Transporting six children by bike

[PamNY]

I am torn between amazement and admiration and then this nagging feeling that it seems...extreme. It is a great example of what is possible, and it makes her happy, so kudos to her for finding her joy, but I would have to have a motorized option for some situations. What if I didn't feel well enough to pedal everyone? What if a little one wasn't feeling well? I wonder if they end up staying home in a lot of situations that someone with a car would be able to go. I wonder if people end up picking up the kids for playdates and soccer practice and gymnastics because they hate to ask her to pedal all six over? I don't think I would want to take my kids out on a bike in all kinds of Portland weather, even in wool and under a tarp. I really wonder if years from now the grown up kids will remember it fondly or wish they could have taken the the car when they had the flu and needed to go to the doctor or get some orange juice. And just the thought of how long it would take to get everyone ready for the excursion makes me want to beat my head against the wall.

I had similar questions. With six kids, there must be many occasions when someone isn't feeling well.

And I also wonder how the kids will feel about this when they are older -- they might end up hating bicycles (especially the one who got strapped on with bungee cords).

[lph]

Well, I know it depends a lot on where and how you live, and I realize that the US is a lot more car-centric than many other places. But still - I grew up without a car, and even though it could be a hassle some times, it never stopped me from socializing or going places as a kid. We have a car now that is mostly used to transport our kayaks or go on vacation with, and I can truthfully say that my son has never been taken by car to a play date or to socialize apart from the occasional family visit to the suburbs on the other side of town. I don't know if they have decent public transport where this woman lives. But to me the only extreme part about it is the number of kids, and the extraordinary bike. But just not using or having a car available isn't extreme to me at all. I'm thinking that people got around, with kids, and had social lives before cars too

Is all of the US really so car-centric that most everyone has to take a car (or bike) to get orange juice or go to the doctor? I have both within a 10 minutes walk, and it's fairly typical of how people live in the outskirts of Oslo.

[Veronica]

I'm thinking that people got around...and had social lives before cars too

For some reason this made me think about my grandparents. When they were courting in 1922 they lived about three miles apart and saw each other only on weekends. He was a farmer and had work to do every day and couldn't walk the 6 miles round trip. I have a copy of a letter he mailed to my grandmother. It's kind of mushy.

It costs him 2 cents to mail it.


Veronica

[lph]

For some reason this made me think about my grandparents. When they were courting in 1922 they lived about three miles apart and saw each other only on weekends. He was a farmer and had work to do every day and couldn't walk the 6 miles round trip. I have a copy of a letter he mailed to my grandmother. It's kind of mushy.

It costs him 2 cents to mail it.


Veronica

Awww That's really cute.

[Crankin]

Unless you live in a city, or near the core of a suburban downtown, you can't walk, ride, or take transit anywhere, especially in rural areas. I suspect this type of lifestyle is more prevalent on the coasts, where there is more infrastructure to support it. I grew up in a "streetcar suburb," only 6 miles from downtown Boston. However, I lived on the edge of the town, so I wasn't within walking distance of any of the 13 village centers. As a 12 year old, I either walked about half a mile to catch a bus to one shopping area, or walked about a mile or mile and a half to catch a bus to the "center." I could catch the T (subway) from either of these locations to get me just about anywhere. I never saw my parents use public transportation, although we only had one car until I was about 5 or 6 and I do remember dropping my dad off at the train on Wednesdays, so my mom could take the car to the store.
Right now, I live just far enough that it is not a short walk to get to Concord center for an errand; at 3.8 miles, it's an easy ride, but I've done the walk a few times, and 8 miles is not a short walk. My goal is that in a few years, we'll move closer to the shopping district, which is flat , and more conducive to riding. However, I know I won't be going to the grocery store there, as I really dislike that store and go to the one in the next town, which is the same distance away (up a big hill to get there).
I definitely do not want to live in a big city, where you have the ability to get anything, at any time of the day, on foot. I would enjoy living near services, in a quieter environment.
I never took either of kids to the store, especially together, until they were close to 5-6 years old. It just wasn't productive for me and caused a lot of stress. Mind you, my kids were pretty well behaved, but they were kids. I went to the store on the way home from work every other Friday, with DH going on the alternate weeks. The kids stayed at daycare until I was done.

[hebe]

I don't think my knees would take all that weight, but kudos to her for doing it. I think it's great that there's one less SUV on the road. Perhaps she gets her groceries delivered? I know I do, it completely revolutionised shopping with a small child. I think she's fortunate to live somewhere where cycling provision is good enough to allow her to do that without feeling at risk and good for her for taking full advantage.

I grew up in a family without a car (and without any bikes or cyclists either). To tell the truth, I couldn't wait to be able to drive to be able to get around a bit better, but as I raise my own family I'm less and less keen on doing short journeys in the car. Yet it's amazing how hard it can be to ride a mile with a child trailer when your destination is through an industrial estate with every other unit some kind of lorry depot. The constant creep of towns and villages outwards does make it harder to find affordable housing that's within easy walk/cycling distance of shops, jobs, schools, doctors etc etc. Small Girl will be going to the closest school to us, which is just over a mile away - that's still quite a distance for a 4year old to walk (but at least is not through an industrial estate). The council for the county where I live has just agreed to re-allocate business development land to housing, which means more people living here and working elsewhere, so more car traffic.

[Grits]

There is a difference between doing something out of necessity and doing it by choice -and doing it with 1 or 2 children vs doing it with six. A lot of things are more manageable with a couple of kids, including taking a taxi!

She is choosing what is, in America, an extreme lifestyle. It doesn't seem that they use any public transportation. (The kids are used to never being in a car. They have never been to the shore because they are limited to 20 miles by bike). She is choosing to have no way to get all of her family anywhere at one time without some kind of special arrangements that it seems they have never made. I wonder how much of this came out of a desire to please her dad, who she didn't develop a relationship with until an adult, and also how her depression figures into it.

[Blueberry]

Is all of the US really so car-centric that most everyone has to take a car (or bike) to get orange juice or go to the doctor? I have both within a 10 minutes walk, and it's fairly typical of how people live in the outskirts of Oslo.

Yes - it really is that car centric. We are unusual - we can walk to a grocery and to a major medical center. But those are 1-2 mile walks, and most people wouldn't even think of doing even that without a car.

Heck, there have been stories about our schools not allowing kids to bike because of safety issues. It's very unusual for kids in my state to be able to walk or bike to school - generally, they are too far away.

[goldfinch]

I wonder if all the pushed back helmets on the kids was so they would photograph better.

[Veronica]

That's the way I see a lot of kids wear them. I think it may just be really hard to fit kids - they fidget, they don't really care if it fits (just let me ride my bike!), they think helmets are dorky - (at least give me a cool color!)

Veronica

[Irulan]

And I also wonder how the kids will feel about this when they are older -- they might end up hating bicycles (especially the one who got strapped on with bungee cords).

Hah. They might hate Oregon because they grew up there, they might hate big families because they are in one.... seriously....