Some advice on biking to school & using their bike shed.

[Canrider]

Brilliant.
We seem to trust car drivers with less intrusive methods, such as give way markings.

To be fair, there is a speed bump visible in the photo (RHS).

 

[summerdays]

It supposedly is to stop speeding cyclists shooting straight across the road to the next bit of cycle path without stopping and potentially being squished by a vehicle on the road!

But if it is like one on my route, it means that you can have pedestrians and cycles queuing in the road to get through to the path, whilst letting people coming the other way through.

 

[Schmilliemoo]

Just thinking you know, this isn't going to be resolved before the school holidays is it?
What's the betting somebody else on the staff will be in charge of it in the new school year?

 

[Puddles]

Just thinking you know, this isn't going to be resolved before the school holidays is it?
What's the betting somebody else on the staff will be in charge of it in the new school year?

Not unless the Head moves, cos it is her who does it.

However, I do fear "come the revolution" her getting her own back by asking me (apparently it can be parent, teacher, governor or n e one) to be the travel person thingy - which I would have no objection to if I could have all the parents shown the two video's from this http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/this-will-brighten-your-day.132843/ thread and say to them this is what cycling feels like, even as an adult

Then also knife all the tyres of those that make the un-needed car journeys to school lol

 

[Puddles]

[QUOTE 2504228, member: 45"]She might have a point. After all, you want your kids to be safe on the way to school. By badgering, I managed to get the school a bike shelter, and just before we moved and after barraging the school and LA they also installed as zebra crossing on one of the busier roads to the school.[/quote]

From my talks with the LA they are v.v.v. keen to help & do & provide so it would be a shame that for a lack of time or interest by someone that the school did not grab that with both hands and get all they can from it.

From what I have managed to gather the school pays lip service to their requirements to safer routes to schools, makes all the right noises, produces all the paperwork and does nothing to follow it up, this could be a time factor or it could be a lack of interest or a bit of both.

 

[Schmilliemoo]

Not unless the Head moves, cos it is her who does it.

However, I do fear "come the revolution" her getting her own back by asking me (apparently it can be parent, teacher, governor or n e one) to be the travel person thingy - which I would have no objection to if I could have all the parents shown the two video's from this http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/this-will-brighten-your-day.132843/ thread and say to them this is what cycling feels like, even as an adult

Then also knife all the tyres of those that make the un-needed car journeys to school lol

Well at least they'll have somebody normal/sensible on side in that case. I was thinking the head doesn't sound like she wants to back down and moving the problem to somebody else might be the answer hehe.

I think you should adopt a super hero garb for knifing tyres and leave a cars under the windscreen wipers, like a vigilante milk tray lady

 

[stu9000]

From what I have managed to gather the school pays lip service to their requirements to safer routes to schools, makes all the right noises, produces all the paperwork and does nothing to follow it up, this could be a time factor or it could be a lack of interest or a bit of both.

Bit harsh.
My school has been trying to get double yellow lines for years without much help from the council.

My point is that most teachers and school administrators care deeply about kids safety. Sometimes I think they are almost too risk averse.

Maybe they don't know enough about cycling. Maybe they could communicate with you better. but the best way to fix that would be to work with the school rather than pick fights with them .

 

[Puddles]

Bit harsh.
My school has been trying to get double yellow lines for years without much help from the council.

My point is that most teachers and school administrators care deeply about kids safety. Sometimes I think they are almost too risk averse.

Maybe they don't know enough about cycling. Maybe they could communicate with you better. but the best way to fix that would be to work with the school rather than pick fights with them .

I questioned their policy,

she would not answer my questions, apart from to tell me if I didn't like it tough,

then pointed me in direction of LA to speak to,

I spoke to them they said what she was doing was not legal and would speak to them,

the LA people who liaise with the school on safer routes to schools, etc, said themselves, that although they (the school) did a plan in 2008, and did a survey in 2009, they have not followed up on anything.

So no it is not a bit harsh it is what I can gather by what the LA have told me.

How can you work with someone who will not listen at all & who is dismissive & rude & will not even entertain a discussion, and simply says "sod off" but in a slightly more polite manner.

