Re. the school run,
Extreme care must be taken when passing schools at finishing times.
In my own experiences I have seen a few near misses when parents are collecting their children due to the sheer volume of traffic in the one location.
I do understand the concerns of parents nowadays wanting to protect their children but I once read that statistics prove they are now more at risk to injury from than the risk of assault or abduction whereas abduction and assault cases have not increased.
Now please read carefuly because in spite of what I have said I would be do the same as any other parent if we had young kids today.
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Should have read "injury from the risk of traffic"
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You're right Mal. HF and I witness this daily but I have to say that many of the parents are themselves just as much to blame as the passing traffic !
On the one hand these people are paranoid about safety yet on the other they insist on parking as close to the school gate as possible (ignoring the zig zag lines, bus stops, access roads etc. etc.) thereby adding to all the congestion and danger ! They frequently offload their precious offspring on the from the offside doors and many don't even bother to see them out of the car safely. One particularly stupid woman hardly even bothers to stop the car to let her
8 year old daughter get out !
Dodgy and dangerous manouevres are the order of the day outside the school it seems - why drive 50 yards down the road and turn back safely via a quiet side road when you can pull out with no signals and do a 'u' turn right outside the school in all the mayhem ?
Some of these parents are coming from less than a mile (some only half a mile !) from the school yet they insist on driving to/from no matter what the weather.
In many cases it boils down to plain laziness and a total lack of consideration for the safety and welfare of anyone else. It really bugs me just how stupid some of these folk are !
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They frequently offload their precious offspring on the road from the offside doors.....
From what HF was saying the other day, she has to offload hers though the tailgate!! ;o)
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DD - There was a time when HF used to walk to/from school too !
Now, however, her fear of driving is exceeded only by her hatred of being a pedestrian :-)
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From what HF was saying the other day, she has to offload hers though the tailgate!! ;o)
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Much easier that way, DD - that way there's no need even to pull up and attempt to park in an HFly fashion, you just slow down a little as you approach the lollipop man's environs, flick the magic Vauxhall tailgate button, and kids are easily deposited.
It's what all the best school-run people do these days....
HF;)
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Actually just would like to post a serious point re Mal's post.
All us parents are terrified about abduction and other horrific things happening to our children.
But I understand also about the bigger danger to kids from traffic accidents. Scares the life out of me.
And I know that so *many* parents behave irresponsibly outside schools - but also do so many other road users, who, as I've said before, ignore the 20mph signs and just speed through.
I think, from what I've read, that everyone on this site *does* take care in these areas - and it's those that don't, and I see them every day, who are likely to be the takers of some innocent child's life.
Sorry to sound morbid,
HF
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