Author Topic: Parents are not allowed to walk their kids to school and must be driven in a car  (Read 7503 times)

slappy

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I work in education.

Short answer: The principal lacks the legal authority to determine or dictate your method of travel. Your right to travel is spelled out in the Constitution.

I'd drop a short letter to the school board, and email the superintendent at the district office. That will solve your problem.

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with you, but this approach seems a bit aggressive, at least at first. If the principal isn't willing to accommodate, then sure, maybe involve the school board. It seems to make sense to try to work out a mutually beneficial situation before going up the ladder.

facepalm

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I work in education.

Short answer: The principal lacks the legal authority to determine or dictate your method of travel. Your right to travel is spelled out in the Constitution.

I'd drop a short letter to the school board, and email the superintendent at the district office. That will solve your problem.

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with you, but this approach seems a bit aggressive, at least at first. If the principal isn't willing to accommodate, then sure, maybe involve the school board. It seems to make sense to try to work out a mutually beneficial situation before going up the ladder.
I misread the OP's post--I thought they had done that at this point. I can see I was wrong in assuming.

But after that . . . if they get pushback, you do the exact steps that I have outlined. Short, sweet, minimum fuss. School boards are generally eager to please parents (when possible) as are Superintendents. Superintendents HATE phone calls and e-mails from parents over trivial matters.

The only thing that might throw a wrench in the works is the possibility of the school being a loooong way from the property edge, and having some sort of long driveway that a parent on foot would need to navigate. I wonder if there is something about the site that makes walking an issue.


I'm a red panda

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I work in education.

Short answer: The principal lacks the legal authority to determine or dictate your method of travel. Your right to travel is spelled out in the Constitution.

I'd drop a short letter to the school board, and email the superintendent at the district office. That will solve your problem.

Are preschools public where you live?
There is limited 4 year old pre-K in public schools, but here "preschool" and "3-year old" would denote a private school. They can set any rules they want.  If you don't show up by jet pack, you can't enroll.

Dicey

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Wow, lots of thoughtful answers on both sides of this issue. One idea that pleases the subversive part of my brain is to figure out if there is someplace really close to the school where you can park a car overnight. Walk from home to the car, then drive the last block to school. In the afternoon, walk to the car, drive to school for pick up, drive a block to the overnight parking place, then walk home together. In the morning, walk to the car, drive a block...

It seems as if the school is just using cars as devices for safe spacing. Not a lot wrong with that from their POV. They're trying to protect everyone as best they can in unprecidented times.

shelivesthedream

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Show up with kid in a cargo bike. It's a vehicle, right? :)

Shane

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Show up with kid in a cargo bike. It's a vehicle, right? :)




shelivesthedream

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Show up with kid in a cargo bike. It's a vehicle, right? :)



Sorry, I don't get the joke! Can you explain it?

Shane

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Show up with kid in a cargo bike. It's a vehicle, right? :)



Sorry, I don't get the joke! Can you explain it?

Uhhhh, it's just a photo of a cargo bike with two little kids on the back. Not meant to be a joke.

shelivesthedream

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Show up with kid in a cargo bike. It's a vehicle, right? :)



Sorry, I don't get the joke! Can you explain it?

Uhhhh, it's just a photo of a cargo bike with two little kids on the back. Not meant to be a joke.

Oh right. Seemed superfluous so I assumed I was missing something. Silly me.

Shane

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Show up with kid in a cargo bike. It's a vehicle, right? :)



Sorry, I don't get the joke! Can you explain it?

Uhhhh, it's just a photo of a cargo bike with two little kids on the back. Not meant to be a joke.

Oh right. Seemed superfluous so I assumed I was missing something. Silly me.

Recently, I've been researching cargo bikes, so I had that photo on my computer. I just figured maybe not everyone could easily envision what it would look like to transport kids to school on a cargo bike. Maybe in the UK it's common to see that. Here in the US, where cars are the main form of transport for almost everyone, I've literally, not even once, ever seen anyone transporting children on a cargo bike. Maybe in Berkley or Palo Alto or the Bay Area, cargo bikes are a common sight. Here in relatively conservative middle America, the concept of a cargo bike is not, at all, common.

Eowyn_MI

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Show up with kid in a cargo bike. It's a vehicle, right? :)



Sorry, I don't get the joke! Can you explain it?

Uhhhh, it's just a photo of a cargo bike with two little kids on the back. Not meant to be a joke.

