You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? Now with 3x more gears...

[Fuzz]

This is why we now have adults who are awful pedestrians. Didn't learn how to do it when young.

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Maybe have them helicopter in

Woah Woah...What are you...an accountant ??

[Wormius]

I also remember there being at least pedestrian crossing lights at intersections near schools. Now you can of have to hope you’re seen in the dark crossing the street. Not made any easier by people that park massive trailers for their landscaping businesses or jacked up trucks near crosswalks - even beyond the legal distance away, it’s tricky to see if someone is about to cross.

[RichieRich]

4-6 calls daily from UK numbers to my cell. I don’t know anyone there.
I answered a couple times… just answered but didn’t speak. Had an immediate hang up.
I don’t understand.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by GGG

Sounds like you would be in the bus radius.

Nope. There is no busing for the school at all as it only serves Lake Bonavista.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by BrolyTheUnholy

I don't care how close we may live to our son's future school (he's only 2), I'll be driving him. Like hell I'll trust Calgary drivers to stop for him on busy streets. Refer back to recent post of how bad Calgary drivers have gotten.

You better accompany him on all his dates with girls. Like hell you should trust a girls these days with their Tik Toks and their MySpace pages with your Prince, right?

[Knut]

Also, Not a Helicopter parent. The Kids can walk/ride their bike to their friends house all they want.

Oldest is hitting JR High next year. He will be busing somewhere.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

The suggestion of walk or bus, but don't drop off, is not realistic given the bussing routes trotted out in our neighbourhood. They have 1 stop, for the entire community. It is so dumb, as walking to the school is almost the same distance for us, some parents drive to the bus stop, so that solves nothing. My kid in grade 6 rides his bike occasionally, but for the younger ones, drop offs are the only realistic option. Not that big a deal and not sure why that would be anyone's gear grinder.

[mrkajz44]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

The suggestion of walk or bus, but don't drop off, is not realistic given the bussing routes trotted out in our neighbourhood. They have 1 stop, for the entire community. It is so dumb, as walking to the school is almost the same distance for us, some parents drive to the bus stop, so that solves nothing. My kid in grade 6 rides his bike occasionally, but for the younger ones, drop offs are the only realistic option. Not that big a deal and not sure why that would be anyone's gear grinder.

When hundreds of parents think this it does become a big deal. That's the problem with lots of major issues these days. Each individual contribution is so small it feels like a drop in the bucket, but all those small contributions add up.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

When hundreds of parents think this it does become a big deal. That's the problem with lots of major issues these days. Each individual contribution is so small it feels like a drop in the bucket, but all those small contributions add up.

Its clear you do not understand the reality of things here. Its just as quick to get to school as it is the bus stop.

Busing in schools is an abject failure.

[Dion]

I had my Escape in the shop earlier this week to get a new windshield and have an oil leak fixed. Today I went to start my other vehicle, Ford Fusion and the battery was dead. When it rains it pours

[DoubleF]

My son is not a stupid pedestrian, but like other parents, I don't trust other adults. My youngest is not a smart pedestrian yet, but she's two. My son has been taught how to keep his sister safe and to teach her how to be a good pedestrian.

That being said, I will likely be driving my kids to school for Elementary. It's not feasible otherwise. The elementary schools are all over 30 minutes walk away. A drive is around 5-7 minutes. This is due to the schools being either farther away, or due to the school being on the other side of a valley from us. Junior high they'll be able to walk, but even if they were not, I'd try and get them to take the bus to learn independence. I look forward to the days where they can walk or bus to and from school independently.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Dion

I had my Escape in the shop earlier this week to get a new windshield and have an oil leak fixed. Today I went to start my other vehicle, Ford Fusion and the battery was dead. When it rains it pours

Trickle charger. Highly recommended!

https://www.amazon.ca/NOCO-GENIUS1-F...s%2C117&sr=8-6

I swear these things used to be like $200-300 bucks so I never bothered. But a great brand in Noco is now only $60 entry level (occasionally drops to around $40-50 on black friday etc.). It's so worth it.

I top up all the batteries prior to cold snaps. I find that it's just as useful if not more useful than plugging in a block heater. Most people are incorrect in assuming that plugging in your vehicle charges the battery. TBH, I'm kinda mad that block heaters don't actually do that.

