Topic ID 1715
Am I the only one here who thinks that those parents locally should get their kids to walk/get the bus/get the train to school? Why can't children do this any more? I used to walk through the sun, rain, hail storms, thunder etc and on reflection it probably made me stronger in life. Too much nannying is happening in this country, too many parents using 4x4s as an excuse. I think it is time to give the outside areas of Hertford (ie; Bengeo, Sele, Pinehurst, Hornsmill etc) to the real car-work users, and not the environmentally-unconscious and excercise-shy parents that take their kids to the various schools in this town. Please, oh please, do not reply with the 'oh but my child is safer with me' trick. Hertford has adequate police, CCTV and the same-old everyday people to spot any mishap. Please start to allow your children to walk!! Hooby horse is in the other corner of the room now. Phew!
Reply ID 21059
James, I couldn't agree more! Try driving along Warren Park Road when the Duncombe School is chucking out. There are more 4 x4's blocking the road than you can shake a stick at, mostly double parked so that no-one else can get by in either direction. If you ask them to move they either look at you uncomprehendingly or will tell you that you have to wait! You're quite right about the little darlings needing exercise as well. I have no objection (going slightly off topic) to supermarkets having parent & child parking spaces, but why don't they put them at the far side of the car park so that the kids get at least a bit of exercise. (My teddy now joins your hobby horse[:(!]
Reply ID 21061
Thanks for supporting this topic. The shameful thing is that the majority of parents who are guilty of starving their kids of exercise are probably sitting in their living rooms NOW whilst their kids are playing games on the computer. Parenting skills have gone out of the window.... Parents, please take note: Your children are safe in Hertford for God's sake!!!
Reply ID 21065
At the risk of going off-topic, have you seen "Honey We're Killing The Kids"? (BBC TV). Try Tesco on a Sunday lunchtime and you'll see some of these "parents" - apparently devoid of any child-raising skills. Like the television programme, it's terrifying.
Reply ID 21068
quote:Steve. Agreed my friend but I am not talking about reality TV with editing. I am talking about people who have children and insist on taking them to a school less than half a mile in a car or people carrier. The days of kids walking to school seem miles away in itself. As for Tesco on a Sunday lunchtime, don't get me started mate.
Originally posted by Steve
At the risk of going off-topic, have you seen "Honey We're Killing The Kids"? (BBC TV). Try Tesco on a Sunday lunchtime and you'll see some of these "parents" - apparently devoid of any child-raising skills. Like the television programme, it's terrifying.
Reply ID 21071
Not all parents who drive fit your sweeping generalisation. I live a 15 minute walk from my 5 year old sons school and work approximately 40 minutes away by car. If I were to walk to school every day I would also have the walk back home to collect my car and I expect my employer would be less tolerant of my desire to support my family by sharing the school runs.
Reply ID 21075
I am sure that James has a point and many of the people on the school run could walk with their children to school, and should be encouraged to do so. Maybe there could also be more school busses, that would ease the situation.
Reply ID 21078
quote:Ok, 5 year olds must be exempt from walking even though my Mum walked my Sister and I to school for 30 minutes and still made it to work in Hatfield by 9am at the same age. We had an accomodating school (and Mum) and it worked fine for us. I would be interested to find out which town you work in? It might highlight the traffic problem....
Originally posted by Ewoowar
Not all parents who drive fit your sweeping generalisation. I live a 15 minute walk from my 5 year old sons school and work approximately 40 minutes away by car. If I were to walk to school every day I would also have the walk back home to collect my car and I expect my employer would be less tolerant of my desire to support my family by sharing the school runs.
Reply ID 21082
quote:Hemel Hempstead. I walk my son to school whenever I can. I believe it to be important to instill an appreciation of physical activity and non-dependence upon the car.
Originally posted by James007quote:Ok, 5 year olds must be exempt from walking even though my Mum walked my Sister and I to school for 30 minutes and still made it to work in Hatfield by 9am at the same age. We had an accomodating school (and Mum) and it worked fine for us. I would be interested to find out which town you work in? It might highlight the traffic problem....
Originally posted by Ewoowar
Not all parents who drive fit your sweeping generalisation. I live a 15 minute walk from my 5 year old sons school and work approximately 40 minutes away by car. If I were to walk to school every day I would also have the walk back home to collect my car and I expect my employer would be less tolerant of my desire to support my family by sharing the school runs.
Reply ID 21086
I would quite happily let my 6 yr old walk to/from school if she didn't have to cross the A414 by Thieves Lane. This can be a daunting prospect for an adult. I'm not sure she would be happy about walking it though.
