tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post1119719510709558628..comments2024-03-28T07:49:04.960+00:00Comments on nickhereandnow: Toxic airnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10472673041193755894noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-49098210901864418442018-07-25T13:36:22.698+01:002018-07-25T13:36:22.698+01:00Joared: It sounds as if things are worse in the St...Joared: It sounds as if things are worse in the States than here. But I don't often talk to kids or their parents. If I did, they might give me a different perspective.nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-34401006744087993782018-07-25T13:30:58.102+01:002018-07-25T13:30:58.102+01:00Agent: Glad to say that most of the drivers here t...Agent: Glad to say that most of the drivers here turn their engines off, but the sight of a large bus or lorry idling away and churning out huge quantities of pollution is disheartening.nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-50531486168021871922018-07-23T06:54:20.684+01:002018-07-23T06:54:20.684+01:00I can only say our local newspaper has a significa...I can only say our local newspaper has a significant increase in events reported that are threatening to school kids comparent to when my children in school and the Police Blotter reported them in the same manner then, too, in this highly desirable school district. My children (who generally walked to school) encountered more in this same area years earlier compared to my childhood, but I lived in a totally different part of the nation and many years ago. Based on my daughters accounts on the east coast with her daughter there were more alarming situations there in a desirable school community I recall her telling me about than she had known here. Young males are not excluded from these accostings. I don’t know that it’s true everywhere but it certainly is some places — a reflection of aspects of society today I think. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Joaredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03155775053108104385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-72409879391616358072018-07-22T16:49:43.669+01:002018-07-22T16:49:43.669+01:00We lived too far from the schools for the kids to ...We lived too far from the schools for the kids to walk (about 15 miles for one of the schools). I drove them. My bigger issue was with parents who would wait in the pick-up line with their cars idling. There is no sense in that.Secret Agent Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07564690116156754219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-59034385501323282932018-07-16T22:22:21.450+01:002018-07-16T22:22:21.450+01:00Z: The German approach sounds a lot healthier than...Z: The German approach sounds a lot healthier than the British one. The over-protective attitude seems all wrong to me. As I say, I see plenty of school kids walking to school and they seem to be safe enough. Of course I've said many times that all girls should be taught martial arts or some sort of self-defence so they can defend themselves against predatory males.nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-44194247916800872302018-07-16T22:04:03.422+01:002018-07-16T22:04:03.422+01:00I agree with you about the problem of course, only...I agree with you about the problem of course, only suggesting that one has to think about reasons and come up with answers. For instance, the village school, which doesn't have a before-school club and can't provide one, found that parents were dropping children off at 8am and leaving them for teachers, who arrived early to prepare for the day, to look after. That was taking advantage and the Head and governors agreed that it had to stop. But it caused another problem.<br /><br />My German friend lives in Berlin, so it was straightforward to get to school by public transport. But I read an interesting article in the paper a while ago, which said that German children are expected to be resilient, to take responsibility for themselves and it was normal for them to make their own way about, in a way our children used to, but don't any longer.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00822383355869390919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-64157773514355639852018-07-16T20:02:04.197+01:002018-07-16T20:02:04.197+01:00Z: Yes, I appreciate the difficult circumstances s...Z: Yes, I appreciate the difficult circumstances some parents have to contend with. It would help of course if schools and workplaces didn't all tend to start the working day at much the same time. But that's been complained about ever since I can remember!