how kids get to school these days

[peacefrog]

When I was in junior high school, if you lived less than 1.5 miles from school you walked. Otherwise you walked to the bus stop, which could be half a mile away, and waited there with your friends. On very rare occasions, someone's parents might drive their kid to school or pick them up afterwards. This was not some rural school district; this was Arlington, VA in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Lately, it seems more and more parents drive their kids to school. I guess I can understand that, but it's kind of a sad reflection on our society that parents feel the need to do that.

But here's what really blows me away. I have a school bus stop right in front of my house. I see parents drive their kids to the bus stop in the morning and wait with their kids in the car until the bus arrives. Then they'll be there waiting for the bus in the afternoon. These are junior high school kids. How far from home could the bus stop possibly be? Have you ever gotten stuck behind a school bus on your way to work? It seems like they stop every block nowadays.

This just seems overprotective to me. I understand wanting to keep your kids safe, but have we gotten to the point where we're short-changing our kids by not letting them even walk to the bus stop?

As my wife and I wait to bring our girls home from Ethiopia, these are the sorts of issues we ponder.

[qhsdoitall]

Yes, sadly, this is what society has come to. We feel the need to overprotect our kids. Plus kids have gotten lazy. My daughter's elementary school was 4 miles away and her bus stop was 300 yards from the house. Because she was a little younger, my wife would walk with her or drove her to the stop if they were late. Now the school is 500 yards from the house. My wife drove her back and forth the first week. Now, she walks both ways. She knows the rules about strangers and so on.

[Mottern Man]

I think the world got worse over the years, and yes this being the XBOX age, kids are getting lazy.

No one worried about child rape/murder like they do now.

[qhsdoitall]

I think the world got worse over the years, and yes this being the XBOX age, kids are getting lazy.

No one worried about child rape/murder like they do now.

It was still there though. Just not talked about so much. Every age has it's perverts and murderers. My mother told me not to talk to strangers 40 years ago. I'm still not listening to her. You people are as strange as the get. :rofl

[Mottern Man]

It was still there though. Just not talked about so much. Every age has it's perverts and murderers. My mother told me not to talk to strangers 40 years ago. I'm still not listening to her. You people are as strange as the get. :rofl

I know it was their, just not.

A. As much
B. As Feared

Come on buddy you want some razors, get in the van. :rofl

[qhsdoitall]

I know it was their, just not.

Come on buddy you want some razors, get in the van. :rofl

What are you Freddy of the DE World? :D

[Mottern Man]

What are you Freddy of the DE World? :D

Respect the blade.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/Fredkruegermoviefirst.png

[Infotech]

If I'm five minutes late leaving for work, I don't bother leaving for another 30 minutes. I pass by about 3 bus stops all within 1/2 a mile of the other. To me its udnerstandable because it's a pretty busy road. I lived in the 'burbs in the early 90s and road the bus to school. From what I recall, bus stops were far enough apart htat if you missed your stop you were in for a walk.

[Bronco]

When I started school, we walked to our neighbors who drove us four miles in a wagon pulled by a tractor, rain or shine. :D
Check out the student parking lot at a high school, prime..............while the teacher lot looks a tad shabby. Right, kids may be a little lazy but some parents satisfy their every longing. .02

[moviemaniac]

Oh yeah, when I went to (something like your high-) school I took the bus and walked the 500 metres to the bus stop. In the later years, after my two younger brothers were old enough that mum could start to work again, I went with her in the morning as she works in the same city I went to school, but I also had to walk from her workplace to the school which was also something like 500-700 metres. To get home I always took the bus.
When I was in primary school (which was and still is in my hometown) there was no other option than to walk - nowadays most parents drive their kids there and pick them up after school - even if they only had to walk like 2 minutes or so.
Well, then there's also my neighbours, they've got relatives living only 200 metres from them - nope, they don't walk, they drive. They also drive to the bakery (5 mins. foot-walk) in the morning to fetch their rolls.

Sometimes I feel I'M weird for walking or cycling whenever possible in this world that seems to get lazier every day...

[moviemaniac]

I know it was their, just not.

A. As much
B. As Feared

Come on buddy you want some razors, get in the van. :rofl
nah, there was much more crime/accidents back in the "early days", but we've gotten so used to a feeling of security right now that many people go crazy when something like rape/murder/terrorist attack etc. happens hundreds of miles away. It's not rational, the chances of you (or your kid/wife etc.) getting murdered or raped or whatever are way, way below what they used to be. 50 years ago this just happend, it was the daily business, nowadays it's news again because it's gotten scarcer.
It's not a mad, dangerous world but the people are getting mad over the most remote and - to their habitat - absolutely insignificant things.