Walking home from school

I was born in 1980 and remember in my last 2 years of middle school I walked to and from school alone. May have even been from my 2nd year of middle school

Do kids still do this?

In one of the papers today it states that less than 25% of primary school kids walk to and from school alone.

I don't have kids but have no idea of I would let them or not. But I assumed today's world is a great deal safer than in 1990??

I was born in 1980 and remember in my last 2 years of middle school I walked to and from school alone. May have even been from my 2nd year of middle school

No mates even then. V.Sad story.

Reality is one thing, perception another. I wouldn't let my kids walk to / from school on their own when primary school age a few years back. #sadsignofthetimes

No mates even then. V.Sad story.

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I remember walking from infants school at the age age of 8 in 1976. My kids didn't walk home on their own until the age of 11 and that was purely down to road safety. We now live about 400 yd further on from where I did as a kid, and my kids went to the same schools as I did & had pretty much the same walk route. I (we) have never considered "stranger danger" to be a problem in Bitterne Park, but the roads are a nightmare now. The crossing patrols are sporadic & when there isn't one available you take your chances, there's no copper to man the crossings like there were in my day. Worst of all though is the number of parked cars, especially in the immediatte vicinity of the school. Young kids aren't the best at concentrating on passing traffic, especially if they're are in a group, it doesn't take much for them to fall into the road whilst larking about, but if the oncoming traffic can see them it makes a huge difference

My daughter is 8 and walks to school on her own, even on dark mornings; just as I did when I was her age.

Mind you, it is all of about 50 metres to the school gate, at the end of our block, without even a single road to cross. She has 20m of pavement to walk along before the road ends (dead-end) then a path leading into the school gates. At the time she leaves there are dozens of kids on their way to school (aged from 6-18 in that school) with lots of younger kids being taken to the pre-school opposite our house.

In fact, over here, a lot of kids her age make their own way to school - many using public transport. (I wouldn't allow her to do that, even though I do think it would be safe to do so.) In many ways things here are like they were when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s, and I believe it is a LOT safer here than back there (mostly because of the huge police presence - they patrol around our streets in groups of three, and very regularly during school run times).

Oh, and most days she either leaves at the same time as Mrs Minsk or with the 13 year old next door.

My son aged 9 does but my eight year daughter doesnt yet. Its about 1/4 mile with one minor and one majorish road to cross, albeit with a Pelican crossing.

Peoples perceptions of danger are different to reality. Abductions numbers each year are tiny. Road traffic accidents kill far more kids - but mostly when travelling in a car not as pedestrians. Traffic accidents are the lowest since 1926 apparently.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/number-of-people-killed-on-uk-roads-1106774

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-main-results-2011

Used to when I went to the infants - about 7 years old, mum used to cross me over the road outside the house and the lolipop lady used to sort out the busy road opposite the school. At eleven I got the train to school and walked up Hill Lane.

I suspect it is a combination of busier roads, overprotectiveness and parents having more choice about the school their kids attend, that have led to the fall in kids making their own way.

Stranger is an odd concept because statistically you're more likely to be abducted by a relative or a parents friend.

My son aged 9 does but my eight year daughter doesnt yet. Its about 1/4 mile with one minor and one majorish road to cross, albeit with a Pelican crossing.

 

Peoples perceptions of danger are different to reality. Abductions numbers each year are tiny. Road traffic accidents kill far more kids - but mostly when travelling in a car not as pedestrians. Traffic accidents are the lowest since 1926 apparently.

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/number-of-people-killed-on-uk-roads-1106774

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-main-results-2011

A very good friend got hit by a car and killed in Cumbrian way, millbrook in 1991 early in the morning. So guess if I had kids, for that reason alone I would not let them

my son is 8 & gets taken & picked up from school due to the amount of traffic near to the school (mostly mums dropping kids off!)

there is a cut way from near our house to his school but there have been reports of failed abductions & flashers in the past so not keen on that route untill his older.

My 10 year old daughter has for the last two years, but then again it's only about 250m away.

I was walking to school alone from about the age of 6, including walking past a loony bin with the inmates shouting abuse and waving their cocks at you.

In one of the papers today it states that less than 25% of primary school kids walk to and from school alone.

Most of them these days are in people carriers or chelsea tractors.

My kids are 6 and 3 - their school / nursery are in the same road, about 5 miles from our place. They both rudely expect to be driven there AND picked up at the end of the day. Don't know they're born!

