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?

My time is prioritised elsewhere, I have a schedule, I have a family to manage. It really is irrelevant. Just because I'm not going to work, it doesn't make my time any less valuable
That's the crux of it.
You, like many others, think your time and laziness is more important than anything else.

Stuff what congestion does around schools.
Stuff the problem of (usually badly) parked cars around schools and the inevitable dangerous parking that makes it difficult to see.
Stuff the environmental consequences of multiple short car journeys.

As long as you personally have 20 minutes extra in your very very important life nothing else matters.

And this is exactly why there's parking problems around schools because some people honestly think they're the only people to have anything going on in their life and couldn't possibly spare 20 minutes (but I'd imagine sit on their arse at some point for more than 20 minutes browsing the internet like most people do).

so even on the way to school if it’s pouring with rain you’d walk them instead of driving?

Of course. Assuming they have a good coat and shoes/boots, and waterproof trousers if necessary. They won't melt.

@grey
Walking - Crossings, a small but steep hill, a dondering preschool child interested in everything, probably a little bit further than half a mile. I run the same route in 7/8 minute before 6am.
Driving - timed traffic lights, very heavy traffic. We drop off 8ish collect at 5ish, it's a congested area.

Either that or I have my very own private black hole that I lose time in twice daily.

Yanbu. Your close enough to walk yet drive so causing traffic. However, it's a public road and your right so you can just ignore the moaners.

@LolaSmiles
40 minutes. 2 journeys a day.

And yes, my life is important. As is taking a break every now and have some downtime.

See the walking as another way of getting acrivity into your life so no need for 6am runs

All our lives are important

However, it's a public road and your right so you can just ignore the moaners.

Awful attitude. Just because you're legally entitled to do something doesn't mean you shouldn't consider whether it's a responsible/considerate thing to do.

It would take me two hours to walk to school. Longer with a 4 yr old. That’s not going to happen

It's part of having kids. This is what I don't get OP. People have kids and then seem surprised that the school run takes time out their day, and then decide they are so much more busy than anyone else that the simply must drive less than a mile to school. This adds more cars on the road, more pollution, more congestion, in some cases more wasted time to get the right spot near school. All because apparently they couldn't possibly manage to walk as they're super super busy.

At least some people own their laziness.

I used to walk ds to and from school every day. Ten minutes there, ten minutes back. One mile round trip. I would rarely drive unless it was absolutely hammering it down or I had to shoot straight off. I really miss the health benefits of that walk now ds is at secondary. The parents dropping off at 8:45am generally weren't those who worked full time, as those people had already gone to work. There was a woman who drove every day and she lived half the distance to school that I did.

@LolaSmiles I didn't say I was more busy than anyone else. However, I don't believe that my time is less important than the working population though.

Our school is 1.2 miles away and involves big hills. Ds is 5 but has been walking it since nursery at age 3. We do it in about 25 minutes depending on if we have to stop for stones in shoes or something. I have chronic pain and walking is painful but as I don't drive then I've no choice. Keeps us quite fit and healthy and sets us up for the day. We often beat those who pass us in the car as by the time they've parked and walked down the hill to school we've walked up. It's definitely no quicker to drive to our school due to traffic and parking. Lots of parents could walk but don't.

The proof that it is pure laziness is the simple fact that a) the amount of cars at least doubles when it rains
How many people only work when it rains, really?

b) the obsession to park as close to the schools as possible, with horrendous parking in the process, when in most cases there are plenty spaces if you walk 2 to 5 minutes.

of course someone will have a valid reason, sometimes you are in a rush, ill, you have to carry the class hamster... that's not what we are talking about here though.

Everyone always thinks their reason is valid! Generally it's because they can't be bothered to leave 10 minutes earlier, and are lazy. And it's easier. That's one of the reasons we are fucking over the planet. Laziness and convenience. And bollocks to the consequences.

It takes me 12 minutes to walk the distance to school.
It takes nearer 40 frustrating minutes to walk there with my kid. Playing, dawdling, messing around. It can be insanely annoying and I have tried a lot of different tactics. It’s best just to get up early and have plenty of time.
It’s fine when the weather gets better because we can cycle or scoot. Right now we have deep snow. Kid loves messing around in it, gets tired and lies down for a bit, that kind of thing.
We got rid of the car shortly after we moved here. It has saved lots of money and a bit of hassle to do with parking and admin.
If we still had the car I would probably use it to save me from getting wound up on busy mornings.
School is on the way to other stuff so it doesn’t waste time. We sometimes see squirrels and other animals, or have a good chat.
Overall I prefer it to driving.
Each to their own.

I was never driven to school. Nor did anyone walk me there past the age of 8. I t was about a mile and a half and I had to cross at least 4 roads. I was taught how to do it safely.

Nah, that's just lazy. It's an extra 40 minutes added on to your day. I would cheerfully walk that distance to work if I could (on top of my working day) but I work 20 miles from where I live so it's just not possible. I'd get exercise and save fuel, the same reasons you should do it. Gives your kid exercise too, no wonder we have an obesity crisis in this country.

We walk everywhere we can because it's healthy, nice to experience the season change, saves the planet and to teach our children that walking is part of everyday life. I feel sorry for the children in cars. They miss out on that time with Mum chatting about their day and enjoying the outdoors. I also feel for the poor people living by the school and their roads being clogged with cars.

@Happy0 a walk to school is not the only way ppl can get out and about you know no need to feel sorry for ppl.
My dc live on 2 acres and have their own woodland to play in so they experience the seasons in the best way possible! We visit the beach at least once a week, valley walks etc and the park all get visited once a week too. Yes we have to drive most places but I wouldn’t give up my rural location for anything!!

If you have places to go afterward, drive.
But it makes me smile everytime my (racist, abusive, so I'm not going to help him out) neighbour jumps in his car to drive to school while we are still at home, and gets back at the same time as me. Same deal at 3pm. He leaves a full 20 mins before me to get his preferred parking spot.
So, in our circumstances, walking half a mile saves me approx half an hour a day compared to his driving.

why can't people walk in the rain now?

Can't you just buy some waterproof like any decent parent?

I was never driven to school. Nor did anyone walk me there past the age of 8. I t was about a mile and a half and I had to cross at least 4 roads. I was taught how to do it safely

DD’s primary was up on the moors in the arse-end of nowhere. No children are permitted to walk alone.

it doesn't make my time any less valuable
That questionable, but even if we were to agree, I bet you don't have the concern of being late, resulting in a boss telling you off, missing the start of an important meeting with every eyes on you when you walk in, or worse, finding your salary cut because you're 15 minutes late.

So no, your time on the road is not more important than those who use it to go to work.

On mornings when I have to drive DD7 to school because I’m going onward somewhere she pulls a face and goes ‘awwww.’ Our mile walk takes 20min and I absolutely love the time we spend chatting, as does she clearly. It’s good for our relationship and our health. I don’t care what other parents do but it’s really surprised me the past couple years how much DD enjoys this time so if anyone ever asked me I always suggest giving the walk a go. And yes, we walk in the rain too.