Dropping the kids off at school

[tuixiu]

I live right near an elementary school, and every morning there is this massive traffic jam from parents dropping their kids off. We're talking dozens of cars lined up from both directions funneling into the school one at a time.

So what I don't get is... why?

When I was young you did one of two things:
1. Walk
2. Bus

A kid getting dropped off by a parent was a unique situation that usually involved missing the bus or coming in later after an appointment. I walked at least a mile to my high school (no not uphill both ways in the snow barefoot) and took a bus to my junior high. Walked to elementary school, which was maybe 3/4 mile.

I had a coworker who had this big deal where if his wife wasn't available he had to leave work to pick up his kid from the elementary school. Then I found out his kid sometimes walks it in the morning, and upon google mapping discovered it's only about 1/2 mile from the school to his home. WTF?

Is this unique to where I live or do people everywhere now do this? Is it a society danger thing where what was once considered safe is no longer safe to walk? Maybe schools offer reduced bus service, although that doesn't make sense there are tons of buses lined up at the school too.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

A lot more weirdos now n days? I have no data to back this up.

 

[FinanceDude]

Things have changed.

I live 1.3 miles from the elementary school. DW and I leave well before the bus does, and no other kids near me ride the bus, so I have two options:

1)Leave the 9 and 7 year old alone at a bus stop with no parent supervision.

2)Drive them to school.

3)I have looked into carpooling with other parents nearby, but so far it hasn't worked.

The advantage is I drop them off well before the massive crush of parents getting their kid to school 8 seconds before the first bell rings........

 

[dex]

Suburbia - no sidewalks?

 

[DangerMouse]

This is one of those things that I fail to comprehend. To me, the failure of kids to walk to school probably has a lot to do with obesity rates in children.

When I was 5 I used to walk to school every day and it was a couple of miles each way. My father was in the army and was away a lot and my mother didn't drive. We also don't have school buses regularly provided in Australia either.

Truthfully I used to quite enjoy the walk, took me forever because you know what kids are like, but I would walk in company of other kids from the neighbourhood.

 

[FUEGO]

This is definitely a trend in schools. Over the last 15 years (or more) there has been a significant increase in parental drop off rates and less bus ridership. For example, in my local jurisdiction, we assume that for public elementary schools, out of every 100 students there will be 38 parents dropping off one or more kids and 1.45 school buses (based on our 2005 data).

This change in travel behavior leads to problems at older schools because of the huge amount of on-site vehicle queuing space required to accommodate all the student pickups and dropoffs. Newer schools have sufficient on-site queuing space. However older schools were built with adequate on-site storage for decades ago, but today the amount of on site storage is inadequate, causing long lines of cars to spill back onto adjacent roadways.

As to the "why"? Fear of the invisible boogeyman maybe? I don't know that the prevalence of violence towards kids or danger has increased any. Maybe the news contains more reports of child abuse, kidnappings, molestations, kids getting hit by cars. But I'm not convinced that the underlying rates of criminal conduct or accidents have actually increased.

I think the attitudes towards kids have changed over the last generation or so. Every potential risk factor for our kids must be mitigated or eliminated no matter how miniscule the probability or how tiny the extent of injury might be.

We actually live in a neighborhood with an elementary school inside the neighborhood. 1/2 mile walk without crossing any real roads except one which is at a 4 way stop intersection. I'm hoping our kid can make the journey if not her first year then hopefully her second year of school.

 

[haha]

There is no way that I would allow my children or my grandchildren to walk to school alone.

I never see young children out on the street alone. The "I'm not convinced argument" is a week one from my POV.

Ha

 

[Westernskies]

When I was young you did one of two things:
1. Walk
2. Bus

When I was young you did one of three things:

1. Ride the the bus
2. Miss the bus
2A. Walk to school

 

[steve88]

op do you have any kids? Have you read news lately? You might say the probability is small but what if it is your kid?

 

[cantlogin]

I was once stuck behind a school bus on its morning route while it was picking up students. The bus stopped, picked up two children and proceeded less than two hundred yards before arriving at the elementary school where they disembarked.

 

[FinanceDude]

This is one of those things that I fail to comprehend. To me, the failure of kids to walk to school probably has a lot to do with obesity rates in children.

Actually, I think cable TV and video systems are more to blame........

When I was 5 I used to walk to school every day and it was a couple of miles each way. My father was in the army and was away a lot and my mother didn't drive. We also don't have school buses regularly provided in Australia either.

That was a different time and a different country......

 

[FinanceDude]

Suburbia - no sidewalks?