Oh right. Seemed superfluous so I assumed I was missing something. Silly me.

Recently, I've been researching cargo bikes, so I had that photo on my computer. I just figured maybe not everyone could easily envision what it would look like to transport kids to school on a cargo bike. Maybe in the UK it's common to see that. Here in the US, where cars are the main form of transport for almost everyone, I've literally, not even once, ever seen anyone transporting children on a cargo bike. Maybe in Berkley or Palo Alto or the Bay Area, cargo bikes are a common sight. Here in relatively conservative middle America, the concept of a cargo bike is not, at all, common.

I've never seen a cargo bike either (American).  The first thing that I pictured when I read "cargo bike" was a regular bike pulling one of those enclosed trailers with the kids inside.

Psychstache

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Show up with kid in a cargo bike. It's a vehicle, right? :)



Sorry, I don't get the joke! Can you explain it?

Uhhhh, it's just a photo of a cargo bike with two little kids on the back. Not meant to be a joke.

Oh right. Seemed superfluous so I assumed I was missing something. Silly me.

This might be the most charming misunderstanding on the internet. Thank you both for this delightful interaction.

shelivesthedream

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Show up with kid in a cargo bike. It's a vehicle, right? :)



Sorry, I don't get the joke! Can you explain it?

Uhhhh, it's just a photo of a cargo bike with two little kids on the back. Not meant to be a joke.

Oh right. Seemed superfluous so I assumed I was missing something. Silly me.

Recently, I've been researching cargo bikes, so I had that photo on my computer. I just figured maybe not everyone could easily envision what it would look like to transport kids to school on a cargo bike. Maybe in the UK it's common to see that. Here in the US, where cars are the main form of transport for almost everyone, I've literally, not even once, ever seen anyone transporting children on a cargo bike. Maybe in Berkley or Palo Alto or the Bay Area, cargo bikes are a common sight. Here in relatively conservative middle America, the concept of a cargo bike is not, at all, common.

How interesting - your photo looks like a rather peculiar bike to me, actually! Not what I would call a cargo bike at all - hence my assuming it was a joke I was missing. This is a normal cargo bike to me, a two- or three-wheeled bike with an integral box in which one can insert dogs, groceries or children as desired: https://www.christianiabikes.com/uk/product/model-30/#box No freely-waggling legs! I sort of assumed everyone on the MMM forum would know what one was even if they didn't have one themselves.

This might be the most charming misunderstanding on the internet. Thank you both for this delightful interaction.

Most welcome ;)

Shane

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Show up with kid in a cargo bike. It's a vehicle, right? :)



Sorry, I don't get the joke! Can you explain it?

Uhhhh, it's just a photo of a cargo bike with two little kids on the back. Not meant to be a joke.

Oh right. Seemed superfluous so I assumed I was missing something. Silly me.

Recently, I've been researching cargo bikes, so I had that photo on my computer. I just figured maybe not everyone could easily envision what it would look like to transport kids to school on a cargo bike. Maybe in the UK it's common to see that. Here in the US, where cars are the main form of transport for almost everyone, I've literally, not even once, ever seen anyone transporting children on a cargo bike. Maybe in Berkley or Palo Alto or the Bay Area, cargo bikes are a common sight. Here in relatively conservative middle America, the concept of a cargo bike is not, at all, common.

How interesting - your photo looks like a rather peculiar bike to me, actually! Not what I would call a cargo bike at all - hence my assuming it was a joke I was missing. This is a normal cargo bike to me, a two- or three-wheeled bike with an integral box in which one can insert dogs, groceries or children as desired: https://www.christianiabikes.com/uk/product/model-30/#box No freely-waggling legs! I sort of assumed everyone on the MMM forum would know what one was even if they didn't have one themselves.
Thanks for sharing the link! Enjoyed looking at that company's website. Have seen photos and videos of bikes like that in the Netherlands but, definitely, never seen one in the US. Looks like they're mainly based in Europe. The only dealer in the US is in Santa Cruz, California, almost 3K miles west of us.


This might be the most charming misunderstanding on the internet. Thank you both for this delightful interaction.

You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. :)

WaterproofBanjo

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>Here in the US, where cars are the main form of transport for almost everyone, I've literally, not even once, ever seen anyone transporting
>children on a cargo bike. Maybe in Berkley or Palo Alto or the Bay Area, cargo bikes are a common sight. Here in relatively conservative middle America,
>the concept of a cargo bike is not, at all, common.

