Wednesday, August 29, 2012

You're a bad parent if your kid walks to school?


We've been walking Zari to and from kindergarten. It seemed the most logical of our three options (walk, ride the bus, or drive) since we only live 1 km away. If Zari rode the bus, she'd have to leave the house almost an hour earlier, and she'd get home 1 to 1 1/2 hours later. That adds up to over 2 hours on the bus per day. Driving was out of the question; why drive when our legs are perfectly capable of getting us there?

So far we've enjoyed our twice daily walks. Eric and I switch off walking duty depending on who is teaching that day. We get time with Zari and we get extra exercise. Sounds like the perfect scenario, right?

Yes, except that we have to cross a Death Trap road on the way. It's a state highway that runs through town, and there are no stop signs or stoplights in probably a mile either direction. There's a flashing light that goes on during school hours. This means that cars are supposed to slow down to 25 mph, but no one does. Every time we cross the street, it's like we're inside a giant game of Frogger (this totally dates me!).

I first contacted the school transportation department to inquire about crossing guards. After all, the road where we're crossing is the main entrance into the elementary school and to the county fairgrounds. The reply? They used to supply a crossing guard at that intersection, but not any more. They told me to talk to the police department.

So I met with the chief of police and explained my concerns--that the school no longer provided a crossing guard and that I was having real troubles getting us safely across the street, especially during the morning rush. He sympathized with my situation and said he'd send some patrol cars out in the morning, but otherwise he coudln't do much else. He suggested talking to someone in the state transportation department, since traffic signs on that road are regulated by the state, not by the city.

This morning I spoke to a woman at the state transportation department. I explained our difficulties crossing the road and asked if they would consider doing a traffic survey to put in either stop signs or a stop light. I told her I'd already met with the school transportation coordinator and the police chief, and they both told me they couldn't do much else to help me. Her response:

"You really should have your daughter ride the bus."

I explained that this option made no sense in our situation. We live close to the school, and riding the bus would take an extra 2+ hours out of my daughter's day. Her reply:

"Well, you're the one who's choosing to put your daughter in danger. You're choosing your convenience over her safety. She has a safe option, and that's to ride the bus."

Excuse me?! When did walking your child to school mean that you're a bad, selfish parent? I abandoned any niceties and dropped my polite tone. I said that it was not just a choice between convenience and safety. After all, we're facing major obesity and pollution crises in this country. I feel very strongly that it's an irresponsible choice to put my child on a bus for 2 hours a day, or to drive her to school (as many parents at this school do), when we're perfectly capable of walking. The solution isn't just to put my daughter on a bus; it's to help us find a way to safely cross the street.

Her reply:

"In my town, I have several friends who live across the street from an elementary school, and they all have their children ride the bus because it's safer than crossing the street."

The then told me that she likely couldn't do anything to help me, and to talk to the school and the police again.

Can anyone else see what's wrong with this picture? Is there anything else I can do? (I do have something really subversive up my sleeve...more on that later!)
.

41 comments:

  1. Does anyone else in your area walk? I'd try to get a group of parents together and rotate being the crossing guard. A vest and one of those signs can't be too expensive, right?

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    1. We are the ONLY people walking our child to school (except for 2-3 families who live in the little neighborhood right next to the school). The ONLY ones. Can you believe it? It's in part because there's no support for walking. So everyone drive their kid to school in their big SUVs and meanwhile we have a major obesity crisis and no one is putting up a stink about it!

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    2. If people mostly aren't walking because they're scared of the road then you might still be able to get them on board. I think the next step might be the PTA (or whatever the Canadian equivalent is). Contacting the local news stations is also a good idea; they eat stuff like this up (at least in the US).

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    3. I had a HUGE problem with the parking at my school. Parents park in the crosswallk or back into it(even more dangerouse)when pulling out,they park in the turn lanes and its a one way street, and even in the no parking zone. I put up a HUGE stinky fit!I called everyone likeyou did,but I got the EXACT SAME ANSWERS! Not our problem. So I called every single day for two weeks, sometimes twice, to the superintendents officen and went over it every day! It worked they got a gaurd and cones!
      See if they can put a cross walk in front of the school if there isn't one.
      Is Indianna 25mpi in a school one? In Illinois its 20mpi,and it's a state law you HAVE to stop for someone in a cross walk!
      Take pictures of cars speeding,if there is a cross walk, take pics of cars going through it while you wait. Take a 5 min count of the cars at that intersection and start bugging the police and highway department to radar that section or ut in a stop light, the kind that only turns when the button is pushed by a pedestrian!
      NAGGING is the key,the squeaky wheel ALWAYS gets the grease!

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  2. You tell them! You should send a letter to Lenore of freerangekids.wordpress.org. She's good at making a stink about these kinds of things.

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  3. HOLY SMOKES! That is absolutely insane!!! It's time to rally the neighbor troops and fight the situation. Our neighborhoods all have the 25 mph flashing signs around all public schools. You occasionally see people getting pulled over for speeding, and that's all it takes. Now 99% of the people I see follow the speed limit. That lady is crazy. I agree with you that putting Zari on a bus for 2 hours is not the better option. Good luck with the fight!

