Comments on: On their bikes

By: Sparx

Sparx — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:06:04 +0000

er, that was supposed to be ‘ friends aged 8′!

By: Sparx

Sparx — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:05:26 +0000

I used to walk to school with my friends (aged and my brother (aged 5) when I was 7, it was along a country path, one road to cross, in a medium sized village in Somerset back in the early 70s – most of the time one of our parents was along but once in a while we’d go alone. I think that’s about as much as risk as anyone shold take.

A few years back I was riding my motorbike to work when at a light, two very small children tried to run across the road in front of traffic. We all screamed to a halt. I shouted at them; I wanted to scare the living daylights out of them, I wanted them to beg their Mum to come with them next time… children of 8 take risks, children of 5 have little real sense of danger. I understand about wanting to reclaim innocence; I feel there are better ways to do this then risking a child’s life… great post and great responses too.

By: Dulwich Divorcee

Dulwich Divorcee — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:21:01 +0000

Poor Jim, that’s absolutely terrible! Hope he’s ok? A friend here also had a terrible crash recently when a fox went into him – he went straight over the handlebars and was quite badly injured. Glad to see you are one of the edgy bloggers there btw!

By: kerry @ miss power writes...

kerry @ miss power writes... — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:00:49 +0000

my fiancee is 36 years old and was knocked off his bike on Monday morning after a motorist decided to drive into him on a roundabout

jim had right of way, he was wearing a helmet and high-vis jacket

he is also 6ft 2inches tall

and yet the driver did not see him

would i allow my young children to cycle to school on their own?

not a f*cking chance

By: Dulwich Divorcee

Dulwich Divorcee — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:34:21 +0000

I wonder if you would feel ok if you cycled with her? Quite a lot of parents do that and sort of provide a ‘human shield’ for the child. I can’t pretend I do it though!

By: Dulwich Divorcee

Dulwich Divorcee — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:29:15 +0000

Well, maybe Cambridge is a better place to cycle, being flat, having cycle lanes, having loads of keen cyclists and not being …London. There is a road safety course for kids in Dulwich – from age 10. And overweight kids may kill themselves in 30 or 40 years time, but it only takes one lorry to take out that five year old tomorrow. Sorry we don’t agree this time!

By: Dulwich Divorcee

Dulwich Divorcee — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:25:29 +0000

Thanks, Jane, good to get your take on it – so much is down to the individual child and his/her roadworthiness – but is any five-year-old up to that? Yes, sad but true indeed

By: Emma

Emma — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:47:23 +0000

My 7 year old goes to school about a mile away from where we live in rural Leicestershire. No way in hell would I ever, ever allow her to ride to school on her own. I don’t want to be judgmental as I’m quite aware it can be different in each area but I personally couldn’t do it!!!

By: Cycling Addict

Cycling Addict — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:26:36 +0000

Of course he’s not got the road sense if you don’t let him cycle! The sooner kids are exposed to risk the better they learn how to deal with it. I really support these parents. Just feel sorry that they live among such a load of cossetting parents – they’d love living here in Cambridge where lots of children cycle to school. Social services should be chasing the overweight children instead – they are in far more danger.

By: exmoorjane

exmoorjane — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:35:14 +0000

Oh well done for writing this – I thought much the same but couldn’t raise the energy to type yesterday. I don’t even allow my 11 year old to cycle down to the cricket pitch – even though we live in a teeny tiny place. Reason why? He’s not got the road sense and is so easily distracted. Yes, they’re cycling on pavements (but yikes, not good for pedestrians) but even so – I agree it puts a HUGE pressure on the eight year old…
Yup, we all had much freer, easier childhoods – but then is not now. Sad but true.