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  1. #16
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    where the wind comes sweeping down the plain
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    5,251

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    Mel- THAT. IS. AWESOME!!! What cool kids!!!
    Check out my running blog: www.turtlepacing.blogspot.com

    Cervelo P2C (tri bike)
    Bianchi Eros (commuter/touring road bike)

    1983 Motobecane mixte (commuter/errand bike)
    Cannondale F5 mountain bike

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    where the wind comes sweeping down the plain
    Posts
    5,251
    OK- so I have to whine/vent for a minute here:

    I want to organize another bike/walk to school day during Bike to Work Week. We organized something on International Bike to School day last October. Most of our kids live too far to walk or bike to school (we are not a neighborhood school) so in the fall I had parents drop off the kids a block away and they walked and that counted. I want to do it again. So I found a safer way that doesn't involve crossing streets (principal was concerned about safety). Apparently that's still too worrisome (it's probably less than .2 of a mile, around the corner on the same block and I have enough teachers out there to monitor). Grrr... organizing this is so much more trouble than it's worth. I don't know that the kids even get anything out of it. I TOTALLY understand her concerns for safety, I really do. I don't want anything to happen, either. It's just in this day and age you have to be so careful to CYA. I'm just disappointed I can't do all the things I want to do because we are such a litigious society now and you have to be so careful. I miss the days of our childhood when we didn't worry so much.

    And then, to encourage our very unhealthy staff to get out and move, I said that any teacher that gets to school under their own power on Friday will get a free breakfast in the teacher's lounge (complete with prize baskets that I'm putting together). I will make them breakfast (pancakes and omlettes). I gave them the option of parking at one teachers house (.5 mile away), the principal's house (less than 2 miles away) or my house (2.7 miles away) and either biking or walking to work. You should have seen the looks. Some of them with kids were like "how will I get my kids to school?" Ummm... I don't know- WALK the .5 mile with them. Even the preschoolers can walk for 10 min- they do it all the time when you take them to WalMart. So far I don't think anyone is going to participate. I overheard someone talking and they didn't like my idea very much.

    Just frustrated. People just cannot see any other way than getting in their car and driving. Not even for one day a year. I realize not everyone wants to ride their bike or walk to school/work everyday, but it's just one day a year.

    Sorry- vent over.
    Last edited by Tri Girl; 05-06-2011 at 08:06 AM.
    Check out my running blog: www.turtlepacing.blogspot.com

    Cervelo P2C (tri bike)
    Bianchi Eros (commuter/touring road bike)

    1983 Motobecane mixte (commuter/errand bike)
    Cannondale F5 mountain bike

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Between the Blue Ridge and the Chesapeake Bay
    Posts
    5,203
    Richmond's is May 20th. It's pretty small, but the city is making great progress.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    324
    @ Tri Girl : So sorry, I can understand your frustrations. My son's school is having a Walk&Bike to school month. He was already and excited, because he either walks (from the ex' which is 1/2 mile away) or bikes (from our house which is 4.5 miles). He then gave up because they don't record miles so they won't be competing in the total miles for each school category. Sometimes the school is the problem.

    Last year, the teacher cars were pretty full the whole time, so much for modeling, huh?

    So, my son and I just enjoy our biking and he knows his total for each month is pretty cool (108 miles combined walking and biking). Good enough for him.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    '89 Bridgestone Radac Dura-Ace | Specialized Ruby, 143
    '92 Bridgestone MB-1 | Specialized Ruby, 143
    '92 Bridgestone MB-1.2 (balloon tire bike) | Specialized Ruby, 143
    '93 Bridgestone MB-5 (my SUB*) | Specialized Lithia, 143


    My blog: Portlandia Pedaler (at Blogger)

  5. #20
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Columbia, MO
    Posts
    2,041
    Tri Girl, the adults are the hardest to change. The kids, especially 8-10 yr olds, are the "low hanging fruit". I found this concept very frustrating because it excludes everyone else. But I also saw it work. And on a personal level it worked too--if you have some easy successes it strengthens you to go after the more difficult ones. So I'd advise either dropping the attempt to get other teachers moving for now, or go ahead with it but expect it to be a complete flop--and don't let that prevent you from trying it again and again and again.