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  4. I would write a letter to the newspaper editor and see if there is a story there with any other parents. You can't possibly be the only one who has concerns. Also, there are often open forums here in my town during the town hall meetings where you can voice your concerns in your community. May take awhile, but sounds like you have not only valid concerns, but your rights as a pedestrian should be addressed rather than dismissed.

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    1. I agree - engage your local newspaper to tell the story. I don't know where you live but maybe LA Times?

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  5. That's infuriating. I wish I had some awesome idea to rectify the situation but it seems like you took the correct route. Is there any benefit in a petition from parents at the school? And even though it's a state road do you think a city council person or city planner might be able to help? Jeesh. Darn bureaucracy

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  6. Personally, I think it sounds like there's *a lot* the chief of police could do. There is a 25 mph speed limit sign there. It is not a thoughtful suggestion, but a posted statement of the *law*. That is the job of the police, to enforce the law. And, that law is there to maintain safety of school children, like your daughter. If they would actually start giving speeding tickets in that time frame, the road would be a lot safer.

    With that said, it's not something we would personally be willing to make a huge big stink about. If you can find a group of other parents who are interested in walking to school and then schedule a meeting with the police chief, maybe you'd get better results.

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  7. That is so bizarre. We weren't allowed to ride the bus unless we lived 2 miles away from school. Interestingly enough the bus stop was outside my house even though my house was technically not 2 miles away, so I usually just rode the bus anyway.

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  8. That really sucks...sigh. I hope that you are able to find a solution!!!

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  9. Slate did a series of articles on walking in America a little while back. I didn't read them closely (I got depressed reading the first installment) but perhaps there's something in the articles that might help in your situation? I agree, this is just beyond stupid!

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  10. Some news channels help take up problems. It gives them a story and helps get the job done because no one wants to look bad on t.v. ;) Maybe another option?

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  11. I don't have a suggestion to help, but I do have a suggestion for safety. Each of you carry a red flag and wave it over your head as you cross. It's shown to cut down on pedestrian deaths in Salt Lake City and now they are available at every cross walk.

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  12. I don't understand why there isn't a speed trap there? Does canda have double price tickets in school zones? The us does and the police love waiting just around the corner especially at the random times when the school isn't actually in session. It drives me nuts, but I always slow down. (I got a ticket last year when I thought I was already through the zone, the policeman pulled over two cars at the same time, then on my way back through he was pulling over another group.). I think you should go to a school PTA meeting (parent teachers association, if your school has one, or something similar and get a group of parents interested in having their kids walk to school. I'm sure there is more than just you, but they may be too afraid of their children walking on that road. I know by 4th or 5th grade my mom had to be at work 20 minutes before we got on the bus so we were allowed to wait at a neighbors house. We weren't allowed to walk to school due to lack of safe sidewalks. There was someone who literally lived across the street and had to ride the bus (it was about 100 yards). So stupid. By highschool many of the students just walked anyways since it was faster and they didn't want to have to wait for the middle school to get out as well. (same buses for middle and high school.)

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  13. I read this right on the heels of your last post about the Brazilian women, so I am all fired up. I CANNOT believe what that state DOT woman told you. I don't have much advice except to not take it lying down! I can't wait to hear what you do next.

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  14. Boy, if that lady thinks you're irresponsible now, imagine if she only knew you had your babies at home!!! ;-)

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  15. Ugh. I'm in firm agreement with you on all points and concur with several of the above suggestions (get a news station involved, etc.).

    One thing you might be able to do is get pedestrian flags for that street - on each side of the street there is a bucket of safety-orange or safety-yellow flags. Everyone gets a flag on one side of the street and you wave or hold it out while crossing (kids love this), and then deposit the flag in the bucket on the other side.

    They're common in the Seattle area.
    http://www.kirklandwa.gov/depart/Public_Works/Transportation___Streets/Pedestrian_Flags_-_FAQs.htm

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  16. One option is to meet with the principal, and after giving him a chance to come on board, pull out the "I'm just going to step outside and start calling local news stations" card. And tell him you'll be mentioning him by name on camera. I hoping it doesn't come to that- keep up the good fight!

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  17. Contact SafeKids USA. www.safekids.org They have a program focusing on making the walk to school safe. http://www.safekids.org/educators/host-iwtsd-event-at-your-school/ Our local Safe Kids coalition has done some great advocacy and has had sidewalks built, speed limits lowered and crossing guards stationed near some of our schools.

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  18. Oh. My. Goodness. Even if they can't help, the response was absolutely absurd. I can't wait to hear how this turns out. Please keep us posted. And good for you for trying to work through the proper channels to honor the best choice for your family!

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  19. I would be tempted to go guerrilla,buy some road paint and crosswalk signs, sign up some enterprising prankster art students, and install a crosswalk in the wee hours of the night. There is precedent for this. http://www.good.is/post/the-fake-freeway-sign-that-became-a-real-public-service

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  20. Do you have a Safe Routes to School program in your area? Good for you for walking! I'm totally shocked by the response you received. What about contacting your local Public Health department, and the school nurse, to work on an alternative transportation campaign?