That or a USB jump starter. I love how I don't have to get another vehicle in place to use the jump starter. I have one for each vehicle now.

[OutOfTheCube]

We purposely bought a house 5-7 minute walk away from both Elementary and Middle Schools. Walk every day (though right now and for a while we have pretty young ones so one of us, usually my wife, walks with them of course).

The middle school, when we get there, you don't even cross a street. Straight 5 min walk down a long long sidewalk. Dandy!

[Cecil Terwilliger]

I make my kids camp in a tent in the field behind the school so they have basically no walk to get there and definitely no cars to worry about. Not only that, it teaches them good life skills like setting up a tent, starting a fire outdoors and hunting/skinning/cooking rabbits for sustenance. Only on school nights though. I let them sleep in their beds on weekends.

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I make my kids camp in a tent in the field behind the school so they have basically no walk to get there and definitely no cars to worry about. Not only that, it teaches them good life skills like setting up a tent, starting a fire outdoors and hunting/skinning/cooking rabbits for sustenance. Only on school nights though. I let them sleep in their beds on weekends.

I endorse your free range concept.
Looking forward to seeing future Fred Flintstones

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Trickle charger. Highly recommended!

https://www.amazon.ca/NOCO-GENIUS1-F...s%2C117&sr=8-6

I swear these things used to be like $200-300 bucks so I never bothered. But a great brand in Noco is now only $60 entry level (occasionally drops to around $40-50 on black friday etc.). It's so worth it.

I top up all the batteries prior to cold snaps. I find that it's just as useful if not more useful than plugging in a block heater. Most people are incorrect in assuming that plugging in your vehicle charges the battery. TBH, I'm kinda mad that block heaters don't actually do that.

That or a USB jump starter. I love how I don't have to get another vehicle in place to use the jump starter. I have one for each vehicle now.

Portable booster packs are awesome. Good reminder to charge them every year or two, though mine always says 90%+


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bc-chris]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

We purposely bought a house 5-7 minute walk away from both Elementary and Middle Schools. Walk every day (though right now and for a while we have pretty young ones so one of us, usually my wife, walks with them of course).

The middle school, when we get there, you don't even cross a street. Straight 5 min walk down a long long sidewalk. Dandy!

this made me think of my parents planning when they bought their very first house, moving from an apartment in mississauga to guelph (ontario).
the "city's official plan" was to build a school at the end of the street, so my parents figured it was the perfect location to raise 3 kids. (my brother was 3, i was 1 and my mom was pregnant with my sister)
my parents bought that house in 1974
my parents sold that house in 1986 and we moved to bc
the school was finally built in 1991

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by GGG

In general you should be banned from dropping off kids and picking them up with vehicles at school.

Kids/parents can walk or if farther than walking distance take the bus. Such a waste of traffic space.

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

The suggestion of walk or bus, but don't drop off, is not realistic given the bussing routes trotted out in our neighbourhood. They have 1 stop, for the entire community. It is so dumb, as walking to the school is almost the same distance for us, some parents drive to the bus stop, so that solves nothing. My kid in grade 6 rides his bike occasionally, but for the younger ones, drop offs are the only realistic option. Not that big a deal and not sure why that would be anyone's gear grinder.

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

When hundreds of parents think this it does become a big deal. That's the problem with lots of major issues these days. Each individual contribution is so small it feels like a drop in the bucket, but all those small contributions add up.

I get that driving kids to school will create traffic issues in that specific locale. What I don’t understand is how that is more of “a waste of traffic space”. Not sure why driving to work/gym/grocery store/whatever should be somehow more valuable than driving a small kid to school.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by GGG

In general you should be banned from dropping off kids and picking them up with vehicles at school.

Kids/parents can walk or if farther than walking distance take the bus. Such a waste of traffic space.

My kids go to a second-language program a few neighbourhoods over. It's an 8 minute drive, or a 30 minute bus ride, which (when it comes) leaves from a place about a 5 minute drive from our house. Neither the bus stop nor the school are walkable, and the busses are cancelled quite frequently due to staffing shortages.

My kids' schooling is more important than a huge number of stupid things people do with their vehicles.