    As far as the other, be persistent. Someone told me a story about one school in Columbia, MO that was particularly resistant to a Walking School Bus even after it had taken off like wildfire in the other schools. They kept asking for over 5 years and finally the principal said yes. What changed her mind is that the coordinator met with the principal personally and was able to address all her concerns. Her major concern was one particular intersection and one particular very busy street. They came up with routes that avoid those spots and she gave permission.

    I can tell that you've had direct conversations with her, but it still probably comes down to communication somehow or other. There may be some concern she has that for some reason she is just not articulating and you have to puzzle out what the real problem is. Or she needs time (months or even years) to get used to the idea. Or evidence that it has worked in other schools. Don't give up!

    I have a selfish reason that I really want you to keep trying. I've been feeling very annoyed lately with some people who claim that "People around here just aren't interested in biking or walking" because they made one or two attempts and they didn't work out. Now if they said "I've tried every year for 20 years, and here's all the things I tried, and here's the data on each year", then I might be convinced that people really don't want to participate in that particular activity. But I won't be convince that people here are so much different than people elsewhere. Anyway, so I want your (eventual) success story to throw back in their faces--er, I mean, I want to use your success story to tactfully and respectfully win them over to trying again!

    GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!
    2009 Trek 7.2FX WSD, brooks Champion Flyer S, commuter bike

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    where the wind comes sweeping down the plain
    Posts
    5,251
    Thanks, Mel! I, too, want success-and to get kids to walk to school or ride regularly. If I didn't have to be at school 30 min. before the kids I would start and lead the walking school bus myself. I won't give up (thanks to your encouragement). I will research other schools in our district (or nearby) that have had success with walking school buses. I will do that over the summer. I *SO* want the kids to get involved (because when they get hooked on something they bug their parents to death until they give in and then a revolution happens).

    Thanks for the encouragement!!!
    Check out my running blog: www.turtlepacing.blogspot.com

    Cervelo P2C (tri bike)
    Bianchi Eros (commuter/touring road bike)

    1983 Motobecane mixte (commuter/errand bike)
    Cannondale F5 mountain bike

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Western Canada-prairies, mountain & ocean
    Posts
    6,984
    Quote Originally Posted by Melalvai View Post
    Tri Girl, the adults are the hardest to change. The kids, especially 8-10 yr olds, are the "low hanging fruit". I found this concept very frustrating because it excludes everyone else. But I also saw it work. And on a personal level it worked too--if you have some easy successes it strengthens you to go after the more difficult ones. So I'd advise either dropping the attempt to get other teachers moving for now, or go ahead with it but expect it to be a complete flop--and don't let that prevent you from trying it again and again and again..................................................................................................

    I have a selfish reason that I really want you to keep trying. I've been feeling very annoyed lately with some people who claim that "People around here just aren't interested in biking or walking" because they made one or two attempts and they didn't work out. Now if they said "I've tried every year for 20 years, and here's all the things I tried, and here's the data on each year", then I might be convinced that people really don't want to participate in that particular activity. But I won't be convince that people here are so much different than people elsewhere. Anyway, so I want your (eventual) success story to throw back in their faces--er, I mean, I want to use your success story to tactfully and respectfully win them over to trying again!

    GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!
    Sometimes one can't help but think that for some people they need a friend or another person to walk along, to divert the initial "difficulty" of walking to school or using alternate transportation.

    But of course, that's not always possible.
    My Personal blog on cycling & other favourite passions.
    遙知馬力日久見人心 Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your horse; over a long period of time, you get to know what’s in a person’s heart.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Western Canada-prairies, mountain & ocean
    Posts
    6,984
    Dearie wrote this up a few days ago:

    http://thirdwavecyclingblog.wordpres...-are-they-for/

    I'm almost afraid to show link to the local group in Calgary.... anyway. Lessons learned from how to make such an event better in future. Hopefully.

    I am aware in Vancouver, the local cycling advocacy group works with a few choice schools where it is the teachers they develop approaches, etc. on bike to school week. It tends to be the occasional school here and there where there are naturally just a few lead teachers who are regular cyclists themselves. But a few high school students with such a program , have been pulled in to volunteer for the large signature event where several thousand cyclists show up for a free BBQ near a bike path in the downtown area. Yes downtown, VAncouver can cyclable in this way if you know the network of bike routes.
    Last edited by shootingstar; 05-10-2011 at 03:23 PM.
    My Personal blog on cycling & other favourite passions.
    遙知馬力日久見人心 Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your horse; over a long period of time, you get to know what’s in a person’s heart.

 

 

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