200 fuckin feet. That’s how far both homes are from the bus stop. Your kids can’t walk two doors down to get the bus in the morning and afternoon. What’s with these kids today? They are being raised like veal calves. No playing outside, no climbing trees, no ball play. Nothing. Veal calves. One little girl attempted the long trek on her own but mom insisted upon driving the SUV the long perilous 200’ journey. Even if you insist on being a helicopter you can watch the whole thing from your window. Am I missing something?

Rant off.

It's not just you. I visit some of my relatives and the way they shelter and pamper their kids/grandkids astounds me. Raising a generation that will not be able to do anything.

The Greatest Generation it ain't. Now it's the snowflake generation. I doubt it's being unnoticed by people like Putin, Xi, etc.

Maybe there’s a rule concerning distances? Way back in the early ‘80s, I’d missed my stop and tried to get off the school bus at the next street. The bus driver wouldn’t let me and instead took me to a school all the way across town where I had to wait for my mother to pick me up.

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:
Maybe there’s a rule concerning distances?

Mom and dad rules

Ohhhh... one of my pet peeves: School buses. I fracking hate school buses with all my heart and soul. If somebody gave me a button that would make all school buses magically disappear from the face of the earth (sans passengers, of course) I'd press it without a moment's hesitation.

Those damn things are on the road around here from somewhere around O-dark-thirty through afternoon/evening rush hour. They stop far more frequently than, IMO, they ought to, and they snarl rush hour traffic something fierce.

I watched one, one day, leave a grade school, turn a corner, and stop at a tiny subdivision to let a child off. It was all of about 500 feet from the school to sub's entrance; it was a clear, warm, sunny day; there were sidewalks all the way, and the one intersection had traffic lights and crosswalks. I kid you not.

Lately there was a piece on the local "news" where some neighbour had been complaining of people passing a school bus with its red lights flashing. (Against the law here in Michigan.) They took a video and sent it to the station. "I don't blame 'em," I grumbled.

Did I mention I absolutely hate school buses?

quote:

Did I mention I absolutely hate school buses?

You should live in an area where the VAST majority of the kids in your city/county attend private school in the older and more established closer-to-downtown area. Then instead of a couple school buses you get to drive in with a bazillion parents all carrying 1-2 kids. It's insane. My best weeks here are Spring Break and holidays, my commute is faster and the volume is down by 25-40%. It feels like a Saturday!

In all seriousness, a lot of folks don't have a viable option besides the bus. What would we do with them?

I'm in on the 200' OP rant. On my street I see two kids picked up within site of each other, literally 5 houses apart. WTH??

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
In all seriousness, a lot of folks don't have a viable option besides the bus.

It's not the fact the school buses exist and are used, it's stuff like the incident I witnessed and...

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
On my street I see two kids picked up within site of each other, literally 5 houses apart. WTH??

This ^^^^^

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
In all seriousness, a lot of folks don't have a viable option besides the bus. What would we do with them?

Same schools as I attended. Same travel routes too. I walked. I don’t understand why the little snowflakes can’t walk but I guess that’s another thread.

I think it has more to do with concerns of sick fucks preying on kids. I don't know if it's more legitimate concern or paranoia but I understand it

Same thing here. Every third driveway. And if there is any distance involved, you drive the kid to the stop and then wait with Junior in car till the bus comes. My, how times have changed!
My school bus experiences:
There was something about bus transportation that caused my fellow students to puke. Sometimes on me! Often, the first puke caused chain reaction puking.
Several of my best hand to hand combat lessons took place in the bus environment. Bystanders would join in. Often, my opponent was female. At the cessation of hostilities, the driver stopped the bus and speed ejected all combatants. No matter the location or weather. If I was late to the bus stop and it was pulling away, would my fellow riders alert the driver to stop for me? Nope! They all ran to the back and made hand gestures to me as I chased the bus. I then had to run flat out over to the next street and catch the damn thing after it circled the block. Hitting the bus driver with any thrown object resulted in an immediate full stop and no further movement until the guilty party was identified and booted (literally) off. Leave your belongings on the bus? They disappeared into some kind of bus parallel universe never to be seen again. And my most vivid memory of bus transport? Watching my buddy run to catch the bus and then slip and fall under the rear wheels. He survived, but it crippled him.
I consider my school bus experience good training for today's air travel!

I'll play...

I live on a cul-de-sac that has 4 houses on it. The distance from the adjoining street to the furthest house is probably 200 feet.

The school bus does not stop at the end of our street, they deliver the solo child to their driveway. In the process of doing that they drive on my yard, through the center of the landscaped circle and a neighbors yard as well.

The bus is just too long to navigate our very small cul-de-sac without damaging yards or the center circle.

we live in the boonies. No fear of strangers picking up your kids, etc. And very little traffic. We have one set of parents that drive their kids to the bus (and it probably isn't much farther than 200-300 yards). I agree - it's silly.
Growing up, we walked about 1/2 mile to elementary school and eventually rode our 1 speed bikes. And that subdivision was pretty crowded (but did have sidewalks).

quote:

The school bus does not stop at the end of our street, they deliver the solo child to their driveway. In the process of doing that they drive on my yard, through the center of the landscaped circle and a neighbors yard as well.

I had completely forgotten that BS.

In McKinney TX we had that same action on a cut-de-sace with 3 houses on one side and 2 on the other.

this is why I never would be a parent.

the f.b.i. says that a child under 13 goes missing every 15 minutes , every day of the week , in America.

I'd be going nuts as well.

quote:

Originally posted by nasig:
I think it has more to do with concerns of sick fucks preying on kids. I don't know if it's more legitimate concern or paranoia but I understand it

Just give them Glocks, and let them walk. They need the exercise anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by h2oys:
The bus is just too long to navigate our very small cul-de-sac without damaging yards or the center circle.

I'd have big fracking rocks, small boulders, lining my yard at the street.

I don't have a dog in this fight anymore, but there is an elementary school in my neighborhood. It is a block and a half from my house. the kids walk to the corner of the second street and catch a bus that drives 5 houses to the school entrance.

Yes it's damn near door to door now days. In elementary school I was a "walker", meaning I walked to school. It was probably a little under a 1/2 mile away. The only time we didn't walk was when the snow was too bad. I always wonder if they even have "walkers" anymore.

Semi related... in high school I'd miss the bus and walk to school rather than go tell my dad I'd missed he bus again. lol I'd get there and they'd give me a hard time for showing up 2-3 period. I'd be like.. "I just walked 3 1/2 miles to get here, you should be commending me for even showing up!"

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Ohhhh... one of my pet peeves: School buses. I fracking hate school buses with all my heart and soul. If somebody gave me a button that would make all school buses magically disappear from the face of the earth (sans passengers, of course) I'd press it without a moment's hesitation.

Those damn things are on the road around here from somewhere around O-dark-thirty through afternoon/evening rush hour. They stop far more frequently than, IMO, they ought to, and they snarl rush hour traffic something fierce.

I watched one, one day, leave a grade school, turn a corner, and stop at a tiny subdivision to let a child off. It was all of about 500 feet from the school to sub's entrance; it was a clear, warm, sunny day; there were sidewalks all the way, and the one intersection had traffic lights and crosswalks. I kid you not.

Lately there was a piece on the local "news" where some neighbour had been complaining of people passing a school bus with its red lights flashing. (Against the law here in Michigan.) They took a video and sent it to the station. "I don't blame 'em," I grumbled.

Did I mention I absolutely hate school buses?

Quit beating around the bush and let us know how you really feel.