<br /><br />Interesting that it's unusual in Germany for teenage kids to be driven to school and back.nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-25616414752574589562018-07-16T19:52:46.536+01:002018-07-16T19:52:46.536+01:00When my daughter-in-law lived a short walk from he...When my daughter-in-law lived a short walk from her daughter's school, she had to drop her off, then drop her son to nursery three miles away, then get to work by 9.15, another four miles from there. Walking wasn't an option, there wasn't time, and the road to the village school doesn't have a footpath so it wasn't safe for a five-year-old on her own. The school didn't allow children to be left there before 8.45 and nursery started at 9, so there was no time to walk there and back from home. On the days she wasn't working, the little one didn't have nursery so there was no question that they wouldn't walk to school. But those who say parents are lazy don't always appreciate the practicalities when both parents have to get to work and there is simply no time to walk. A young friend in Germany, however, was very surprised that so many teenagers are taken to school - there, they walk or take public transport on their own if it's at all possible, from a fairly early age. Here, the parents would probably be reported for neglect.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00822383355869390919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-59052795802349908932018-07-16T18:30:40.316+01:002018-07-16T18:30:40.316+01:00Bijoux: That's what I remember too. My parents...Bijoux: That's what I remember too. My parents didn't even own a car when I was growing up.nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-77252877465903162092018-07-16T17:05:03.731+01:002018-07-16T17:05:03.731+01:00I never saw many parents driving their kids to sch...I never saw many parents driving their kids to school here or where I grew up. You either took the bus of you walked.Bijouxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05788630004051883635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-74732486709769538022018-07-16T16:52:16.607+01:002018-07-16T16:52:16.607+01:00Joared: I get the impression schoolkids are less s...Joared: I get the impression schoolkids are less safe on the streets than they used to be, but I see plenty of schoolboys and schoolgirls on the local streets and as far as I know they don't come to any harm. Are parents a bit paranoid or am I a bit out of touch?<br /><br />No, our communities aren't that compact either, and parents often have two cars for exactly the reason you give. Dad's work is one direction, mum's work in another, school or university in another. Impossible to get by on one car.nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-64440950831728159372018-07-16T09:29:17.135+01:002018-07-16T09:29:17.135+01:00Often here in Southern California I think students...Often here in Southern California I think students have a schedule of activities when no school, so time can be of the essence. The parent, often the Mom, feels like a chauffeur driving them about to whatever has been planned on any given day. Also, generally speaking, I think children, even through high school age, alone, or sometimes in pairs, or a threesome, are less safe than my day. I noticed the difference even when my children were in school and now it’s worse judging by reports I learn about. This is a sad commentary on culture and attitudes toward other humans in today’s society. Smog is an issue here, too, and we don’t lack for autos. There aren’t many stay-at-home Moms any more even in our residential community. Families likely have two cars as each parent has to have transportation to work or Univ. located in opposite directions from one another. Perhaps you live in more compact communities. Joaredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03155775053108104385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-84126199194653549322018-07-16T08:09:03.473+01:002018-07-16T08:09:03.473+01:00Chuck: I could give you similar figures for the ti...Chuck: I could give you similar figures for the time it took to get to my last workplace. As soon as the schools shut down, the roads were half-empty.<br /><br />Jean: Come again?nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-11408176664230127882018-07-16T05:23:23.485+01:002018-07-16T05:23:23.485+01:00Yuck! :(Yuck! :(Cheerful Monkhttp://cheerfulmonk.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-30675986555304501792018-07-15T22:46:27.886+01:002018-07-15T22:46:27.886+01:00When I lived in Hawaii and school was in session c...When I lived in Hawaii and school was in session commuting to work took 45 minutes. When there was no school, it took less that 15 minutes. I knowof what you speakShackman https://www.blogger.com/profile/01690901432037614409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-10165335252915718672018-07-15T19:26:12.805+01:002018-07-15T19:26:12.805+01:00Tammy: I guess one reason so many households now r...Tammy: I guess one reason so many households now routinely have two cars is that one is needed for ferrying the kids around (not just to school but to out-of-school activities) so another is needed for travel to work etc. No wonder there's so much pollution.nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-86033345982711247462018-07-15T19:18:51.055+01:002018-07-15T19:18:51.055+01:00wow. I never even thought of it. I see cars idling...wow. I never even thought of it. I see cars idling and picking up children in the heat of the afternoons here. and you know it has to be bad with all those engines running! in the middle schools there are mostly school busses. <br />when I was 7 and living in Colorado you were only allowed to eat lunch at school if you lived at least a mile away. I lived one block less than a mile from school. so I walked! to school. home to lunch. back to school. then finally back home! what is that about 4 miles a day? LOL! in all weather. we only had the one car and my father had it had work. how strange! actually probably not strange at all for that time. but now parents would never put up with it! I rather enjoyed it.