Mammy dropping kids to school in the car

salmocab

I live a bit too far for my young lad to cycle to school but we park a good bit away and cycle through a park to get there, there’s plenty of kids cycling and walking to the school and yet the car park beside the school looks like it’s real busy, I’d say that it’s mostly perception that everyone is driving when in fact it’s just that lots of cars are more noticeable than a steady dribble of kids on bikes and walking. It’s actually tough enough some days to get a spot on the bike racks even though they added more last year.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118187400#Comment_118187400

In primary school I got dropped off but in fairness it was remote, on a route my father travelled in mornings anyway and no public transport alternative.

Secondary school there was a bus running which I took. Theres a certain amount of latent snobbery about having to take a bus in Ireland I find.

What if the kid lives a good few miles away? Not everyone lives walking/cycling distance away. Think beyond your own world. And on rainy days what if the parent is driving past the school to work anyway?

Some seriously miserable, cantankerous posts here. You'd wanna be some spiteful auld git to make a kid walk a mile or more in the pissing rain when you've the option to give them a lift. Nobody really thinks that's acceptable. Small kids should obviously NOT be walking by themselves at all too.

And what sort of clownish comment is "god forbid run over" in an ironic manner. Yes, it is reasonable for a parent not to want their child to be run over by a car.

enricoh

Don't shoot me but would the fact that people are having less kids than say 40 years ago have anything to do with it?

The parents want to wrap them up in cotton wool as they've only 1 or 2 kids now. years ago there'd be 6 in the family n if one didn't make it at least there was strength in numbers!

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188266#Comment_118188266

The white van man who scoops up any kids walking alone really puts the sh1ts up the Wine O Clock moms.

John_Rambo

Some families are simply tied to their cars because of where they live. A good few rural based friends of mine have to drive to go for a walk or cycle! Driving to school is the only option for them and they are to be pitied for the choices they make.

I do wonder about the parents that drive to school that don't need to. There's a few in our school that have to park within 10 metres of the school, there's a small gang of them and they manage to block each other up, cause tailbacks for others and generally make a nuisance of themselves every morning. One of them was complaining about the traffic to me on Monday. She lives up the road from me and I was home before her. I've come to the decision that these people are just stupid.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118184292#Comment_118184292

How about the car drivers read the rules of the road and then the roads would be safe for children and everyone else cycling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188300#Comment_118188300

Why is the van always white?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188209#Comment_118188209

Cycling miles to school in the pishing Irish rain created on to the greatest classics cyclists of all time

Jequ0n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188438#Comment_118188438

If it’s green everyone knows the girl lied.

Ms2011

My kids both walk, cycle or scooter to school and back. I walk with them to school as my daughter who is in Senior Infants would still be a bit young, my son (9) walks home from school by himself. Now I will clarify that I only live literally 5 mins from the school which is in a rural village.

When my daughter goes into 1st Class in September and finishes at the same time as my son I will allow them to walk to and from school together by themselves. I'm a stay at home parent so could easily drop and collect them but I feel it's important for them to have some independence without having their parents scrutinising what they are doing. Some of the best fun I remember having with friends was walking to and from school.

I would go up and collect them if it were lashing raining though.

SuperBowserWorld

Everybody rushing around to join the next queue. And pushing their kids the same way. And screw anybody who gets in their way. Biggest car wins.

Jeremy Sproket

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118187046#Comment_118187046

So who has priority then? 🙄

Let me guess .... the ones who pay "road tax".

God, some people are so pass commentable.

If someone decides to drive their kids to school that's their business. Not anyone elses.

This thread is just another thread created by a cyclist to give other cyclists an excuse to bitch about cars users.

One of several the OP has started.

Oh wait, you're 28? And female? And part Swedish? Again:-)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188209#Comment_118188209

I'll bet you have the big SUV driven right up to the gate.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118186685#Comment_118186685

Still interested in seeing that photo of "many" people cycling with 2 or 3 the same size on the same bike, each one with a heavy bag ... :)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118189088#Comment_118189088

No kids or SUV thank fook.

Where I live, the schools are very close by - driving kids to them wouldn't even be practical. But I don't think there's anything wrong with driving a child to school even if it's just a mile away. Particularly during bad weather.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188892#Comment_118188892

They're obsessed. Particularly raging that they don't have a teaching job.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118189111#Comment_118189111

I agree definitely during bad weather, times have changed now too, what we were allowed do as children wouldn't be considered safe today. But loads of kids from my estate used to walk together to school.

BurgerFace

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118186862#Comment_118186862

Ah shure, jaysus, BOY...sure I wouldn't rcognise a feckin ting, like.