Reply ID 21088
quote:Crossing at that point is very dangerous. I am surprised there is no crossing provision.
Originally posted by carlos fandango
I would quite happily let my 6 yr old walk to/from school if she didn't have to cross the A414 by Thieves Lane. This can be a daunting prospect for an adult. I'm not sure she would be happy about walking it though.
Reply ID 21089
I don't know whether any Hertford schools are still running a walking bus scheme. I came across these in another part of the country, but having just done a web-search, the first site on Google referred to Hertfordshire and Hertford schools (although it hasn't been updated for some time). http://www.walkingbus.com
Reply ID 21090
Mill Mead run what they call a 'lolly bus'. I believe they have had over 50 people using it sopme mornings.
Reply ID 21091
quote:Why can't 5 year olds walk - I walked to school when I was 5 - OK my mum walked with me, but we still walked (My mum couldn't even drive then)
Originally posted by James007
Ok, 5 year olds must be exempt from walking even though my Mum walked my Sister and I to school for 30 minutes and still made it to work in Hatfield by 9am at the same age. We had an accomodating school (and Mum) and it worked fine for us. I would be interested to find out which town you work in? It might highlight the traffic problem....
Reply ID 21094
I used to walk to school when I was 5. Mind you it must have been no more than 50 yards door to door [;)]
Reply ID 21099
quote:I didn't walk alone when I was five but I do recall walking to and from school in years 5 and 6 - it was a mile and a half, some of which was along a road without pavement! OK, we are talking about quite a long time ago [:)] but both of my kids now walk to school and are quite happy to do so. As Ewoowar says though, a lot of these parents drop the kids off on the way to work. Having said that, I live 20 mins walk away form work and I'm amazed that most people on our estate who work in the same place drive!
Originally posted by JohnSmith
I used to walk to school when I was 5. Mind you it must have been no more than 50 yards door to door [;)]
Reply ID 21103
quote:Did your mum then have a 60 minute journey to work afterwards?
Why can't 5 year olds walk - I walked to school when I was 5 - OK my mum walked with me, but we still walked (My mum couldn't even drive then)
Reply ID 21107
I used to walk to school - whoopee for me! My mum used to work (shifts), as did my dad, so invariably it was left to my older brother to walk 'with' me (obviously some 100m in front as he was my older brother and couldn't possibly walk with little sister!). The school was about a mile away but safety was not a huge concern as the majority of children walked, mostly due to the lack of cars in the 70's. If anything was to happen to any of us, another parent/chid/passer-by would help and I suppose everyone looked out for everyone else in the 'community' Unfortunately, I think the lack of community has led to the safety worries parents now have, as any contact with a child could be construed as inaapropriate and met with a very negative response - even if it is to help a child thats fallen or whatever. Also, with 2nd cars being the 'norm' it is a double edged sword - can't let Jonny walk to school as there are too many cars about .....so we'll take him in the 2nd car we have (??) All that being said, all you have to do is take a look along Ware Road on any weekday (rain, sunshine and snow) and you'll see many, many children walking their way to the local shools - infants, juniors and secondary. A great sight and good to know not all children are transported.
Reply ID 21133
quote:Too true. It's notable that a child is far more likely to be killed by a motor vehicle than abducted though, especially by a stranger - something that is never pointed out or considered. And that's before the long term health damage is considered by the extra traffic and lack of exercise.
Originally posted by alison
Unfortunately, I think the lack of community has led to the safety worries parents now have, as any contact with a child could be construed as inaapropriate and met with a very negative response - even if it is to help a child thats fallen or whatever.
Reply ID 21145
Nothing has changed in society as far as threats to our children are concerned - we are simply bombarded with more information than ever before and anxiety has set in and become the norm. My big (and probably controversial) moan on this topic is that the 4x4 gas guzzler that Mummy took little Jane and Johnny to the school in this morning is a contributor to today's temperature, which I might add has just been confirmed as the hottest July day since 1911. But that's ok I suppose as they weren't abducted by the sinister men in long black coats lurking at every school gate in the uk...
Reply ID 21158
quote:So what did we blame the temperature on in 1911?
Originally posted by James007
Nothing has changed in society as far as threats to our children are concerned - we are simply bombarded with more information than ever before and anxiety has set in and become the norm. My big (and probably controversial) moan on this topic is that the 4x4 gas guzzler that Mummy took little Jane and Johnny to the school in this morning is a contributor to today's temperature, which I might add has just been confirmed as the hottest July day since 1911. But that's ok I suppose as they weren't abducted by the sinister men in long black coats lurking at every school gate in the uk...
Reply ID 21163
quote:Off-road carriages. You should see the amount of hay the horses had to eat to pull those buggers.