<br />but then again in those days I didn't have to worry about being abducted and never seen again either. yes. keep us posted about it. very interesting!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-38919479043351234742018-07-15T18:34:40.804+01:002018-07-15T18:34:40.804+01:00Helen: Oh, I agree with you. I used to live in Isl...Helen: Oh, I agree with you. I used to live in Islington and there are so many schools there I guess most school pupils live fairly near their school.nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-69188964758667792662018-07-15T17:32:07.603+01:002018-07-15T17:32:07.603+01:00I take your point when bussing the kids in is nece...I take your point when bussing the kids in is necessary, but in the area of London where a friend lives the areas are very restricted, so no need for the parents to do a school run in a car.helen devriesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-51117008460849441522018-07-15T16:23:59.989+01:002018-07-15T16:23:59.989+01:00Helen: I think the catchment areas here are quite ...Helen: I think the catchment areas here are quite broad. Several school buses pick up kids from one school, so presumably some of them live a good distance away.<br /><br />Joanne: A lot of people here cycle on the pavements, which is understandable when cycle lanes are usually part of busy main roads and cyclists are regularly injured or even killed by vehicles.nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-43400126929526527892018-07-15T15:12:35.527+01:002018-07-15T15:12:35.527+01:00We have outdone ourselves over here with the need ...We have outdone ourselves over here with the need for automobiles for transportation, due to the sprawl of housing. A grandson is an amusing anomaly. He began riding his bike the ten miles to school.Part of the route was through Little Italy. As he rode through one afternoon, an old Italian babushka shop owner brandished her broom and demanded he get off the sidewalk. He replied, truthfully, his mother wouldn't let him ride in the street. He was maybe ten at the time. Now he's in high school, and drives a car he bought. Joanne Noragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16601010208310707750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-55077175846463439402018-07-15T14:58:58.809+01:002018-07-15T14:58:58.809+01:00If the catchment areas are so restricted there can...If the catchment areas are so restricted there can be no problem in the children walking to school - except that walking with the younger ones cuts into mother's hairdressing and nail refurbishing time.helen devriesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-56122816685113293862018-07-15T13:59:22.133+01:002018-07-15T13:59:22.133+01:00Ramana: Six schools close by - that sounds horrend...Ramana: Six schools close by - that sounds horrendous. The pollution levels must be stratospheric. There is serious traffic congestion here also when the parents are all converging on the three schools.nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-20159645736970104492018-07-15T13:55:31.516+01:002018-07-15T13:55:31.516+01:00Mike: I was at a prep school for eight years and I...Mike: I was at a prep school for eight years and I always walked there and back from my home (about ten minutes walk each way). My parents didn't even have a car. Later I was at a boarding school so the issue didn't arise.<br /><br />Of course some parents drop their kids off for safety reasons. They're convinced some undesirable will approach them on the way. But I see plenty of kids walking to and from school, and presumably not coming to harm.nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3467242994126386706.post-12432812264049818582018-07-15T13:35:59.275+01:002018-07-15T13:35:59.275+01:00I live directly opposite to a school but thankfull...I live directly opposite to a school but thankfully a residential boarding school. There are six schools within hailing distance from my home and the traffic of private vehicles dropping off / picking up children as well as school buses in the morning and afternoons is quite noisy and with diesel fumes. At both times these vehicles also cause major traffic jams. I can't think of any way that I can contribute to getting this problem go away. Too many younger residents in the area with school going children!Rummuserhttp://rummuser.comnoreply@blogger.com