I agree all the kids and their parents should be walking
I had to walk 2 miles to the school bus or cycle 5 miles to school when I was 5 years old
My uncle who was 12 was supposed to look after me but he didn't so I did it alone. The gypsies used to frighten and torment me and I didn't have the sense to pull rank and threaten to tell Grandfather whom they relied on for seasonal work
i didn't even dare tell my parents becuase they wouldn't have had any patience with me anyway
how things have changed
When we had snow (I was 11 and the school bus couldn't get through) - we were given a shovel and told to clear the roads
We thought it was good fun
Everybody in society is increasingly lazy and would prefer to drive or take the bus rather than walk, especially when it is freezing cold and the pavements have not been gritted. So we have a choice, take the car or take the bus. I welcome the increasing use of buses by school children and the related reduction in use of cars (mainly SUVs) on the road. The fact that buses are full is a sign of greater use of public transport and consider that the alternative is probably not walking but more cars on the road.
I appreciate that utilised public transport is a good thing but when it is crammed full to the point where safety is an issue (having to stand right against the windscreen) then I think there is a problem.
There is no way private hire coaches would allow schoolchildren to travel without a seat and I think they even need to have belts these days. There are times when I do not feel safe on the P4 bus.
I would love the luxury of walking to work but this is not a realistic option for the majority of people living and working in London.
The last time I was in KCH my Cardiologist turned up at my bedside in his cycling shorts and helmet holding a big carton of coffee
he does the trip to and from Wimbledon every day on a cycle
What's wrong with parents making a small contribution towards bus fares for their children, say between ?7 and ?10 for a weekly ticket? I personally dont believe these kids would be driven to school by their parents instead - especailly if they are alreadt taking the bus.
We are not talking about posh middle-class kids here you know!
I walked to and from school without parental supervision with my own door key from the age of 9. When we had school sports day at Crystal palace we walked from Forest hill school and back. Now I'm not a parent so I don't suffer the same parental anxieties associated with letting children spread their wings but how many of you with kids at a road wary age send/take them to school on foot?
Mine are 5 & 4; we walk to & from school which is a mile away. The 4-year-old is in nursery so that's an additional midday run, meaning he walks 4 miles a day for school runs.
I don't think it does them any harm, but if we had a car I would be tempted to use it.
Sorry, my post seems really irrelevant; I am trying to say that walking is an option, I guess, but I really don't have anything against schoolchildren on buses.
I think the P4 is fantastic, so long as the traffic is flowing freely...used it yesterday morning to get to Brixton in 20 minutes. But I invariably cycle to work in Brixton and pity the passengers, sorry customers, stuck on a stationery P4 on Dulwich Common or through the Village. The south circular can be so unpredictable in the morning peak that you simply cannot predict if you will arive to timetable or an hour later! To me it's a no-brainer: the cycle is king apart from the odd very rare flat tyre you know exactly when you'll arrive at your destination. And it really doesn't rain that much...and my employer gives me a ?9.25 cycle allowance each month!
I am sure the P4 is excellent but this side of the tracks the 356 is our savour.
God bless the 356 and all its crew.
Too true Brian. Our family call it the "community bus". And yesterday I took the 356 at 8:15am to connect with the P4! It is such a joy to have a timetabled service as our local route - it reminds me of growing up in the countryside. It is the only London bus service where I say "thank you driver" when I alight...and 8/10 they nod/grunt an acknowledgment. Viva the 356!
Congratulations to the P4 bus that tippy-toed its way very gingerly through the ice and snow this morning, all the way to Brixton. It definitely had slippy moments, but got there safely in the end!
Congrats to driver of 75 to Catford about 10.30 am. I had been at the stop 40 mins ( just missed 2 ) , the cameraderie at the stop was great except one middle aged femail ( would give her the credit of belng a lady ) who as soon as the bus was sighted came from now here with two children about 8 or so.
I made a comment about nice to see queue etiquette and how the people were at their best in a crisis. She gave me verbal that I should shut up and she had been at the stop first. Everyone else was laughing or smiling so I consider a victory.
The driver should not have let as many as he did on the bus and he drove very well.
At 227 stop in Beckenham a lady said after you to me , she said you were here before me and no one seems to queue.
I take my hat of to that kind lady. This should be normal behaviour but a welcome change from yesterday at 75 stop ( see above ).
Do schools teach etiquette and manners. Is so teachers have made a pigs ear of it.
Nice one Perryman.
No problem with unemployed ( technically I suppose one myself although never claimed any benefit )
Also no problem with children who are well behaved.
Joking aside my main complaint was about a middle aged member of the femail sex who would still qualify to board yor bus. Ignorance and rudeness can appear in all generations.
I know it is amusing but all a serious sympton of lack of respect for others. Fortunately there are some great people out there.The very nice lady in Penge being one.
I shall try my luck with the 75 today.
Thanks Perryman
75 fine today .
I appreciate calling for a return of politeness and etiquette puts me in a minority ( or assumes it does )
You may not be old enough but do you remember when one queued in a strict line then moved in an orderly fashion onto the bus. Guess I am in cloud cuckoo land hoping for a return to more civilised days.
I come from Cloud Cuckoo land as well
It is not only passengers on Brian's side of the tracks who value the 356 bus service. It is always busy along its route via London Road and Sydenham Hill to Wells Park and beyond. Useful also for getting to the Horniman Museum. A real community service with a well planned route which helps connect isolated areas.