Flinty997

Lots of kids walk to school in our area. But lots are driven in due to the admissions or poor infrastructure.

The kids who play sports are out in all weathers training and competing far harder than we ever did in our day.

The kids aren't driving themselves to school. It's the parents choice.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118189122#Comment_118189122

Oh yeah plenty of kids do walk to school, and the small ones with their mam/dad and there's the lollipop lady/man. It's a good thing to do when practical. Or to take the school bus. Or car pool.

BurgerFace

Let your kids not walk on a wall

If a kid is not allowed to climb a wall then that kid will develop vertigo (perhaps not vertigo..but fear of heights) and a fear AND a lack of confidence.

Then spend money because they can't spend thrir lives crossing a road or being terriffied of stairs.

"Don't climb that tree...you might fall out'''and we'l have to see because you chipped a tooth

A child comes running back to Mum or Dad with a huge bee or wasp sting on the hand, bad day.

monkeybutter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118189252#Comment_118189252

What? They are way more likely to develop a fear of heights from some heights based trauma not because their parents kept them safe

vixdname

This bolloxology about cars outside schools in the morning is ridiculous.

Firstly, most parents who are dropping their kids off at school in the morning are then driving straight to their place of work, theyre not parking there for the fun of it .....for those whinging about the cars what do you expect these parents to do when they have kids too young to walk or cycle to school on their own ?

Walk to the school with their kids, then walk back to their homes and pick up their cars and then drive to work ? Just to keep you happy ?

Whats an acceptable distance from a home that kids should be ok to walk or cycle from ?

Basically any distance over a mile is too far to ask any kid to cycle to school every morning in all weathers and most families dont live within a mile of their kids school, hence the cars ......

Its also not fair to expect youngsters walk to school on their own in all weather, and theres the danger of kids crossing busy roads on their own....not mine.

Parents drive their kids to the school for many and varied reasons and dont enjoy the manic traffic anymore than anyone else, they dont do it for fun, but mostly out of sheer necessity, and if those necessities cause some people to be stuck in traffic a bit longer than usual then tough s**t.

Flinty997

"...Basically any distance over a mile is too far to ask any kid to cycle to school every morning in all weathers and most families dont live within a mile of their kids school, hence the cars ........."

Basically it take about around 5-6 mins a mile at a slow pace. If they play sports they'll be running for 30~60 mins. Its actually no distance on a bicycle. You'd think nothing of it in a park.

The issue is more if a its suitable route. Infrastructure.

SuperBowserWorld

I find it unbelievable that we can drop billions for covid, bank bailouts etc etc at the drop of a hat, but for safe sustainable strategic transport, buttons.

If we can't do that then there should at least be free regular bus services to take kids who are not safe distance from schools, to/from school.

Adding more cars won't fix the problem.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188838#Comment_118188838

Today was the first day in ages that I have driven in to work. Driving along in a line of traffic the Newcastle Rd in Lucan, I slowed to let a mini-bus with kids in it pull out of an estate. Two cars behind me beeped presumably in complaint. Once I started moving again, I drove along and (within the speed limit) caught up with the line of traffic again at the next lights (~200m) which were red. The cars behind didn't lose any time yet they weren't beeping at me for stopping for the red. People once they get behind the wheel seem to disassociate themselves from the outside world and see themselves as the most important person and feck everyone else. For what?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118189552#Comment_118189552

We can't seem to develop sustainable transport projects in this country.

BusConnects - NIMBYist people complained and populist politicians pandered to those shouting loudest meaning that what we are getting is a heavily diluted version of what was originally proposed (by a transport expert).

Cycle lanes - you get the likes of Mannix Flynn objecting because people should be allowed drive wherever they want and you can't be taking away road space from drivers. The majority of cycle lanes that are built are desdigned for one cohort of people travelling: drivers. They are not designed for people cycling. The majority of them are simply a box ticking exercise and designed by people who don't cycle and really haven't a clue about cycling infrastructure. Many of the cycling aspects of BusConnects have received recommendations to implement proven designs from the Dutch but these are ignored in favour of designs from the inexperienced Irish councils who believe that they know better.

Footpaths - many have been narrowed by the introduction of street clutter over the years and then this is compounded by our sense of entitlement to park our vehicles on them as we see fit. Many footpaths are blocked so that anyone pushing a buggy or using a wheelchair must pass the vehicle by walking on the road.

Want a motorway? Sure thing, here's a billion for it 😕

monkeybutter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118187634#Comment_118187634

yes not dangerous