Schools rant

[Derek Mc]

The School run Motorshow. Being self employed when I am around I will go pick up Maddie at least a couple of times a week if I can. This is an example of the circus. I watch the antics of the Volvo's, Q7, Navarra, Range Rover Merc's even an AM Vantage V8 etc at school dumping time and these women are so funny!!


1. Mrs Navarra. just throws it at the pavement and hopes,,
2, Mrs Range-Rover. is obviously scared to damager her Gansta 22's and takes forever to get parked and is usually a foot and a half out from the kerb
3. Mrs Q7, well she needs a fleet a Audi A1 tug boats to moor her somewhere near the kerb and usually tries to get to the place early so she can park in one of the private house, garage driveways, so she doesn't need to do a reverse park!
4. Mrs Bentley. Oh heck she doesn't attempt parking she goes into the bus lane and refuses to leave her very poorly un-detailed Co-GT
5. Mrs Late. Ahhh lovely Mrs late,, her poor kid left in the classroom with abandonment issues that will be very expensive to sort in the late teen years, she can be heard tyres a squealing and heavy breathing at least 100 yards from school and as the car emerges from the dust and debris squealing into view trying to enter a very narrow road filled with the other lot all going the opposite direction see her frustration and eyes go RED as she has to wait for car after car to exit!!!

I am usually almost home before I hear her emerge from the side road and head home in her almost trashed brand new 5 series touring!

I could go on but rant over it's a nice day,,,,,,,

As for me, I found out that it was far safer and much less stressful for me and my car if I walked!!!!! trouble is I live about 250 yards from school most of this lot live far closer

[Jezzy]

I don't understand why kids don't walk home themselves like I used to when I was 7 or so years old. Every time I express that opinion, people say "times have changed, there are so many weirdos out there it's just not safe for kids alone anymore", which I think is BS - there were always weirdos out there, e.g. the moors murderers etc, you just hear about the weirdos much more than you used to. When I was in primary school just one kid used to be picked up by car. Even if kids need to chaperoned in a way they didn't in the 70's and 80's, parents should walk to the school. I think many of them are just too lazy to walk, and take the car because they can't be bothered to get dressed properly.

[mucklestone]

I agree, most people drive because they are LAZY. However, I dissagree about the walking home alone. For starters there is a million times more traffic on the road so it is more dangerous. As for weirdos the risk might be the same, but because of better media and internet they are more aware of the risk, so if there is a tiny risk that there child may get hurt, no caring parent would take that chance....

[Jezzy]

...no caring parent would take that chance....

Mine did, and I lived to tell the tale. lol

[mucklestone]

Mine did, and I lived to tell the tale. lol

Sorry, I was not meaning to insult, I just meant that nowadays with bad stories in the new everyday its a different time and any parents who hears and sees that all the time is going to have doubts...

[Grumpy1954]

Years back when my ex was in hospital, I had to drive the kids from one end of Telford to the other and back to keep their schooling up. Every time I had trouble parking due to the amount of people living within easy walking distance who just had to drive. I even got told I couldn't use the (lone) disabled parking space ( I was entitled), as it made it hard for the locals to turn their cars round. Mad.

[Jezzy]

Sorry, I was not meaning to insult, I just meant that nowadays with bad stories in the new everyday its a different time and any parents who hears and sees that all the time is going to have doubts...

No insult taken, but I'm still of the opinion that it's not "times" (i.e. danger) that has changed, it's just people being too easilly scared nowadays.

I also think there is a class element to this. The town where I live has (like most towns) affluent areas and somewhat deprived areas. In the affluent parts every parent drives their children to school, in the poorer areas you see more kids walking unaccompanied to school. In the same vein, in the poorer areas you are far more likely to see kids as young as 7 or 8 out playing together after school without being chaperoned, whereas in the affluent areas the parents won't let their children out of their sight.

One memory that sticks with me from when I was about 12, is going to central London with my parents for a hospital visit, and seeing a brother and sister, probably about 8 and 10, wearing school uniforms and travelling on the Tube to school without any adults. That's bravery, and in a good way.

[jimbovectra]

what school does the little one go to? that is not a bad list of cars you have mentioned..... if I do say so myself...

[dh.dti]

all my kids walk to school, even my youngest at 4 yrs walks to nursery, unfortunately her next school (reception class) which she starts in September is 2 miles away... we'll have no choice than to take her by car.

[cont1204]

Can't understand why they don't walk. I've never gotten a lift to primary school or nursery and I'm still alive. Walked with my mum or dad until I was about 6 or 7 then I just pottered off on my own and I'm still here to tell the tale.

Used to see it at secondary school a lot, mums and dads screeching in to pick up their son/daughter then racing off again. Always rushing somewhere. Slow down and stop ****** rushing through your life! Everyone seems to do that to a certain extent. I used to bike to and from secondary school which was nice, just country roads between one side of the Wirral and the other. Nice and relaxing after a long day.