Some sidewalks, not all sidewalks. Don't know why folks on here without kids are being so critical........

 

[bright eyed]

i think the stat is over 40% now are dropped off vs walking? Oh, and the bus is empty - maybe 2-5 kids take it, and it's a full size big bus...waste of money! They've tried to encourage more parents to use it, but no avail. Lots of immigrants in our area too so probably not comfortable with the service.

I live between a middle school and elem school and the middle school car drop off line is down the street on all sides of the school- i can't get out of my house many days because the line is 2+ blocks long!

These kids are 11 and up and can definitely walk.

In our district there are increasing number of kids from outside the zone (good district, low enrollment) so that contributes to the cars...i only see maybe 4 or 5 kids walk home from middle school daily - which in effect - makes them more vulnerable since there are so few.

I think the biggest factor is fear. Even as crime rates are lower and the % of actual "stranger" abductions is really really rare (like less than 2%), most parents can't deal with that fear of that "just one time"...and frankly, I've heard of way too many adults from "that generation" who were molested by babysitters (of acquaintences, not strangers)...so fear wins the day on this one. Logically I want to be in the "let them walk" camp, but my mamma tiger instincts are fighting my logic. If anything, we will walk together.

I hope to be brave and let my kiddos walk when they are older, but frankly now, the crazy drivers are more of a concern, we have had one death and a few accidents from the "rush"/anxious parents running late and that is more dangerous than the boogey man.

 

[FUEGO]

No one has really touched on this, but there has been a marked decrease in bus ridership to favor parental drop-off. I think this exists because of the stigma of riding the bus. Buses are for poor people and my kid is too good for that, and I don't want them to have to sit an hour on the bus each day. Also there is a perceived risk or danger of riding a bus (my kid might get picked on/beat up/harassed). There is some legitimacy to some of these feelings and lot of irrational behavior.

This concept of babying kids beyond what is necessary exists even at the collegiate level. See, for example, helicopter parenting. Parents of 18-21 year olds at university still treating their kids like they are, well, kids. Calling profs about grades, calling the university about perceived slights (food at dining hall was too hot/cold, a/c in dorm room is too hot/cold, profs are too easy/hard, projects or curriculums too easy/hard, etc).

 

[bright eyed]

Oh, and I forgot, that yes, there is a LINE of parents waiting to drop their kids off ON CAMPUS at the HIGH SCHOOL! I can't believe it! I don't have the patience or inclination...

 

[FinanceDude]

i think the stat is over 40% now are dropped off vs walking? Oh, and the bus is empty - maybe 2-5 kids take it, and it's a full size big bus...waste of money! They've tried to encourage more parents to use it, but no avail. Lots of immigrants in our area too so probably not comfortable with the service.

I live between a middle school and elem school and the middle school car drop off line is down the street on all sides of the school- i can't get out of my house many days because the line is 2+ blocks long!

These kids are 11 and up and can definitely walk.

My son knows when he goes to middle school he'sriding the bus. Kids can be left alone in our state at home when they are 12 years old........

I think the biggest factor is fear. Even as crime rates are lower and the % of actual "stranger" abductions is really really rare (like less than 2%), most parents can't deal with that fear of that "just one time"...and frankly, I've heard of way too many adults from "that generation" who were molested by babysitters (of acquaintences, not strangers)...so fear wins the day on this one. Logically I want to be in the "let them walk" camp, but my mamma tiger instincts are fighting my logic. If anything, we will walk together.

I hope to be brave and let my kiddos walk when they are older, but frankly now, the crazy drivers are more of a concern, we have had one death and a few accidents from the "rush"/anxious parents running late and that is more dangerous than the boogey man.

There's no easy solution. Back when I grew up, most kids had a stay at home mom so there was no issue. As far as walking, there are more weirdos than before, but my biggest concern is lack of sidewalks along the way...........

 

[tuixiu]

op do you have any kids? Have you read news lately? You might say the probability is small but what if it is your kid?

I think I'm OP, but never commented on any probability.

I merely stated my interest in the trend and threw out some possibilities on it's cause that were mainly query in nature.

 

[Texas Proud]

A lot more weirdos now n days? I have no data to back this up.

I don't think so... except for population growth... there were a lot back then, just not reported as much... now a day, we hear about the abduction of a kid in LA or NY or East whatever.... before the 24/7 news cycle, this was always a local story...

