This island is filling up with fucking cars

[_angel_]

Wouldn't it be a good idea for your son to get some exercise and independence?

Well, there's no way I'd let a five year old cross busy roads. Think about it. if Moomoo's child was run over or abducted (the latter is less likely, but still) the very first person who would be blamed would be her.

Where was the mother? Why did she let him out alone!

And then, of course, you lot laying into her for not giving him enough 'independence' and becoming 'obese'. Either way it is always the parents fault.

 

[untethered]

Thats one thing I've never done - I walked to and from school and as they've got legs I reckon they can too. My poor daughter used to have to walk about 2 miles each way aged 10! Nowadays its just around the corner so she's laughing

The boy has to take the train to college so he has the 2mile walk to the station instead.

Quite right too.

I walked and cycled to school (various places between one and four miles) and many years later I still don't drive.

We need to raise a generation of children whose first thought of transport isn't the private motor car.

 

[untethered]

Well, there's no way I'd let a five year old cross busy roads. Think about it. if Moomoo's child was run over or abducted (the latter is less likely, but still) the very first person who would be blamed would be her.

Where was the mother? Why did she let him out alone!

And then, of course, you lot laying into her for not giving him enough 'independence' and becoming 'obese'. Either way it is always the parents fault.

What's to stop the parents walking to school with their children?

Adults get obese too. Even those not prone to it need good, regular exercise.

 

[felixthecat]

What's to stop the parents walking to school with their children?.

C'mon - you know thats not possible in most cases! Kid has to be at school for 9am, parent has to be at work at 9am 10 miles away, for example.

It only works if a parent isn't employed outside the home.

 

[untethered]

C'mon - you know thats not possible in most cases! Kids have to be at school for 9am, parent has to be at work at 9am 10 miles away.

There are ways and means.

Most children have two parents, even in these "enlightened" times.

There are also such things as rotas with other parents, walking buses, etc.

These things are usually cheaper and easier to organise than buying and maintaining a huge metal box and taking it with you everywhere you go, polluting your neighbours (and ironically, yourself and your passengers) in the process.

 

[Hocus Eye.]

Where I live, the road is so busy that in order to cross it you have to order a taxi to pick you up from one side and take you to the next roundabout and back along the other side. I thought of getting a car myself to do this but there is a bit of a parking problem.






probably

 

[felixthecat]

There are ways and means.

Most children have two parents, even in these "enlightened" times.

There are also such things as rotas with other parents, walking buses, etc.

These things are usually cheaper and easier to organise than buying and maintaining a huge metal box and taking it with you everywhere you go, polluting your neighbours (and ironically, yourself and your passengers) in the process.

Oh do think a bit before you start blathering. Yeah, 2 parents. And how many have 2 parents who work? Most I'd say. I don't agree with ferrying kids everywhere once they've reach an age where they are responsible and safe on the roads, but I don't think you have a clue about the realities of 2 working parents and young school age kids.

 

[untethered]

Oh do think a bit before you start blathering. Yeah, 2 parents. And how many have 2 parents who work? Most I'd say. I don't agree with ferrying kids everywhere once they've reach an age where they are responsible and safe on the roads, but I don't think you have a clue about the realities of 2 working parents and young school age kids.

Obviously people's circumstances vary. But many people put earning more money than they actually need (in part to pay for that big house with the double garage and those two cars) above common sense and their social responsibilities.

I know plenty of people in exactly that situation whose household incomes are probably £80,000 upwards. It's also not uncommon for the nanny to drive the children to school.

 

[_angel_]

What's to stop the parents walking to school with their children?

Adults get obese too. Even those not prone to it need good, regular exercise.

of course they do. However, if school is in one direction and work another, time is tight, maybe they've got to go to a nursery that's in another direction, another school to drop another kid. Getting them all in numerous directions by the same time is impossible.

When parents do walk their kids to and fro school, finding gainful employment in between is hard.

 

[tbaldwin]

I think people in London or somewhere with really good public transport tend not to realise the reality of transport - or lack thereof, in other areas.

I can't think of any other country that puts up with stupid train fares and lack of avaibility in timetabling/ lack of coaches on trains.

