Why Kids Should Walk Or Bike To School
L.J. Williamson laments that many parents do not let their children walk, bike, or play outdoors fearing for their safety even as crime rates go down and concerns about childhood obesity-related ailments rise.
"...my son's bike stands alone, always the sole occupant of the school's tucked-in-a-faraway-corner bike rack. When we arrive, other kids look at us in amazement and ask questions like 'Why do you ride a bike?' and 'Don't you have a car?'...Which scenario should provoke more panic: the possibility that your child may become one of the approximately 100 children who are kidnapped by strangers each year, or one of the country's 58 million overweight adults?...The next generation of grandparents won't even need to harangue their progeny with tales of walking seven miles to school in the snow; it'll be impressive enough to say that they walked at all."
- Login or register to post comments
- Email this page
Related News Stories
Bad Mortgages and Gas Prices = Good For Cities? - Jul 01, 2008
Is Urbanism to Blame For Social Alienation? - Jun 30, 2008
Reviving the Lowly Clothesline - Jun 26, 2008
Using Web Mapping For the Public Good - Jun 18, 2008
New Urbanism at 15 - Jun 17, 2008
This opinion sounds like it
This opinion sounds like it came from a parent who is insulated from the reality of parental responsibility. It is great that you don't want your kids or the rest of society to be fat. However, far worse things happen to kids in the real world every day. Yes, there probably were just as many predators roaming around years ago. many of us were fortunate enough to survive these dangers. Even in decent neighborhoods kids have to deal with distracted and wreckless drivers of all ages. Riding a bike to school is cute and progressive until someone's child is road pizza. Respnsible parents everywhere make getting their kids to school safe and on time a priority. They also use the extra time together to connect and get their kids into the right frame of mind to make smart decisions while away from home. I wish your kids good luck.
Turn off Nancy Grace, parents
Our pathetic news media has parents in this country paralyzed. I remember roaming all over our neighborhood from morning till night in the 1980's. No problems.
Recently, we lived in a very safe small town, and our neighbor's kids were not allowed to leave their own driveway! And there were no school bus stops -- each kid was dropped off directly in front of his/her house! Crazy.
Injury and Death by Automobile
Anyone know how many kids get seriously injured or killed in automobile accidents in the suburbs? How does this compare to the abduction and abuse by stranger rates?