for drivers to slow down / stop and wave us on to cross the road

[PortBlacksandResident]

We have a quite busy crossroads in our village and when i walk to school with my DSs (and sometimes other mums & Dcs join us along the way) almost always the drivers slow down on the main road or stop at the side roads and wave us across.

Not sure why this winds me up so much but i wish they'd just let us cross when it's quiet. It's even worse if DCs are on scooters or bikes.

I am being unreasonable aren't i? But i feel better for getting it off my (ample) chest. It's hard to teach road safety when it happens.

That should have said NOT to slow down in the title obviously!

YABU They are being courteous and probably feel it it safer to slow down and allow the children to cross. But yes I agree it can be difficult to teach road saftey if this happens, but I guess you explain to the children that they only cross if a car has stopped completely.

Thought i probably was .

You'll have to wave them on next time...that'll confuse em

YABU
I often do this near ds's secondry school as I would rather they cross when it is safe. the drivers are just being nice ffs(rembers not to bother letting mums cross next time)

i stoped to let a group across the other week... and the mum / carer shouted at the top of her head please dont stop and waved me on, i went to work feeling very

I know what you mean. You have to gather the DCs together, herd them across the road in a hurry because you don't want to hold the nice man/woman up, whilst keeping an eye out for cars coming the other way, and throwing a grateful smile (whilst muttering under your breath).

But YABU of course because they are trying to be helpful.

YABU

They're just trying to be helpful. I do it a lot as I remember trying to manage 3 under 5's. TBH I just rather you were across the road safely than one of them slip your hand and make a dash for it. I do it for unaccompanied children too but always make sure the road is clear the other way as they tend to see you letting them go and then don't glance he other way.

YANBU - this used to piss me off too! I would be trying to teach DS road safety, and the message they were giving was "it's fine to walk into the road if a driver sort of waves at you". If they stop completely then not so bad, because you can say "car totally stopped is ok", but the slowing a bit and waving was no help at all! It bugged me even more when there was a perfectly good safe space after them if they had just got on with it.

This mega pisses me off, although I know people are trying to be nice.

I always wave and say please go on. How the bloody hell am I supposed to teach my kids to cross the road if they think cars are just going to stop for them every time? They have got to learn how to judge when it is safe to cross.

My neice at 12 was knocked over - thankfully not hurt - because she said a driver flashed his lights to say it was safe for her to cross. He said he didn't . . . who knew what he was flashing his lights for, the point is that a child thought a car driver was telling her it was safe to cross, when it is the pedestrian's job to judge whether or not the road is safe to judge.

A couple of weeks ago, having delivered DS1 and DD to school a car stopped to let me and DS2 in his pram cross. As I had no older children with me to see my bad example, I did, only to have another car decide to overtake the stationary one as it obviously couldn't fathom why it had stopped. Luckily it noticed DS2 and I at the very last moment and screeched to a halt. I hope the driver managed to lip read my opinion of him. Very frightening.

"to cross" not "to judge" again.

tut!

YANBU

This is actually dangerous - the driver is making the decision that it's safe for you and dc if they wave you across. What if you then don't see the car coming the other way?

I also agree with the point about teaching dc road safety

If I'm walking and a driver does this I always wave them on right back. And when I'm driving I never let anyone cross (but that could be because I'm an inconsiderate cow)

Balloom Slayer didn't see your post there. That is exactly the sort of thing I mean - very scary for you

It is dangerous as the children have to judge whether the other lane is going to stop as well and if you wait to see, sometimes the kind, I'm letting you go person looks a bit impatient.

Also, I was crossing with the pram once when someone stopped for me and the person behind overtook them. Luckliy I thought they didn't look as if they were slowing down and I stopped but it was still scary.

just seen that happened to balloonslayer as well