Tube strikes during GCSE and A levels exams.

[Shoola]

Striking during GCSE and A level exams when so many young people use the tube to get to school and college seems really harsh. Long and uncertain journey times will cause way more stress at an already stressful time. I think they could have supported young people a bit more and picked a different time.

You go and do it then!

Not for the necessity of their job.

Tube driver starts on £50+..…. just think about that. You can drive a car, so come and start a job at £50k

Most people would happily do the job! It's almost impossible to get the job because of the number of applications. It's mostly internal recruitment.

I support the majority of strikes. Drs, nurses, teachers, postal workers... But the tube strikes are just tone deaf. The sooner we move to driverless, the better.

“Come and move millions of people a day, be responsible for their lives and safety, and keep a capital city moving”

Politics of envy

Very surprised at the number of non-sympathetic posts here - a parenting forum. It’s been nearly 30 yrs since I did GCSEs and I can still remember what a stressful time it was, without taking travel
disruption into account. Wishing everyone who’s going to be helping their DC navigate this extra challenge next week all the best.

What about the doctors? Are they selfish twats for striking and increasing waiting times and even risking people’s lives? What about standard train drivers? Bin men in Birmingham?

So many people on here will argue til they are blue in the face about supporting strikes and how it’s selfish to do otherwise and that we have a duty to support them even though it’s hide. Sadly a lot of principles disappear when it is something that affects them or their children.

FWIW I don’t support strikes in general. But I have been shouted down on here for saying that so this thread is an eye opener.

I’ve never known a generation be so coddled

It’s because of what in my previous post - a certain level of hypocrisy whereby everyone has to be seen as vehemently supporting the strikes until it has any effect on them. So those not affected are sticking up for the strikes and those who are have to admit they don’t support them.

I agree. Forgive me for being naive but are there no trains, buses, cars, ubers etc etc? I would have thought navigating London as a resident would he fairly simple.

On strike days? No not reliably. They get so full at the start of the route that you can’t get on them and the roads become so busy it’s gridlocked.

Yes you're naive.

What stories??

Ah okay that’s interesting.

I imagine there will be a solution - nothing like a crisis for developing resilience!

50k is a good salary. Im sure there'd be no difficulty finding people to carry out the role for the current renumeration package.

Have you not read the posts upthread about it taking hours and involving walking 7 plus miles?

Its really not as easy as 'just take a bus then' because the tube moves so many people around and they're all displaced into other forms of transport. At the same time!

Getting anywhere on time is extraordinarily difficult.

I was 20 minutes late for a university exam many years ago caused by a tube delay (yes I had left lots of extra time; it was a very long delay). It was horrendously stressful.

What about when you see your first suicide case? What about if your train is the target of a terrorist attack? What about if a passenger gets injured whilst boarding or leaving your train? What about the total lack of colleague interaction or fun in your working day? You couldn’t pay me a million pounds to do that job.

I snorted with laughter when I read your comment.

I guess it’s one of those things people in London take for granted.

During the train strikes a few years ago so many people (most of whom I suspect had the benefit of other good transport links) were loud in their support for the strikers, despite the fact that people were losing a day’s pay every time because they couldn’t get to work.

Yes, my 11yo on a tube and train strike day a few years ago learned that she has to leave the house at 5am to get to school for 8.30 via three busses, but that getting home takes longer as all the busses were full and didn’t open their doors. She found it stressful and was exhausted.

Just a tube strike means navigating Englands busiest interchange station with a lot of other people, it’s so bad they close platforms and create queuing systems. She needs to be there before 7am to be fairly certain of getting to school for 8.30. It’s a 25 minute journey, but she may have to wait for the third or fourth train before she can physically get on board.

Very good knowledge and resilience building. Not something I want her to do before an A level exam.

@LiviaDrusillaAugustayes you’re showing your ignorance I’m afraid. As other posters have shared it’s not unusual for buses to get so full they don’t stop on strike days.

I’m not affected and won’t be - my DC aren’t old enough to be doing public examinations this year and even when they do, they both walk to their (London) schools. I am not against the right to strike and have often had to rearrange work meetings in response to tube strikes. I don’t love it but I don’t think it means workers shouldn’t have the right to strike because it inconveniences me.

here we’re talking about 15-18yos at a time when they’re already managing pressure. I wonder how strikers with DC in this age bracket feel
about it?

also worth noting that DC of MC parents will probably have more support eg lifts as their parents tend to have more autonomy and discretion over their working arrangements or will be able to pay for expensive ubers (as prices naturally surge on strike days), in case that bothers you at all.

‘Showing my ignorance’?

Wow okay. I didn’t know so I asked the question. Not everyone lives in London

Well, it had already been covered upthread. At least 2 of us had talked about how difficult it is to get around on strike days even with the alternative transport available.

@LiviaDrusillaAugustawell you did say perhaps I’m being naive or words to that effect, I think. Ignorance in the purest sense of being unknowledgeable about something. Perhaps do posters who’ve given detailed examples of why it’s so difficult to get about on strike days a favour and believe them. Or, pop down next week - join us - and give it a try!

This. Bloody bastards they will be out of work soon.