Comments on: An Awful Message to Kids: Stay in School (but get there in a car) http://www.fragmentaryevidence.com/2009/09/15/an-awful-message-to-kids-stay-in-school-but-get-there-in-a-car/ Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:18:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: wordnerd http://www.fragmentaryevidence.com/2009/09/15/an-awful-message-to-kids-stay-in-school-but-get-there-in-a-car/#comment-5173 wordnerd Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:52:05 +0000 http://www.fragmentaryevidence.com/?p=1359#comment-5173 I was the only bike in sight, so no one slowed down. (I'm not having a good week. An hour earlier a Mercedes SUV pulled out of a side street and almost wiped me out. The driver was very apologetic. Yesterday, when I got doored and went flying the best the door opener could do was claim he'd never done it before.) But I think the sign is evidence that kids are welcome to ride to this school. I was the only bike in sight, so no one slowed down. (I’m not having a good week. An hour earlier a Mercedes SUV pulled out of a side street and almost wiped me out. The driver was very apologetic. Yesterday, when I got doored and went flying the best the door opener could do was claim he’d never done it before.) But I think the sign is evidence that kids are welcome to ride to this school.

]]> By: dc http://www.fragmentaryevidence.com/2009/09/15/an-awful-message-to-kids-stay-in-school-but-get-there-in-a-car/#comment-5168 dc Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:22:46 +0000 http://www.fragmentaryevidence.com/?p=1359#comment-5168 And did the fast cars become slower cars, or did they just ignore the signs? We have "share the road" signs all over the place here, but some drivers still honk if they get "stuck" behind me in the right-hand lane, or shout things like "get your ass off the road" as they swerve around me. I think I might start contributing $10 to pro-bike organizations each time a driver does something like that---it's probably a more effective long-term strategy than trying to engage the drivers in a discussion about bicycle rights when I catch up to them at the next red light (which often happens, and which amuses me greatly whenever it does). And did the fast cars become slower cars, or did they just ignore the signs? We have “share the road” signs all over the place here, but some drivers still honk if they get “stuck” behind me in the right-hand lane, or shout things like “get your ass off the road” as they swerve around me. I think I might start contributing $10 to pro-bike organizations each time a driver does something like that—it’s probably a more effective long-term strategy than trying to engage the drivers in a discussion about bicycle rights when I catch up to them at the next red light (which often happens, and which amuses me greatly whenever it does).

]]> By: wordnerd http://www.fragmentaryevidence.com/2009/09/15/an-awful-message-to-kids-stay-in-school-but-get-there-in-a-car/#comment-5162 wordnerd Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:39:40 +0000 http://www.fragmentaryevidence.com/?p=1359#comment-5162 I was riding in Needham (a Boston suburb) past an elementary school on Central Ave., which is pretty busy with fast cars, and I saw the standard large yellow sign SLOW / SCHOOL AHEAD. Underneath it was an equally official sign: CAUTION / BIKES IN ROAD. Wow! I was riding in Needham (a Boston suburb) past an elementary school on Central Ave., which is pretty busy with fast cars, and I saw the standard large yellow sign SLOW / SCHOOL AHEAD. Underneath it was an equally official sign: CAUTION / BIKES IN ROAD. Wow!

]]> By: dc http://www.fragmentaryevidence.com/2009/09/15/an-awful-message-to-kids-stay-in-school-but-get-there-in-a-car/#comment-5155 dc Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:38:46 +0000 http://www.fragmentaryevidence.com/?p=1359#comment-5155 Interesting that most of the public school kids walk. That's clearly not true at the schools in Saratoga Springs and San Jose, but those schools are presumably in much less urban neighborhoods than yours. A fair number of kids seem to walk to the elementary school a block from my apartment, mostly accompanied by a parent. Those families, and dog walkers, probably account for the majority of people I see walking anywhere in my neighborhood. Interesting that most of the public school kids walk. That’s clearly not true at the schools in Saratoga Springs and San Jose, but those schools are presumably in much less urban neighborhoods than yours. A fair number of kids seem to walk to the elementary school a block from my apartment, mostly accompanied by a parent. Those families, and dog walkers, probably account for the majority of people I see walking anywhere in my neighborhood.

]]> By: eric http://www.fragmentaryevidence.com/2009/09/15/an-awful-message-to-kids-stay-in-school-but-get-there-in-a-car/#comment-5141 eric Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:15:34 +0000 http://www.fragmentaryevidence.com/?p=1359#comment-5141 THis problem is widespread. My son walked to school by himself for the first time the other day. He's 9, and we live in a pretty safe neighborhood with crossing guards. I have never seen any other kid under the age of 11 or 12 walking to his school, and the school (a private quaker school) told us that in order for him to walk home by himself, they would require a signed consent form. Of course, most of the public school kids walk (hence the crossing guards). In the NY Times article the other day about this issue, the parents seemed to be more worried about abduction than about cars--a weird displacement of their real anxieties, which I now think I will never really understand. It is crazy. I am pleased to see you use the phrase "deep sickness in our culture." THis problem is widespread. My son walked to school by himself for the first time the other day. He’s 9, and we live in a pretty safe neighborhood with crossing guards. I have never seen any other kid under the age of 11 or 12 walking to his school, and the school (a private quaker school) told us that in order for him to walk home by himself, they would require a signed consent form. Of course, most of the public school kids walk (hence the crossing guards).

In the NY Times article the other day about this issue, the parents seemed to be more worried about abduction than about cars–a weird displacement of their real anxieties, which I now think I will never really understand. It is crazy. I am pleased to see you use the phrase “deep sickness in our culture.”

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