Originally posted by Ewoowar
So what did we blame the temperature on in 1911?
Reply ID 21171
Were cars in the 70s more economical than most today?
Reply ID 21198
Interstingly Duncombe and St Edmunds College are off this week while MillMead and Bengeo are not, but the traffic on Bengeo street in the peaks has dropped drastically. Looks to me as if its parents driving long distances to fee paying svchools rather than parents at the local state schools causing most of the congestion
Reply ID 21199
Interestingly Duncombe and St Edmunds College are off this week while MillMead and Bengeo are not, but the traffic on Bengeo street in the peaks has dropped drastically. Looks to me as if it's parents driving long distances to fee paying schools rather than parents at the local state schools causing most of the congestion
Reply ID 21211
Interesting reading [url="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=17415786%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=why%2dkids%2dare%2dsafer%2dtoday%2dthan%2d30yrs%2dago-name_page.html"]WHY KIDS ARE SAFER TODAY THAN 30YRS AGO[/url]
Reply ID 21287
I've raised parking on yellows/ double yellows near my son's school on WOL. A lot of the Mums/ Dads there don't give their kids exercise and then park as close to the school as poss...On the lines![:(!]
Reply ID 21400
Anyone notice how quiet the roads were today? Also, for those that can be bothered, have a look tomorrow at how many 4x4s and people-carriers there are on the roads in Hertford. Hardly any today...
Reply ID 21432
James007 - you're so right! Also as soon as Duncombe school packs up for the holidays we can get into town from upper Bengeo in about 4-5 minutes as opposed to the usual 15-20 minutes[:p]
Reply ID 21437
quote:Boarding school - it's the only answer...[:D]
Originally posted by ~Sarah~
James007 - you're so right! Also as soon as Duncombe school packs up for the holidays we can get into town from upper Bengeo in about 4-5 minutes as opposed to the usual 15-20 minutes[:p]
Reply ID 21441
quote:Traffic during rush hour is always much quieter during the school holidays - not only do you get less school traffic, but more workers tend to be on holiday too, leading to less rush hour traffic in general. There does tend to be more about during the day, though. One more thing - much as I dislike 4x4s (or, to be precise, SUVs) and people carriers myself, I find the constant association between the school run and 4x4s little more than lazy stereotyping. Drive past any school during at 'run time and you'll find that vast majority of vehicles are normal-sized cars.
Originally posted by James007
Anyone notice how quiet the roads were today? Also, for those that can be bothered, have a look tomorrow at how many 4x4s and people-carriers there are on the roads in Hertford. Hardly any today...
Reply ID 21449
Joby, drive past Duncombe when it's 'home-time' - it's bumper to bumper SUV's!
Reply ID 21450
The Duncome parents use Bengeo Street, New Road & Warren Park Road as a giant one-way system. It's a good thing (in a way) as the queues along Warren Park Road are huge; imagine the chaos they would cause if all the parents waited on Port Hill to turn into WP Road? They'd all get to school alot quicker if the cars were parked further up WP Road and they walked the last 50 yards!
Reply ID 21456
quote:Some time ago I complained to the police about the vehicles obstructing Warren |Park Road at "chucking out time" They sent a traffic warden (shows how long ago this was) who reported back "vehicles in an orderly queue!" What hope!
Originally posted by Mr P
The Duncome parents use Bengeo Street, New Road & Warren Park Road as a giant one-way system. It's a good thing (in a way) as the queues along Warren Park Road are huge; imagine the chaos they would cause if all the parents waited on Port Hill to turn into WP Road? They'd all get to school alot quicker if the cars were parked further up WP Road and they walked the last 50 yards!
Reply ID 21459
quote:Obviously the parents of children at Bengeo and Millmead don't suffer from the same level of vehicle-envy as those at Duncombe [:D]
Originally posted by ~Sarah~
Joby, drive past Duncombe when it's 'home-time' - it's bumper to bumper SUV's!
Reply ID 21463
quote:I made the mistake of turning right into Warren Park Road off Port Hill during 'home-time' recently, this making me againest the 'one-way system'![:0] I had to squeeze my car along the gutters as the parents just seem to think sitting double parked is fine? Gawd knows what happens when a car overtakes the double parkers??!! I find it astounding that no one actually parks up and walks to pick up their child/ren. They all wait to drive in the school grounds and out again. I can only assume it's hard work climbing in and out of a tank [:p]
Originally posted by buzz
Some time ago I complained to the police about the vehicles obstructing Warren |Park Road at "chucking out time" They sent a traffic warden (shows how long ago this was) who reported back "vehicles in an orderly queue!" What hope!