First Day of school back zoo
Yesterday was first day back to school in my area.
In a 5 mile commute I go by 6 schools, 4 stop signs and 7 stoplights I have not seen some many clueless parents in Yukons, Suburbans, Escalades and the like in ages stop in the bike lane to drop kids off, right hook situations, no turn signals going to have to go in much earlier to avoid this.....and keep my blood pressure down rant over :50: :giver: |
Driving by a school during drop off and pickup times is frightening enough, can't imagine trying to bike it.
Mark |
Parents in school zones are close to being worse of types of drivers. Their behaviour is everything opposite of what kids are taught to behave.
When my kids were old enough to go on their own, I taught them how to ride the bus. |
Word.
It's also really frustrating to participate in it. |
There are a few things I avoid like when college football games let out. :eek:
Is there any way for you to find an alternative route that doesn't go right past the schools? Even a couple of blocks over would make a difference. Or take the off street bike path that leads to the schools. :) |
One place I observe even worse driving is around garage sales. Now that those have restarted it’s just a real mess. It used to be that I could wander around my town and follow the signs and look at stuff pretty comfortably. But NO. Apps like Waze direct people to speed through neighborhoods in search of that special thing. And when you get close the parking means all kinds of nonsense. Now garage sale signs direct me away for safety. Sigh.
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I read an amazing statistic: Out of all the kids who walk to school or ride a bike to school AND get hit by cars, half of them are hit by parents driving their kids to school. So these parents think they are avoiding danger by driving their kids, but really, they are creating the danger they think they are avoiding.
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My son rode his bike most days to middle and high school, and his take was that the last 1/4 mile and the entrance to the school parking lot was always the sketchiest part of the trip due to the impatient and distracted driving.
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Originally Posted by noglider
(Post 22615064)
I read an amazing statistic: Out of all the kids who walk to school or ride a bike to school AND get hit by cars, half of them are hit by parents driving their kids to school. So these parents think they are avoiding danger by driving their kids, but really, they are creating the danger they think they are avoiding.
and add in narrow streets where often one care has to wait for another..... it is challenge..... after work there is a log jam by the churro cart..... I always challenge supporters of autonomous driving to see how they systems would handle this situation....no takers so far. |
Originally Posted by noglider
(Post 22615064)
I read an amazing statistic: Out of all the kids who walk to school or ride a bike to school AND get hit by cars, half of them are hit by parents driving their kids to school. So these parents think they are avoiding danger by driving their kids, but really, they are creating the danger they think they are avoiding.
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I've been hauling my 8yo to school across town these two weeks. He's in a program at another elementary school in our district. In addition to mine there are two other dropoff zoos on the route. Bus has finally been arranged and starts Monday. Instead of driving 7:45-8:45 and getting him 2:15-3:15, I can dump him on the bus at 7:15 and RIDE TO WORK, nor do I need to retrieve him. Oh thank God! Two bike rides a day instead of two gallons of gas in my piggish truck. He does get to ride the bus for twice as long as he was in the car because he is the first/last on the route... sorry sucker! I still do need to come home to get the twins out of the (local neighborhood) kindergarten and then be there when he comes home and WFH the afternoon.
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Originally Posted by squirtdad
(Post 22615080)
I always challenge supporters of autonomous driving to see how they systems would handle this situation....no takers so far. |
Originally Posted by noglider
(Post 22615064)
I read an amazing statistic: Out of all the kids who walk to school or ride a bike to school AND get hit by cars, half of them are hit by parents driving their kids to school. So these parents think they are avoiding danger by driving their kids, but really, they are creating the danger they think they are avoiding.
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
(Post 22615270)
People who describe bicycling as dangerous and prefer to drive are making self-fulfilling prophecies as they become the contributing factor making roads dangerous for all.
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I feel this pain. Yet I'm kind of looking forward to it to be fair, when this weekend and holiday are over, our bike lanes will be infested with commuters, students etc again. The goal is to smoothly overtake and negotiate that traffic at a reasonable pace. (On a Nicolai G13 GPI...)