>Have seen photos and videos of bikes like that in the Netherlands but, definitely, never seen one in the US.

Come to Seattle, you'll see them all over the place.

gatortator

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Maybe in the UK it's common to see that. Here in the US, where cars are the main form of transport for almost everyone, I've literally, not even once, ever seen anyone transporting children on a cargo bike. Maybe in Berkley or Palo Alto or the Bay Area, cargo bikes are a common sight. Here in relatively conservative middle America, the concept of a cargo bike is not, at all, common.

Careful of generalizations.... I can produce examples from middle USA aka fly-over country to counter your claim. I live in one.

Back to OP.  I didn't see a response as to whether you asked if biking was ok.  Both last spring and this fall, all school reverse parades, supply pick ups and child transport instructions for my kiddos have been primarily vehicle based.  We politely asked each time if biking was an ok option and were told yes each time.

So, have you simply asked?
« Last Edit: September 26, 2020, 01:12:10 PM by gatortator »

Hula Hoop

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A friend of mine was in a somewhat similar situation recently.  She had just returned from France and wanted to do a Covid test as their numbers were spiking.  In our city in Italy the only option, it seemed, was for her to go to a drive through Covid testing center --but she doesn't own a car or drive.  So she would have had to have a friend drive her but sharing a car with a person outside her family when she may have been contageous for Covid kind of defeated the purpose.  In the end, she and her child just got the Covid antibody test and it was negative so that solved the problem.  But I'm also a non car owner and it seems absurd to be that I would have to rent a car if I wanted to get a Covid test.

Shane

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Maybe in the UK it's common to see that. Here in the US, where cars are the main form of transport for almost everyone, I've literally, not even once, ever seen anyone transporting children on a cargo bike. Maybe in Berkley or Palo Alto or the Bay Area, cargo bikes are a common sight. Here in relatively conservative middle America, the concept of a cargo bike is not, at all, common.

Careful of generalizations.... I can produce examples from middle USA aka fly-over country to counter your claim. I live in one.

Cool! Glad to know places like that exist, aside from in big cities on the coasts. Where we live, cargo bikes aren't yet a thing. Maybe they'll become one, someday, eventually...

Dicey

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Paging @clarkfan1979, well, what did you decide to do?

GreenToTheCore

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A friend of mine was in a somewhat similar situation recently.  She had just returned from France and wanted to do a Covid test as their numbers were spiking.  In our city in Italy the only option, it seemed, was for her to go to a drive through Covid testing center --but she doesn't own a car or drive.  So she would have had to have a friend drive her but sharing a car with a person outside her family when she may have been contageous for Covid kind of defeated the purpose.  In the end, she and her child just got the Covid antibody test and it was negative so that solved the problem.  But I'm also a non car owner and it seems absurd to be that I would have to rent a car if I wanted to get a Covid test.

Funny you mention that. Our local testing site was drive up, however I showed up on a bike. They set up a lovely seat for me and I got to enjoy the wind through the trees while the cars were all idling inside a tent with no view. Bikes win again!

LiveLean

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We live five doors down from a Catholic K-8 school. We never considered sending our kids there - they went to public school -- but we were told by our neighbors who sent their kids there - and lived two doors closer --  that it was a requirement for you to drive your kids to school. This was pre-pandemic.  The kids could not walk to school alone. So I watched as my neighbor for more than a decade - her girls were two years apart - got in the car line before and after school each day, wasting probably well over 2,000 hours over this span because her kids could not walk about 150 yards to school.

robartsd

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Funny you mention that. Our local testing site was drive up, however I showed up on a bike. They set up a lovely seat for me and I got to enjoy the wind through the trees while the cars were all idling inside a tent with no view. Bikes win again!
Cars idling in a tent: I bet the workers who did your test were happy to get a break from that too.

GreenToTheCore

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Funny you mention that. Our local testing site was drive up, however I showed up on a bike. They set up a lovely seat for me and I got to enjoy the wind through the trees while the cars were all idling inside a tent with no view. Bikes win again!
Cars idling in a tent: I bet the workers who did your test were happy to get a break from that too.
Ya, they were really accommodating.
Kinda nuts how car culture makes drivers oblivious to the surroundings outside their metal box. It was a gorgeous summer day outside and everyone was idling with the windows up.

clarkfan1979

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Paging @clarkfan1979, well, what did you decide to do?

