Startling figure - Kids and exercise

Zamboni

Between 1986 and 2006, there was an 83% drop in primary-level pupil cyclists

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0420/cycle.html

That is an unbelieveably massive figure!
We used to cycle to school all the time.
Now they're all sitting in Santa Fe's guzzling Pepsi at 8:45 am.
Poor bastards don't really stand a chance do they?

Sonderval

Wow.

Thats a shocking decline.

Your right, this makes things much more difficult for them (and for us all in the long run).

EileenG

And it's not the kids who are to blame. My local primary school only accepts children from the area. There is no-one at that school who lives more than a ten minute walk away, but the car park is still stuffed to the gills in the morning and at both pick-up times. In fact, it overflows all over the cycle lane, so you can't cycle safely near it. Parking is at such a premium near the school that I know some parents who drive along 20 minutes early to be sure of getting a parking spot.

CJhaughey

Not that surprising really, given the way motorists behave to each other, what hope does a kid on a bike have?
Do you have kids? If so would you let them out in peak traffic?
I certainly wouldn't even think about cycling myself on Irish roads.

hunnymonster

while cycling may not be safe for younger kids, walking is (with a parent) and as EileenG says, so many kids live less than a mile away from school.

amacachi

CJhaughey wrote: »

Not that surprising really, given the way motorists behave to each other, what hope does a kid on a bike have?
Do you have kids? If so would you let them out in peak traffic?
I certainly wouldn't even think about cycling myself on Irish roads.

In my experience it's the parents who won't let their kids walk/cycle to school who are the ones pulling out into moving traffic and blcoking the busstops etc.

EileenG

Yes, I have kids, and I've taught them how to cycle properly in traffic. They know which lane they are supposed to be in, signal their turns, and expect to go when they have the right of way. They are all excellent cyclists, and I can't get over the abuse I get for allowing them to ride their bikes on the road.

amacachi

EileenG wrote: »

Yes, I have kids, and I've taught them how to cycle properly in traffic. They know which lane they are supposed to be in, signal their turns, and expect to go when they have the right of way. They are all excellent cyclists, and I can't get over the abuse I get for allowing them to ride their bikes on the road.

You're obviously just an awful person. :P I hope you mean you can't believe the abuse you get, rather than actually be worried about it? :P

WolfForager

I used to cycle to school when i was in primary and so did about 4-5 others in my class, that would have been six years ago.

rubadub

In my class/year of about 100 people in secondary school I think about 3 or 4 lads got a bus, 1 drove himself, and the rest walked or cycled. I honestly do not think a single lad was driven to school, when one did get driven the odd day like if it was raining they would be slagged to death! that was around 1989-94.

I see a few kids cycling, once it is raining I see almost none, all my mates cycled rain or shine. So do I still, I have the use of a car a lot of the time but would actually prefer cycling in the rain than driving, on my bike my commute time is halved, and no stress.

EileenG

amacachi wrote: »

You're obviously just an awful person. :P I hope you mean you can't believe the abuse you get, rather than actually be worried about it? :P

I'm not worried about it, but I do find it worrying that people seem to think that children should not be cycling bikes. Mind you, I was once accused of being a bad mother because I thought my children how to use sharp knives and a cooker.

nice_guy80

parents need to bite the bullet and cycle with their kids in urban areas

amacachi

EileenG wrote: »

Mind you, I was once accused of being a bad mother because I thought my children how to use sharp knives and a cooker.

Ridiculous.

nice_guy80 wrote: »

parents need to bite the bullet and cycle with their kids in urban areas

But then that would mean they'd have to get up off their arses.

sunnyjim

I'm the same as rubadub, it takes 1 hour to get a bus and luas to where I work, but it takes only 30 mins on the bike.

That's versus 1 hour using a bus (€1.60) and a luas (€1.50). I'm saving myself 5 hours of commuting and about €20 a week by cycling.

rubadub

EileenG wrote: »

Mind you, I was once accused of being a bad mother because I thought my children how to use sharp knives and a cooker.

Crazy, I was cooking my own dinners and washing my own clothes when I was 12!
I remember a mate of mine (who was about 30 at the time) bringing out a half cooked pizza in his apartment.

