School Runs

[Bambi.1]

My kids are grown up now,but l would feel worried about the safety of my kids if they had to walk to school these days  :(

I feel some of the smaller cars are more dangerous than the 4x4's as peeps in smaller cars seem to drive faster in my opinion.

[Bambi.1]

[legendaryone]

We walked to school alone (in the '50s); our son walked to school alone (in the '70s). I know we live in uncertain times, but if we have to protect kids that much we've lost the battle!

Watching the news about the little girl who has gone missing they said that 5 to 7 children were killed by strangers 25 years ago and that that statistic hasn't changed its just we hear more about missing children now days, it's that awareness that makes us more fearful for our children.

[Multiveg]

I walked to school "alone" when i was I think 7-8. I lived in a street where there were 4 other children about the same age as me that went to the same school and there was at least one parent from the street with them on the way. I had the feeling of independence, etc, and my mother felt I was safe what with the others walking that way. There was only one nasty road (well, wasn't a main one) but I crossed that by the secondary school.

My mother is a bit sceptical about the now 4 year old girl gone missing that was left alone with 2 year old twins on holiday in a strange place with the doors unlocked. There was a story a couple of years ago about a 3 year old boy that left his mother sleeping, opened the front door, caught the bus as if he was going to a playground or something. When the bus reached the end of the journey, the bus driver spoke to the boy who was able to recite name, address, phone number and was reunited with his mother.

[asbean]

How times have changed.  When I was about a year old and my sister , then aged 9, our father was working in Eritrea, we were in Port Said (Egypt) with our mother, who became ill and was admitted to hospital.  While she was in hospital we stayed in a flat with a nanny, and my sister clearly remembers giving the nanny the slip and roaming Port Said docks. Doesn't bear thinking about now.

[Jeannine]

I remember as a kid of about 8 or so ,I invited a friend to walk  our dogs together.We decided to walk to my Dads houseboat which was  about 15 miles fro home(we didn't know that as it was very short in the car) We got about 6 miles  and my friend started to cry so we went to a nearby house for help. They rang the police and we were taken home.

I couldn't understand why my Dad was so mad,we only went for a walk!!!

The funny thing is ,my friend had always been my hero and she got scared,I thought she was a wimp.

I pass that house regularly and think of this adventure every time I do.

When I look back now we were incredibly lucky,walking for half the afternoon, roads,some very isolated areas and knocking on a strangers door.

XX Jeannine

[Bambi.1]

I remember walking to school and going on bike rides to collect bluebells,it was Ok,in those days.
Shame things have changed,l don't even like walking on my own in the countryside these days .

[Grandma]

This happened a couple of weeks ago but it's still worrying me.

Walking back from the shops (with me shopping trolley!) at 'school-out' time in the afternoon, I stood behind a row of youngsters aged, I'd guess, between 8 and 11 and waited to cross at a pedestrian crossing.

The traffic lights turned from amber to red and our 'little green man' lit up but no one in front of me moved. I was about to do my 'grumpy old woman' bit - "Get a move on - you can cross now!" - when a people-carrier shot through just in front of the children's feet!!!!!

I just couldn't help myself shouting out loud - "She went through a RED light!"

"They're always doing that," said the little lad nearest me. "You don't take any notice of the lights - you wait 'til the cars have stopped - then you can cross".

I learned a valuable lesson. Not just that if I'd been at the front I might well have been squished, but also that these children have been taught (or have had to learn) that motorists don't abide by the rules.

What kind of drivers will they be in a few years time, if they follow this example?

Scary.

[Multiveg]

We have a nice lollypop lady at our traffic lights on the way to school. Yes, still a lot of cars that go through red lights. Still a lot of children not wearing seatbelts. There was something on the radio re police needing to keep arrest rate up (so arresting people for silly offences) - perhaps they should wait at traffic lights near schools during the school run. Perhaps also they'd do something about the amount of litter dropped by some parents and children especially icecream/lolly related when the ice cream van parks near the school.

This happened a couple of weeks ago but it's still worrying me.

Walking back from the shops (with me shopping trolley!) at 'school-out' time in the afternoon, I stood behind a row of youngsters aged, I'd guess, between 8 and 11 and waited to cross at a pedestrian crossing.

The traffic lights turned from amber to red and our 'little green man' lit up but no one in front of me moved. I was about to do my 'grumpy old woman' bit - "Get a move on - you can cross now!" - when a people-carrier shot through just in front of the children's feet!!!!!

I just couldn't help myself shouting out loud - "She went through a RED light!"

"They're always doing that," said the little lad nearest me. "You don't take any notice of the lights - you wait 'til the cars have stopped - then you can cross".

I learned a valuable lesson. Not just that if I'd been at the front I might well have been squished, but also that these children have been taught (or have had to learn) that motorists don't abide by the rules.

What kind of drivers will they be in a few years time, if they follow this example?

Scary.

[emmy1978]

The traffic lights turned from amber to red and our 'little green man' lit up but no one in front of me moved. I was about to do my 'grumpy old woman' bit - "Get a move on - you can cross now!" - when a people-carrier shot through just in front of the children's feet!!!!!

I just couldn't help myself shouting out loud - "She went through a RED light!"

"They're always doing that," said the little lad nearest me. "You don't take any notice of the lights - you wait 'til the cars have stopped - then you can cross".

Good lad, that's what i tell my girls.
I've had people shoot across when i was pushing a pushchair- terrifying. I have a thing about 4x4's driven by those who don't need them as i have sat in my friends and at 5' i cannot see around the pillar at all. Total blind spot not covered by wing mirrors. She says she struggles at 5' 5" and has to really lean. I've been nearly knocked down by busy private school mummy in HUGE 4x4 with reg plate DIVA 1 about 4 times.

[Multiveg]

The traffic lights turned red, the green man showed, the lollypop lady walked into the road and then a car, blue small thing (Ka?) with "baby onboard" dangling, went full speed through the traffic lights.