And bus transport never even gets a look in, it's just not sexy enough.

Have to say i dont think your right about transport in london. Its overcrowded and expensive...Ken lied about not putting up fares and that is one of the reasons boris did so well.
But yeah it is easier to be anti car in a city like london where car journeys often take longer than a tube or train journey.

But there are 2 problems here congested roads ( too many cars) and piss poor public transport. Public transport should be renationalised and there should be massive investment to bring it up to date.

 

[_angel_]

Have to say i dont think your right about transport in london. Its overcrowded and expensive...Ken lied about not putting up fares and that is one of the reasons boris did so well.
But yeah it is easier to be anti car in a city like london where car journeys often take longer than a tube or train journey.

But there are 2 problems here congested roads ( too many cars) and piss poor public transport. Public transport should be renationalised and there should be massive investment to bring it up to date.

That's as maybe but I'm making the point, no matter how bad you Londers think your public transport is, other places are far far worse.

Recently was in London and marvelling at waiting 1 or 2 minutes for a tube and getting to my destination in the shortest time. We don't have that in Leeds or anything approaching it.

Yes it's expensive but at least it's there. In Leeds it's overcrowded (ridiculously so ) slow, we have a very very poor network of local stations compared to even places like Liverpool and Manchester and only runs every half hour or so. Plus it's starting to cost so much if there's more than two of you a cab journey might well work out equal or at least not a lot more.

 

[moomoo]

Thats one thing I've never done - I walked to and from school and as they've got legs I reckon they can too. My poor daughter used to have to walk about 2 miles each way aged 10! Nowadays its just around the corner so she's laughing

The boy has to take the train to college so he has the 2mile walk to the station instead.

I finish work, drive home, park my car at home and walk/run up the hill to fetch my son who, in my opinion, is too young to walk home alone. We then walk home. My middle son walks to school, as does the teenager.

I'm not getting into this row again, or justifying why I won't let a little boy walk home alone. Oh, and btw, his school don't let year 3's out of school unless an adult is there to meet them anyway.

I wouldn't give up my car because I simply couldn't manage without it.

 

[moomoo]

Wouldn't it be a good idea for your son to get some exercise and independence?

I presume that was aimed at me and not maomao.

My kids get plenty of exercise and independence thanks.

My little boy likes me to take him to school and pick him up. We WALK to school and back but I need the car to get back to the area in time to do this.

That clear enough for you?

 

[_angel_]

I finish work, drive home, park my car at home and walk/run up the hill to fetch my son who, in my opinion, is too young to walk home alone. We then walk home. My middle son walks to school, as does the teenager.

I'm not getting into this row again, or justifying why I won't let a little boy walk home alone. Oh, and btw, his school don't let year 3's out of school unless an adult is there to meet them anyway.

I wouldn't give up my car because I simply couldn't manage without it.

Yeah well, on the whole the 'argument' is being made by single people* who aren't single parents with VERY young kids who may need to cross big roads to get to school, with other kids to look after - all on their own- who also work.



*and mainly living in areas with very good public transport to boot.

 

[felixthecat]

I wouldn't give up my car because I simply couldn't manage without it.

neither would I

Its impossible to find a job (for me) within about 12 miles, public transport is shite. Its 4 miles to the nearest supermarket, there aren't many local shops other than bloody teashops, antique dealers and newsagents. And I'm not going to move to a city because I would curl up and die - I'm a country girl thru and thru.

Therefore a car user I will be.

 

[gentlegreen]

Anyway, back to the original subject of the thread :-

In 2006, 60 per cent of cars on the road had only one occupant – its driver. A quarter of all car trips were less than two miles long.

Maybe a poll is required ?

 

[mk12]

i make regular car journeys of 2 miles or less.

 

[stavros]

With regard the issue of safety with children walking to school, I read an article the other day by Mayer Hillman, who has the theory that a paradox exists here, namely that the roads are so busy, and hence dangerous, because they are filled with parents driving their kids to school.

Something which I don't think's been mentioned on here is car-pooling. Where I worked a couple of years ago at a global bank's offices we had a minor rewards system in place, where each month you and your fellow sharers filed your lift history over the previous few weeks and were given a small bonus. Why isn't this more common?