In the Netherlands we are quite shielded from cars, except for some traffic mixing points. (Crossroads etc.) Despite all that, I can still choose to collide at least twice. (because cars or even cyclist are just not paying attention) These 203/180 rotors have saved me and others in a couple of occasions. I'm doing this commute for just over 20 years, I don't get angry on silly road users anymore, I'm mainly wondering how these people are still alive. :) Good luck in the zoo! |
Originally Posted by noglider
(Post 22615064)
I read an amazing statistic: Out of all the kids who walk to school or ride a bike to school AND get hit by cars, half of them are hit by parents driving their kids to school. So these parents think they are avoiding danger by driving their kids, but really, they are creating the danger they think they are avoiding.
In 2018, in a Toronto suburb, an 11 year old kid who just got out of school was run over by a driver cutting through the neighbourhood to avoid a busy traffic light intersection. Since then, many of Toronto's school zones have had speed cameras, and flashing speedometers to enforce the 40 km/hr speed limit. But those speed enforcement devices aren't going to affect rude and angry parents much since they are already going so slowly. |
no matter how I go to work I can hit a school. but they are all on regular streets. I had a line of cars on the first few days after school started after the pandemic. I was in the bike lane then kids started opening their doors on the right side.
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
(Post 22616781)
In 2018, in a Toronto suburb, an 11 year old kid who just got out of school was run over by a driver cutting through the neighbourhood to avoid a busy traffic light intersection.
Since then, many of Toronto's school zones have had speed cameras, and flashing speedometers to enforce the 40 km/hr speed limit. But those speed enforcement devices aren't going to affect rude and angry parents much since they are already going so slowly. By the way, a few years ago, a study came out that taller vehicles (such as today's monster SUVs) are more injurious to pedestrians. So next time you're car shopping, try to find the shortest car that suits your needs, for everyone's sake. |
Originally Posted by noglider
(Post 22615064)
I read an amazing statistic: Out of all the kids who walk to school or ride a bike to school AND get hit by cars, half of them are hit by parents driving their kids to school. So these parents think they are avoiding danger by driving their kids, but really, they are creating the danger they think they are avoiding.
gm |
Originally Posted by fooferdoggie
(Post 22616796)
no matter how I go to work I can hit a school. but they are all on regular streets. I had a line of cars on the first few days after school started after the pandemic. I was in the bike lane then kids started opening their doors on the right side.
gm |
Originally Posted by noglider
(Post 22615064)
I read an amazing statistic: Out of all the kids who walk to school or ride a bike to school AND get hit by cars, half of them are hit by parents driving their kids to school. So these parents think they are avoiding danger by driving their kids, but really, they are creating the danger they think they are avoiding.
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Originally Posted by noglider
(Post 22617228)
...
By the way, a few years ago, a study came out that taller vehicles (such as today's monster SUVs) are more injurious to pedestrians. So next time you're car shopping, try to find the shortest car that suits your needs, for everyone's sake. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6551924 |
Originally Posted by Daniel4
(Post 22617315)
A few years ago? In Toronto, we're just starting.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6551924 I've been following the Facebook feed of the NYC DOT. Every week, they put out public service announcements, and some of them are reminders about driving safely, some are reminders to drivers that cyclists and pedestrians are vulnerable. And every time one of these goes out, there are tons of people who are hostile to the idea that drivers are responsible. They blame pedestrians and cyclists for all traffic problems and say how they resent how NYC is changing the incentives. We are about to get congestion pricing. We are removing parking spaces and in some cases reducing the number of travel lanes (lanes where motor vehicles can go). What they can't see is that if we manage to reduce the driving in the City overall, the remaining drivers' lives will be improved. But no, they see any immediate impediment to driving an impingement of their god-given rights. Just this week, someone said that removal of some free public parking spaces is illegal. |
Originally Posted by gringomojado
(Post 22617292)
Maybe to avoid getting hit by a car? A cyclist should be able to avoid a peoplestrian better than a driver!
gm |
I am really conflicted about red light and speed cameras. They don't seem to punish the behaviors that are actually problems. The corporations that run them are cash-grabby and connive with the traffic authorities to invent some low-rent tricks that make them more profitable.
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