Seriously though, I'll be twitchy about them travelling to school without me or their Mum until they're into their teens I should imagine. I'm just one of those parents. It's not that I don't expect to be able to trust them, it's every other **** out there I'll be wary of!

When I was 11 yrs. old (in mid-60s) I used to travel to and from St. Mary's College every day. About half-a-mile walk to Hythe Ferry, ferry ride across the Water, half-a-mile walk to the bus stop at Holyrood, and a 15-minute bus ride through city and Portswood to Bitterne Park. Then back again in the afternoon.

No problem. An adventure every day!

When I was 11 yrs. old (in mid-60s) I used to travel to and from St. Mary's College every day. About half-a-mile walk to Hythe Ferry, ferry ride across the Water, half-a-mile walk to the bus stop at Holyrood, and a 15-minute bus ride through city and Portswood to Bitterne Park. Then back again in the afternoon.

 

No problem. An adventure every day!

Me too - well not the same journey as you, obviously.

I used to travel from Sholing to the former Girls' Grammar school by bus and then, when I was about 13 onwards, I used to cycle that journey (Lances Hill was a killer coming home but great fun going TO school)

Majority of kids at school I work at walk to school, most of years 5 and 6 (9-11) on their own.

I take my kids to school, pick one daughter up from an after school club one night a week, but they generally make their way home on their own.

My neighbour had been running my kids to school when I was in Ireland, but I took over the street school run when I got back. This year, it's both my kids, girl from next door but one and the missus, who also works in the area.

We started letting the kids come home from primary school on their own when they were about nine, part of the plan to get them used to the big wide world.

They certainly didn't range as far as I used to when I was younger, but I'm more worried about traffic than violence, and Liverpool is a much busier city than Southampton.

When I was 11 yrs. old (in mid-60s) I used to travel to and from St. Mary's College every day. About half-a-mile walk to Hythe Ferry, ferry ride across the Water, half-a-mile walk to the bus stop at Holyrood, and a 15-minute bus ride through city and Portswood to Bitterne Park. Then back again in the afternoon.

 

No problem. An adventure every day!

We moved to Shirley for around two years when I was at Cantell. After about six weeks of hell on the buses ( hey, let's not bother going anywhere in a straight line, eh? ) I started walking it. Would relapse onto the bus if the weather was terrible, but generally did it every day.

I still walk to most places when visiting Southampton. Yeah, there are direct buses from Bassett into town, but the walk through the Common is better.

My kids walk with an adult everyday. They are 10, 7 & 5.

The 10yo gets a key at Easter and will start going to & from, by bike, on his own in preparation for secondary school.

Thinking about it I walked to Glenfield School on my own from about 6/7 usually cutting through the woods bordered by Royth Rd, Rossington Ave & Montgomery Rd. Often nipped through the gardens backing onto it at Rowborough Rd instead of going round.

I have 3 boys and the 2 eldest have walked to and from school from the age of 10 (about 3/4 mile each way). The youngest is 8 and he gets dropped part way then walks. They go with their mates and it's pretty safe where I live (grange park).

Unfortunately I no longer live with my kids but that's another story :-(

I went to Secondary School about 3 miles away from where I lived, so I used to get the bus along with several other local kids. Primary and Junior school were just down the road for me, so I used to walk there with my Mum for a few years (she was off work looking after my younger brothers) and then when I was a bit older, by myself.

When I was 11 yrs. old (in mid-60s) I used to travel to and from St. Mary's College every day. About half-a-mile walk to Hythe Ferry, ferry ride across the Water, half-a-mile walk to the bus stop at Holyrood, and a 15-minute bus ride through city and Portswood to Bitterne Park. Then back again in the afternoon.

 

No problem. An adventure every day!

Exactly the same trip, think it was the no 14 bus from Holyrood

When I went to all of the schools I attended I had to walk as we didn't have a car and no suitable buses.

Pinegrove Rd to Sholing infants and then juniors. Secondary school was Woolston Sec Mixed in Portsmouth Road.

Oh yes and I always came home for lunch and then walked back for the afternoon shift.

I went to school out in the wilds of north Ampshire in Silchester a pleasant little village, the Primary School was just over one minor road back in 1969 got taken right to school first day age 5 then to the road on the second day, day 3 went the whole mile from home, of course back then you were Tufty Club road smart and you had badges to prove it.

Once you had cleared Winter half term and the nights started drawing out, going to school took 10 - 15 minutes, going home anything up to 2 hours.................. Especially if it had been raining hard in during the day and there was plenty of puddles to test your Welles in.