Coming home
Three schoolchildren coming the quick way home from the school in the next town: they will barely touch a road, much less a busy one because of careful use of the Feldwege, surfaced lanes mostly used by farmers working in the fields but closed to cars. For the sake of a few signposts they’ve been turned into a comprehensive network for cyclists. It’s clear that the main purpose is leisure cycling: some are indirect, and apart from the signs, very little has been done in the way of improvement or surfacing, but some, like this one, are straighter than the road between the towns.
But notice as well: these kids are cycling alone. No parents are hovering about in the background for the five kilometres or so they are riding. This is quite normal: children walk or cycle or take public transport to school alone. I used to take this for granted, until I saw this excellent blog in the US, where this particular freedom, it seems isn’t allowed.
Let us for now ignore the fact that a few hundred metres further on a new delivery entrance has been built across this route. and now cyclists are expected to yield to trucks.
4 comments
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May 23, 2010 at 5:33 pm
annalee
How exactly right! In my area the Moms not only follow/walk with the kids they are even carrying the kids backpacks for them! Parents (Moms) talk about reading stories in the news about when kids where bothered or worse then get all worked up. Pretty sad.
May 24, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Andy in Germany
Hello Analee, and thanks for dropping by. We get a bit of that as well, but it’s far from normal and generally discouraged. Fortunately it’s really obvious that it’s safe and people do watch out for each other’s kids. Adults also treat schoolkids with respect, and tell them clearly when they step out of line.
May 25, 2010 at 6:02 pm
anna
I used to cycle to school almost every day when I was between 10 and 14 (before I walked, when I was older I had to take the train because the school was too far off). We were a bunch of children together cycling along main federal roads, without parents and without worries. Despite the fact that there was a school bus! We even had to leave earlier when cycling. But it was way more fun and less stressful
. Missing these times. These days I’m just cycling alone…
May 26, 2010 at 8:19 am
Andy in Germany
Grüße aus Stuttgart Anna, and thanks for dropping by. Unfortunately I was never able to cycle to school because my parents felt it was (a) too dangerous and (b) my bike would probably get stolen. They were unfortunately probably right in bith respects. Perhaps that’s why I want my kids to have that freedom…