"hedgehog42" wrote in message
ups.com...
Today, I don't think it's generally a case of Mom/Dad believing their
young prince/princess shouldn't have to muddy those expensive athletic
shoes, at least not around here. I think there are safety/practicality
issues that make driving the kids look like the better option. Our
neighborhood has fewer kids attending public school (some are
homeschooled, some attend private schools without local bus service)
and so there's less of a "safety in numbers" protection for everything
from child predators to classroom bullies to unleashed dogs. Plus,
there are fewer moms at home during those hours to keep an eye out than
there were WIWAK.

I think this is true, many parent think there are safety/practicality issues
that make driving the kids look like the better option. I was on a school
committee to encourage walking and biking to school. We wanted to see what
the impediments to walking or biking were, so we sent out surveys. It turns
out the reason people drive their kids to school are not rational things
that can be fixed. Some number were sure their children would be kidnapped
by strangers. Note, there has been no child abductions by strangers in this
area in the school district's 50 year history. Yet, there it is, you can't
convince people that is not a risk. There were some that were convinced
dropping off and picking up saved time, despite the fact that walking to
school from their houses would take 5 to 10 minutes round trip, yet sitting
in the parking lot trying to get out could take at least that. And of
course, if the children were big enough to ride or walk themselves to school
it would take them 0 minutes. There were those that felt walking along this
some what busy two lane street was dangerous, despite the wide sidewalk,
planted area, and bike lane between them and the cars on the street. Most
suggestion were how to make the parking lot more efficient for the drivers,
rather than safer for the pedestrians.

I live in a safe community where 90 percent of the children live within 1
mile of the school, and 90 percent of those have to cross no more than one
two lane street, both of which have crossing guards. There are few places
in our neighborhood, and no place on my daughter's route to school, where
she is more than two houses away from someone she knows. There are two back
entrances where no cars drop off, and when entering the school on foot from
the front you do not have to cross the cars entering or exiting the parking
lot. The school is estatic when 20 to 30 percent of the students walk or
bike to school.

The survey showed me that parent prefer to drive their kids to school, and
nothing we can do will change their minds.