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  21. Haha, safer to ride in a vehicle than cross the street . . . okay, so basically, you're never allowed out of a car for the rest of your life? What a RIDICULOUS argument!

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  22. What the freaking freak?! This is so bizarre. Where I live, you have to live more than a mile from the school to get picked up by bus, and we have one elementary school in town that doesn't even HAVE busses because all the students live within the no-bus area. I cannot believe that they are suggesting that you just put your kid on the bus... I can't even think of another word besides bizarre.

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  23. In what state or province is this happening?

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  24. No suggestions, just wanted to say good for you! Good for you for being committed to walking to school, and also good for you for refusing to waste your daughter's time on the bus. I was a bus kid all through elementary school (legitimately because I lived in the next town), but man oh man did that waste a huge amount of time, to the point that it was something that I recognized as a 7-year-old. Keep us posted! This is RIDICULOUS!

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  25. Do you have a Walking Bus arranged for this school?

    It is a roster of parents who sign up their children to all walk along a nominated route to school from the surrounding area, 1-1.5km radius. Parents take turn supervising the growing group of children and they all walk to the school gate, and home again. There is a companion scheme which spray paints footprints on the footpath route, along with little stop signs at driveways & crossing points etc. It helps children become familiar with roadsigns.

    It may be something your school could look at, for all the reasons you have named. The PTA/ parent council may be interested in setting it up, ask in the school newsletter. - Good luck, stick at it :)

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  26. YES! We are going through this exact thing right now. We live ACROSS the street from a highway where the school is. They have a walk light, but everyone coming out of the school parking lot turns when we are in the crosswalk! I still can't believe that the other parents dropping their children off at school are the ones putting my child in danger! The school provides bus service, but it is also 1 hr. before school starts, and I don't want my son eating the school breakfast (pizza!). We are the only family that walks that I know of. I will be contacting the police department to try and find a solution.

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  27. (didn't bother reading the other comment so excuse me if this has been said)

    It is time you call the local paper. Relay the story, ask them to do a piece. Chances are they will find the topic just as interesting!

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  28. Write your paper. Then write your legislators. Then write your town representatives. Get the PTO involved.

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  29. Putting your child in danger? Excuse me, it’s the drivers putting the children in danger. Whenever I hear someone offer that point of view, I get so angry I could spit. Those who PRESENT the danger are the people who are doing a dangerous thing, not those who EXPOSE themselves to danger. And in your case, the state, city, and school are partners in creating the danger.
    Roads are not just for motor vehicles. Roads are for people who should be able to use them on foot or with any legal vehicle, such as a bicycle or car. If the road doesn’t accommodate all who want to use it, it’s defective.

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  30. Is there Safe Routes to School in Canada?

    Federal program in USA: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/

    Local example from Alameda County, CA: http://www.transformca.org/sr2s

    National Safe Routes network in USA:
    http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/

    I'm so glad you've got a bunch of supportive comments and I hope you are able to rally some other parents and make improvements soon. You've already taken some big steps! Our local Safe Routes folks would be lucky to have a parent like you on their team. Good luck and DON'T GIVE UP!

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  31. Ask for the IDOT womans superior and have her written up! That was degrading!

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  32. I'm so sorry! That is crazy and infuriating! I see no reason why police couldn't make a speed trap there (how could they say there is nothing you can do?) and it's ridiculous to say that Zari should ride the bus. I think a call to a newspaper or tv station might be helpful. For safety for now, I second the red flag idea.

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  33. Oh my lord... insanity! I think you are doing a lovely thing, walking your daughter to school & the extra time with here and the fresh air prior to class are probably wonderful for her.
    The school, local police, and DOT sound like fools. I agree, they tell us about obesity! pollution! lack of parent involvement in kid's lives! and here you are - doing the right thing and trying to safe and they shut you down. Shame on them.
    I live just outside of Chicago and in my community the K-3 School is small & there are No Buses. I'd venture that 70% of the kids walk, a lot of thm being walked over by parents & a lot by themselves. There are crossing guards all around at the intersections, but of those - I'd say 75% are 3rd graders. Only at the busiest intersection is the crossing guard an adult & she appears to by someone's grandmother.
    Ugh, I can'e believe the DOT lady. In the mean time you and your daughter should don conspicuity vests to cross the street. Not fashionable, but very bright!

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  34. Rixa, talk to the school board--Susan Albrecht and Dale Petrie are good options. One au the district could save money on transportation is requiring all kids that I've within a mile of a school to walk to school (and bus to whichever school they go to). I was surprised how few kids walked to Nicholson--Henry rode his bike every day, and we live 3/4 mile away!

    The other option would be to cross at a light...how far out of yur way would it be to cross Market by the train tracks where the light is?

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  35. Any update? Are you using the something subversive up your sleeve?

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  36. UGH This makes me mad. I live across the street from our elementary school, and it's not a busy street at all. My 2 kids walk to school every day. But we are the only ones, even though we live in a residential neighborhood. Even a family who lives on the street behind our house drives their child to school each day, and she's a 5th grader. There is no encouragement for walking anymore. I hope you get the support you are seeking. It is a school zone, and should be the safest area in your town to walk near.

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