-what temperature did you have it at?
-180C, 20mins like the pack said
-Did you preheat the oven?
-Pre what??

sunnyjim wrote: »

That's versus 1 hour using a bus (€1.60) and a luas (€1.50). I'm saving myself 5 hours of commuting and about €20 a week by cycling.

Also many people setaside their spare time for exericising, so you also save on that and have more freetime. Also save on gym fees!

Roper

I'm sure anyone who teaches kids a sporting activity can relate to this story. A few months ago I took in a kid who was more than a little overweight. He was 15. Anyway I gave him a few weeks grace and noticed that he wasn't really trying. He was basically profoundly lazy, which is fine, a lot of 15 year olds are and they don't have to be overweight to be like that either. But anyway I usually try softly softly at first and when that doesn't work, I give them the hairdryer . Anyway I went harder with this lad and eventually he began to get through some work for me which I was delighted with, he seemed happier too, he was able to keep up with the class better and be involved more. Anyway I get a phone call rom his mother one day about how she was "concerned he might be working too hard at training", and how she had instructed him to say no to some of the more difficult exercises.

It was the first time I'd come up against such an extreme version of parenting. I've seen some corkers don't get me wrong but this was just mental. We had a frank conversation and he's not with me anymore.

But to be honest, I think that's an extreme case and I honestly believe that the vast majority of parents are really, really concerned and willing to do anything to make their kids healthier. That's my experience as a whole, with only idiotic exceptions like the above giving me cause for concern!

kevpants

I get into so many arguments with people on this. To get to our head office I have to drive down past Mt Sackville in Castleknock and I often spend mornings chewing my steering wheel with rage at the line of X5's with ONE kid sitting up in them being dropped to the school. The kids all live within 15 mins walk, why the jaysus do they have to be dropped to the door and (non fitness related) why do they all have to have their own SUV? You'd fit 7 of the little feckers in one of those!

Makes me laugh when people say they won't let their kids walk to school because of all the paedophiles. This is just ridiculous. I can't recall an Irish child being kidnapped and molested/murdered on their way to school, that usually happens when they get to school. Or indeed when they get home. So sad.

Malteaser!

kevpants wrote: »

I get into so many arguments with people on this. To get to our head office I have to drive down past Mt Sackville in Castleknock and I often spend mornings chewing my steering wheel with rage at the line of X5's with ONE kid sitting up in them being dropped to the school. The kids all live within 15 mins walk, why the jaysus do they have to be dropped to the door and (non fitness related) why do they all have to have their own SUV? You'd fit 7 of the little feckers in one of those!

hahah I went to school there so know exactly what you're talking about! Some are lazy, some parents think that the road from Castleknock to the school is too dangerous to walk so give them a lift, others are just girls driving themselves. They're supposed to bring at least one other person to school with them in the car tho before they can park in the carpark but it's not really enforced.

kevpants

Malteaser! wrote: »

hahah I went to school there so know exactly what you're talking about! Some are lazy, some parents think that the road from Castleknock to the school is too dangerous to walk so give them a lift, others are just girls driving themselves. They're supposed to bring at least one other person to school with them in the car tho before they can park in the carpark but it's not really enforced.

The ones that really get me are the ones that pull out in front of me from College Wood there, ya know it? Must be a 5 minute walk form the school and it's about a half hour drive at that time of the morning!

Malteaser!

kevpants wrote: »

The ones that really get me are the ones that pull out in front of me from College Wood there, ya know it? Must be a 5 minute walk form the school and it's about a half hour drive at that time of the morning!

When I started there was NO traffic there at all. You could get from Carpenterstown to the Knockmaroon gates in 5 minutes but by the time I got to 6th year the same trip was taking 30-45 minutes. No idea what it's like now.

kevpants

Malteaser! wrote: »

When I started there was NO traffic there at all. You could get from Carpenterstown to the Knockmaroon gates in 5 minutes but by the time I got to 6th year the same trip was taking 30-45 minutes. No idea what it's like now.

If I get held up and I'm not through it by 8 I cry a little. That's what it's like now.