Couple warned over allowing children to cycle to school alone

[OldLadyKnowsNothing]

From the Telegraph.

Regardless of the childre's ages, pavements should not be cycled on anyway - always makes me cross when a bike comes up from behind, esp as nobody ever seems to bother ringing a bell these days [fogey]

And they are clearly too young to be riding on the road, so should not be cycling at all.

I have been walking on that pavememt 4 to 6 times a day for the last 8 years and can count on the fingers of one hand the times I actually saw someone else walking. I would totally agree with you if it was a buisy pavement Ponders.

Ponders thank you for that as agree cycling on pavement is not the answer (ok
I can see pov that cycling on road is dangerous but that is no reason
To spread risk to those walking on pavement).

Although think too young (certainly to get 8 yr old supervising) the social services involvement seems ott.

Yes sorry Tocca. I read it in a different paper and its does refer to back streets that "become busy with school run traffic" There you are then ban, the selfish school run traffic and make everyone walk or cycle

Perhaps I'm talking about my DCs then. DS2 drew blood (huge drama at home) in a fall during sports day - not so much as a murmur

we live in a village, dc's school is about a mile away, they are also 5 & 8. no way would i let them ride to school on their own. 5 year ood couldn't be tristed, and it's not fair on the 8 year old to place that kind of responsibility on her shoulders. they do ride, or go on scooters, but i go with them.

I agree that they shouldn't be cycling on the pavement. But unfortunately there are not enough cycle paths.

There is a speed limit of 20mph through our village between 8am-9am and 3.30pm-4pm, which makes it safer. There is also a safe route to school path which cuts through the park for the one bit of road which doesn't have a pavement.

There is also a lollipop lady outside the school.

Since these things have been introduced the number of children walking to school has increased enormously. A group of about 6 or 7 children leave from my road to walk together every morning. Obviously more children walking means fewer cars on the road, and those cars on the road are used to having to look out for pedestrians.

In the Times, it said that a lollipop lady helped them over the road going to school, and other parents helped them going home - that sounds like abdicating responsibility to me.

And I agree with Ponders about biking on city pavements - if you're not old enough to bike on the road, you certainly shouldn't be biking unsupervised on the pavement.

As to SS involvement, yes, it does seem a bit OTT, but what the parents are doing is dangerous. If the parents refuse to ensure that their children (in particular the 5 year old) are taken to school safely, I don't actually see what else can be done.

ime (and I used to live on a bike - well nearly live on it ) falls from bikes hurt a lot more than falling over running/walking.

Would you leave an 8 and 5yr old at home together while you popped to the shops/put petrol in the car/etc etc?

In defence of school run traffic here this school is very close to a sister school- both have wide catchmenr areas and public transport is not that great (for variety of reasons) so I can see why you end up with school run traffic .

I sympathize with not enough cycle paths but idont see why I have to dodge cyclists (some of whom are going at some speed and don't warn you they are coming) every time I go out(and this is also on roads where there are cycle paths). Two wrongs don't make a right

the streets round here are so narrow that residents (and school run parents) have to park slightly up on the curb......my DS's have had it drilled into them even on the short walk over to school they are to walk near the road and watch out for cars pulling up to the pavement.

There is no alternative for residents (and even for school parents as ALL the roads round here are like that).

only the selfish ones who think they can park as far onto the pavement as they want, or park on the pavement on the side of the road that no-one parks on the pavement (if that makes sense - on all the streets like that round here residents and visitors park up on the pavement on one side of the road, and on the road on the other side - leaves enough space for a car to get through.......quite amusing when a lorry tries to do it though)

If people parked full on the road on both sides no traffic would be able to go up and down at all.

tocca - they don't they have to park further away and walk a bit!!! Very Very inconsiderate (and illegal I think) to park on the pavement. If you'd (or they) ever had to maneuver a wheelchair around a car parked on the pavement you would never even consider doing it.

no - ALL the streets like that round here are like it.

The residents have to park like that as well, there's no where else to park.

We frequently have traffic wardens round here (to try and make the school parents park more considerately - as really double parking on a road that isn't even wide enough for 2 cars to travel down when cars are parked on it isn't really on). No-one has ever been ticketed or told off for slightly up on pavement parking.

I suppose they could all go and park in the free car park 10 minutes walk from here......but it's not really very big, and closes at night so if you needed your car in the evening you'd be kind of stuffed

I can't imagine SS being at all interested - when I think of some of the child protection issues my school has refered I used to walk to school, on my own, lollipop lady to cross the road with, and it was fine because there were lots of other people on the route - so if something happened there was always a mum around to help - can't remember anything ever happening though - I think it depends on the neighbourhood - if there are others on the route all the time then fine - if there was no one to get help from should one child fall off then it is a bit too risky imo. Wonder how on earth it got into the papers though!

Walking would be better - thinking visability. Not sure why ss are involved.

My DD1 cycles to school. She is 10. I would not let her take DD2 who is 5. They argue loads and I wouldnt be suprised if one of them didnt make it to school in one piece. However if they didnt argue all the time I would let them go together.

I walked to school with my older sister and with my younger brother. From reception year. Everyone did.

I have noticed this year that a few more parents are letting go of the apron strings a little and there are a few more children walking unsupervised to school. It is along a very busy A road with two sets of lights on it.
A lad in his wheelchair goes to school on his own. Makes some of the other mums a bit when they see him. Normally after they have got out of their cars having driven 500 yards.

It is ridiculous.

Ridiculous of the school to threaten the parents with SS. Appalling. We may all have our own views on whether we'd allow this but they are the parents, it's up to them to make a decision about THEIR family. They aren't beating or abusing their children.

(Although I do wonder why they are supervised by a nanny on the way back, not the way there. Surely one parent or a nanny could see them to school? The 5yo would worry me. I was walking to school aged 5, btw, but not in London and not cycling.)

read an article a while ago about a small kid going on the new york subway everyday by himself- can't find it on the internet

The DM photo in the article is posed by models; these are not the actual children concerned.

I would be wary of cycling in London also because of the very state of the roads; potholes, debris and glass on the streets are certainly not uncommon nor are the lorries. It is all too easy for a cyclist to be killed by a lorry turning left because the lorry driver has simply not seen the cyclist.

I'm really surprised to see so many people here against it. I was even more surprised that it's a national news story. The school is infringing on the parents' rights,IMO.

I live in a slightly less-leafy part of the Dulwich area and I would definitely consider letting my kids make their way to school, if I had kids in school yet!

These parents are not negligent, they aren't letting it happen without giving it thought. They have assessed the abilities of their children and made a measured decision.

I went out on my bike to play unsupervised from the age of 6, and got myself to and from a bus stop every morning/afternoon with my 9 year old brother.

I think the parents are being totally sensible.

I think this is fine.

I saw the article in the paper this morning and instantly recognised the woman as a childhood friend. My sister and I used to cycle all over the place with her and her sister, and take the same school bus, and go to Brownies together. I know what she wants to recreate; she is also highly intelligent and highly educated and I am sure her judgement about her children's safety is spot on.