Unfortunately, we are driving the kid to school. I'm trying to figure out if the decision was made by the school principal or someone else higher up in the district. I'm going to wait about one month until everyone is settled and then ask.

Hula Hoop

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A friend of mine was in a somewhat similar situation recently.  She had just returned from France and wanted to do a Covid test as their numbers were spiking.  In our city in Italy the only option, it seemed, was for her to go to a drive through Covid testing center --but she doesn't own a car or drive.  So she would have had to have a friend drive her but sharing a car with a person outside her family when she may have been contageous for Covid kind of defeated the purpose.  In the end, she and her child just got the Covid antibody test and it was negative so that solved the problem.  But I'm also a non car owner and it seems absurd to be that I would have to rent a car if I wanted to get a Covid test.

Funny you mention that. Our local testing site was drive up, however I showed up on a bike. They set up a lovely seat for me and I got to enjoy the wind through the trees while the cars were all idling inside a tent with no view. Bikes win again!

It's nice that they were flexible.  My friend and her kid ride their ebikes everywhere and they asked if they could turn up on ebikes and were told that it had to be a car.  Ridiculous.

solon

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Paging @clarkfan1979, well, what did you decide to do?

Unfortunately, we are driving the kid to school. I'm trying to figure out if the decision was made by the school principal or someone else higher up in the district. I'm going to wait about one month until everyone is settled and then ask.

I live next door to a different elementary school in the same school district as you. Kids are walking to school every day. I don't think it was a district decision.

joleran

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Kinda nuts how car culture makes drivers oblivious to the surroundings outside their metal box. It was a gorgeous summer day outside and everyone was idling with the windows up.

It's partly car culture and partly that most people are really bad drivers checking their cell phones every stop, being ignorant of their surroundings until they want to move in a certain direction, and being unable to anticipate upcoming traffic lights and patterns.  One of life's little pleasures is watching someone zoom past you on the right and slam on the brakes 1 second later because they're heading into a red light.

Laura33

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Kinda nuts how car culture makes drivers oblivious to the surroundings outside their metal box. It was a gorgeous summer day outside and everyone was idling with the windows up.

It's partly car culture and partly that most people are really bad drivers checking their cell phones every stop, being ignorant of their surroundings until they want to move in a certain direction, and being unable to anticipate upcoming traffic lights and patterns.  One of life's little pleasures is watching someone zoom past you on the right and slam on the brakes 1 second later because they're heading into a red light.

Well, to be fair, they might have been trying to protect the people doing the testing.  I always drive with the top down whenever I can.  But when I was sick and went for my COVID test, I put the top up and rolled up the windows, because I realized that I should probably keep my own germs inside my vehicle instead of spreading them around to the testers, who are going to be exposed to hundreds of people like me every day.

Now, people driving with the windows up on a gorgeous 70-degree day -- THAT I don't get.  ;-)

GreenToTheCore

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Kinda nuts how car culture makes drivers oblivious to the surroundings outside their metal box. It was a gorgeous summer day outside and everyone was idling with the windows up.

It's partly car culture and partly that most people are really bad drivers checking their cell phones every stop, being ignorant of their surroundings until they want to move in a certain direction, and being unable to anticipate upcoming traffic lights and patterns.  One of life's little pleasures is watching someone zoom past you on the right and slam on the brakes 1 second later because they're heading into a red light.

Agreed, I had never realized that folks don't look more than a car length ahead of them until I asked my friend why she was rushing to a red light. "Oh, I hadn't seen it yet."
Goes along with the common road cycling phrase "See you at the next red light!"


Well, to be fair, they might have been trying to protect the people doing the testing.  I always drive with the top down whenever I can.  But when I was sick and went for my COVID test, I put the top up and rolled up the windows, because I realized that I should probably keep my own germs inside my vehicle instead of spreading them around to the testers, who are going to be exposed to hundreds of people like me every day.

It would be interesting learn more about the comparison of containing germs between closed vehicles + rolling down windows + mask/no mask  vs  open air + large spacing + mask. Cars aren't air tight so it has to seep out somewhere, maybe the particles are presumed to have fallen before they can escape?
The folks at our testing site were in full suits with independent air sources. That stinks for testers with less PPE and getting blasted from rolled down windows all day.

Now, people driving with the windows up on a gorgeous 70-degree day -- THAT I don't get.  ;-)
:) It would be neat if the radio could play Mr. Rogers' "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" song during the summer!