Even after I mailed her, thanking her for her time and apologising if she took umbridge at my initial letter etc, if you like doing an okay lets be grown up, you may have been peed off at my letter and taken it as an attack, and then sent me a snotty mail but hey ho I have spoken to the LA and they will now be contacting you about this, and the school has my support & I am happy to assist anyway I can etc etc

I then get a smug, glad you found the LA helpful letter filled with crap that simply was not true & asking me if I wish to hand my sons bike pass in, which once again was entirely snotty, arrogant & bullying.

But still I am willing to help/assist etc, why? because she may leave that school in x number of years I will have a child in that school for at least another 8 years and looking at family history where every generation has gone to the village school chances are my grandchildren will go there and yes I do subscribe to the if not me then who, no I am not a vigilante but I do believe that if you are not happy about something, you need to do something about it. Cos there is not point in being like a dog sat on a thorn, moaning about it but too lazy to move.

You will, if you have read the whole thread, notice that I have said I have always found the head to be nice prior to this, that she might have had a bad day, that as one poster suggested she may have put the helmet thing in without thinking and was now flapping. I am still willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, perhaps my letter was the 100th one she had received from a parent and she was thoroughly fed up of re-iterating herself, I do not know, perhaps she hates being questioned about something and feels she is all powerful as a Head, I do not know.

I try to be fair to others, but I am a mere Human Being, not some all powerful all knowing being.

I know how long things do take it took 22 years to get a crossing outside the school.

 

[Puddles]

I think you should adopt a super hero garb for knifing tyres and leave a cars under the windscreen wipers, like a vigilante milk tray lady

To be honest I am not sure anything will get parents out of the car school run, I think so many consider time a factor with going on to work & such, I am sure laziness is a factor with some, perhaps smaller children play a part

I really don't know to be honest about the why they go in cars, and I mean that as I do not know their reason for it

 

[Schmilliemoo]

I think sometimes it's habit. Leaving everything to the last minute and thinking you cannot live without a car.
Having just bought a bike I'm hoping my link to the car will be weakened somewhat. I am already quite fit but am open to squeezing more exercise into a day however I can.
I'm thinking the head is also flapping and is digging her heels in in preference to backing down. I also support the idea that if you don't like something don't just whine about it, try to change it, hence my interest in this post

 

[Puddles]

It is about 11 months since we went to 1 car, I do have access to the car when hubby is on nights/days off but now 11 months on I find I rarely use it unless it is somewhere I cannot bike to, I am encouraging not only my self to take longer journeys (up to a 5 mile round trip now for shopping) but my son too he still views some journeys as too far, I am hoping to change that with strawberry picking season, I was not fit when I took up cycling, I still am not, I do not view it as exercise per se, but I enjoy it, it is fun & also my transport.

I found myself having a conversation with a friend recently which would have be unheard of me to say a year ago, she had an epileptic fit due to stress (she has had about 3 in ten years) so has had to surrender her licence for 6 months to ensure her medication is working, her hubby is being posted for 6 months, she has same age small people as me & her hubby thought cycling would be the answer & I said yes get a bike & a trailer you will be able to do 90% of what you do now just as easily & in some cases a lot easier than if you were in a car.

My initial reaction for swapping a car for a bike was - bugger that for a laugh!

 

[Schmilliemoo]

I think you hit the nail on the head, the key is finding something you enjoy that isn't a chore.
I'm a martial artist first, I train a minimum of four nights a week and have just qualified for a world champs. I need to get more cv work into my day and I firmly believe different types if activity lead to the best all around fitness.
I've yet to get to work on the bike but I am determined to crack it next week. I admit I am a bit nervous but hope this will go and eventually I'll be taking the bike everywhere

 

[PocketFrog]

Egg, Nut & Kiwi fruit free school

Jeeeeeeez!

 

[mcshroom]

To be fair, Nutty kiwi eggs does sound rather disgusting

 

[Puddles]

To be fair, Nutty kiwi eggs does sound rather disgusting

To be fair, It is mostly Eggy Kiwi Nuts that are the problem