 

[aaronc879]

I think it depends on the route that needs to be taken to walk to school. If there are major roads-4 lanes or greater or over 35mph speed limit then i'd expect a pre-highschool student to get a ride either from bus or parents. Otherwise they should walk. I walked a little over a mile to elementary school even in below zero weather with a foor of snow on the ground. Middle school I was bussed because it was over 3 miles and included a highly traveled 4 lane road. Highschool I was bussed to school but walked about 3 miles home every day until senior year when I bought myself a cheap car. I think in most cases students should walk to and from school.

 

[MichaelB]

Things have changed.

I live 1.3 miles from the elementary school. DW and I leave well before the bus does, and no other kids near me ride the bus, so I have two options:

1)Leave the 9 and 7 year old alone at a bus stop with no parent supervision.

2)Drive them to school.

3)I have looked into carpooling with other parents nearby, but so far it hasn't worked.

The advantage is I drop them off well before the massive crush of parents getting their kid to school 8 seconds before the first bell rings........

Two options but three choices - sounds like the same math my wife uses when shopping.

 

[Texas Proud]

My 11 YO is wanting to ride his bike to school when we move.... and I am willing to do it until he goes to middle school which is located on a major roadway...

When I was growing up, we walked to all classes except kindergarten... or rode our bikes if they had not been stolen... the longest was 2 miles (which was just one house shy of being able to take the bus) for middle school... we walked past two major streets and also took shortcuts through the small 'ranches' that were still around... not fun when a bull is running after you, which is the worst thing that happened my whole time...

 

[Urchina]

Our neighborhood elementary school has a high percentage of walkers, but also a lot of parents drive and drop their kids off. This sort of blows my mind because our school is located in the geographic center of a rectangular neighborhood. The 'hood is about 1 mile long by 3/4 mile wide. No part of the neighborhood is more than 1/2 mile from the school, and there are sidewalks on EVERY road. No major roads have to be crossed (they form the outer boundaries of the neighborhood). There are lots of marked crosswalks and 4-way stops in the hood.

But still, there's two blocks of cars outside the school for pick up and drop off. I don't get it, either.

Now, to get to the middle school kids have to cross a 5-lane road without a traffic light or stop sign (there's one of those "sorta" pedestrian crosswalks with flashing lights, but I'm not betting my kids' life on one of those, watching how folks around here drive), and that school draws from a much larger geographical area. We'll see how things go when the kids are old enough to go there.

 

[donheff]

op do you have any kids? Have you read news lately? You might say the probability is small but what if it is your kid?

I have never read anything that indicates stranger abduction is any more common today than in the fifties. The 24x7 national news cycle inflates the perception of danger. It is like this swine flu nonsense. 13,000 people have died in the US due to seasonal flu so far this year. Yet schools are closed all over because of swine flu with a handful of deaths in Mexico and one toddler in the US - it is unrealistic fear.

I was once stuck behind a school bus on its morning route while it was picking up students. The bus stopped, picked up two children and proceeded less than two hundred yards before arriving at the elementary school where they disembarked.

I was going to suggest that rather than wait in a lengthy queue, the parents could drop the kids off around the corner but I guess that isn't acceptable either.

 

[aaronc879]

Our neighborhood elementary school has a high percentage of walkers, but also a lot of parents drive and drop their kids off. This sort of blows my mind because our school is located in the geographic center of a rectangular neighborhood. The 'hood is about 1 mile long by 3/4 mile wide. No part of the neighborhood is more than 1/2 mile from the school, and there are sidewalks on EVERY road. No major roads have to be crossed (they form the outer boundaries of the neighborhood). There are lots of marked crosswalks and 4-way stops in the hood.

But still, there's two blocks of cars outside the school for pick up and drop off. I don't get it, either.

Based on your description i'm assuming you live in a fairly well-off area. I think, as another person mentioned earlier, it has a lot to do with some parents feeling like "poor people take the bus". I think, for the most part, the people who try to "keep up with the Joneses" are the same people who will drive there kids 1/2 mile to school in a neighborhhood like yours.

 

[Brat]

When my kids were in grade school they walked back and forth to school. I suspect the sitter often walked part of the way but after a certian point they were in clear view for blocks and would have joined up with other students.

Bussing was provided for middle school. It was a mad-house. More than once kids were kicked off the bus for behavior issues. The location was out of the way (for us), car pooling would have been the only practical alternative.

Getting to high school was a slam dunk, the city bus came within two blocks of home and dropped them off at the school door.

With the current cost of fuel I think school districts are taking a long hard look at their transportation policies. The problem is that along the way the districts have designed their programs around larger facilities and as a result serve larger areas which require transportation.