't work. But there are valid reasons why I don't work. And me not working outside has worked well for our particular family circumstances and myself. I console myself with Sheldrake's idea of 'Morphic Resonance', if I live my life a certain way, achieve certain things, it makes it easier for other people to do the same. So me just being me is contributing to society.

(I recognise that in reality we need better public transport/active travel/infrastructure etc but we’re not there yet. We need to minimise the cars on the road and those using them to drive to baby social groups are going to be judged more harshly than those who are driving to work as dictated by a company. That’s just common sense.)

'Financial survival'

Please don't try to tell me that everyone is driving to work for financial survival. Although some might.
They work full time in places not on their doorstep because they pay better or are more fulfilling so they can live in well sized houses, go on lovely holidays, have more children and feel fulfilled in their job.

I have 40 minutes, just not at those particular times

@OpportunityKnocks They’re not working for the fun of it. I’m not suggesting that every full time worker is on the poverty line, but very few people head out to work 40+ hour weeks unless they need to do it. It’s not equivalent to your need to go to baby social classes.

That isn’t to say that your schedule isn’t important, or your time valuable, but your argument that you shouldn’t have to concede to valid environmental concerns because you have baby classes, and that this is just like workers having no control over their contracted hours, is faintly ridiculous.

Most working people don't work half a mile away from their house, though?

I find it hard to believe that all baby classes in your area start at 9.30 or whatever. Why don’t you go to classes scheduled later?

Also, you don’t need to go baby classes the way others need to go to work. I’m not knocking them at all, I loved them, but they aren’t a necessity.

GoldenOmber But commuting is in decline with less commuting trips made down from about 8 to 5 weekly, more people work from home a few days per week & spend less time in an office

And Op if your DS was in his pushchair you'd probably find the half mile walking trip quicker than your 40 minute drive. Win win.

Yeah, true, but people who do commute half a mile to their office should probably be doing that on foot/bike too.

Sorry, I mean than your 20 minute drive. Because you won't have to park.

GoldenOmber Lol, no people drive half a mile, 20% of car journeys are under 2km

My child's school is exactly 0.5 miles from my house. I can walk it in 8 minutes. It takes nearer 10 with my children. I am very busy (just in case you think I walk because I have loads of time on my hands). The reasons I walk are that I get some exercise (and would have to do something else to keep on top of my weight if I didn't), it is better for the environment, it gets the children some fresh air and it sets a better example to them regarding making short journeys on foot. As the emissions from short journeys are disproportionately high that is important to me. YABU to infer that anyone is saying your time is less valuable as the 'time' argument is only being made by you. And it doesn't take 40 minutes to walk a 1 mile round trip.

I'm not playing 'guess what I do with my time' because I'm just representative of a sahp.

Belittling what a sahp needs their time for is unfair. They contribute to society and their families in other ways that aren't monetary.

For some people a baby class maybe something that's a nice to do. For others it's far far more. Just ask the staff at family centres why they run those classes. (also, I didn't say baby classes were at 9.30, nor that I drive to them).

Many people work 40+ hours and don't need to. They do it because they like their lifestyle and don't want to give it up.

yes, I'm well aware people DO drive half a mile, I'm saying that probably they shouldn't be when it's such a short distance. No matter whether it's school or work or baby group or top-secret rulers of the earth meeting. I would be thinking exactly the same thing about the OP's short drive if she was going to work as well.

also, I didn't say baby classes were at 9.30

So why are you in such a rush on the school run then?

Belittling what a sahp needs their time for is unfair

Good job no one’s doing that then.

The point is that a SAHP has more flexibility with their scheduling.

I have to drive dc to school on days I am working and doing school drop off, unfortunately - I'm cutting it fine to get there on time as it is.
Other days we walk, and I always manage to pick them up on foot.

I think people should try and drive less and walk or use public transport more - including being open to putting themselves to mild - or even moderate - inconvenience to do so.

We should be trying to move away from the car being the default option whenever it's feasible. (Sometimes it isn't feasible, of course)

@veryvery ha! I can imagine telling my nearly preschooler to get in the pram. What muscle group does pushing a pram with that kind of weight in affect? I'd be ripped :)

Oh, I've just twigged.. do pps think I haven't actually made the journey by foot? I did it for 4 weeks pick up only. It does take that long. It's a bit more than 1/2 a mile. It's also not part of a school, so not readily accessible. Parking isn't a problem at all. And, the shock, we even walked when it rained.

And time was the whole reason for my op as locals were complaining about their time in traffic and how it's all parents fault. Not a mention of the environment.

The environment is a valid issue, but let's not throw rocks at my 2 journeys a day unless we are going drains up on everyone's total contribution to saving the planet.

@veryvery ha! I can imagine telling my nearly preschooler to get in the pram. What muscle group does pushing a pram with that kind of weight in affect? I'd be ripped :)

Mine did. Sadly I didn't get that ripped with this. You could always invest in a running pushchair for that. I had a very brisk 20 min walk each way to mine's preschool at just over a mile away. Worked for us.