I am a bit dim

On 03 Mar 2004 20:03:48 GMT, [email hidden]
(dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

How are they going to do this? By charging parents for school bus services that were
previously free.

We can't get a bus at all because we cross a county border on the way to school. Ludicrous. If
all the Caversham kids in Oxfordshire primary schools demanded places in Reading, the LEA would
be doomed.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

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<snippity>

Quoted message said:

I am dim ;-)

The Government moves in Mysterious Ways. It is All Powerful and All Knowing. It's Infinite Wisdom is
beyond the comprehension of the mortal mind. Release your body to the power of The Government. The
Holy fusion of New Labour with Old Conservative will care for and protect you.

hmm, I don't half speak a lot of [censored] sometimes.

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:

Now, I could understand the school runs by car being reduced if free school transport were
*extended* to include more people, and also if such as free training on cycling proficiency
courses was made available, walking buses etc., etc..

Free cycle training is available for schools in Norwich. You should contact your local authority.

John B

On 03 Mar 2004 20:03:48 GMT someone who may be
[email hidden] (dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) wrote
this:-

Quoted message said:

I am dim ;-)

Not really. Government/big business (the same thing, different names) constantly tries to suck the
intelligence out of the population, in order to have submissive people who slump in front of the
television all day where they can be told what to do, except when they drive to buy beefburgers. You
can increasingly see the effect of this in the UK.

However, they have not yet absorbed everyone. Some people are still capable of seeing that the
Emperor has no clothes and saying so. Keep up the good work, it will not win you any rewards from
government/big business but there are other rewards:-)

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

"dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I admit it, but I can't get my head around this one ;-)

Seems the govt is determined to Do Something about the school run, to discourage the use of the
car to transport kids to & from school. Fine, excellent, admirable. I have no problems with this.

BUT

How are they going to do this? By charging parents for school bus services

that

Quoted message said:

were previously free.

It this perhaps a conflict between Central and Local Govt policy? Central Govt complains about
childhood obesity, makes noises about things it thinks people will think are Good Things, or which
it thinks is a Good Thing on which it should exercise a leadership role (in words at least)- while
Local Govt has to pay the costs of Central Govt's idea of a Good Thing, if it wants to do it or has
to, without either being given any or sufficient money for it, or being allowed to raise revenue
(Council Tax) sufficiently to cover the costs. So perhaps Norwich LEA, which has to spend money on
other educational Good Things, or just paying the increased teacher's NI contributions, which were a
Good Thing for Central Govt's Treasury, if not Local Authority budgets, may think it needs parents
to pay to afford to keep running its bus service.

At any rate, I would be surprised if they really do think introducing charges will assist a policy
of their own to do something about the school run, but if that's the case why don't you ask them to
explain it? Maybe even a carefully crafted letter to the local rag might be in order. I'm sure with
your vast experience and previous track record you can pen something suitable ;-).

Rich

The very phrase "the school run" is the problem. There are children who need a lift, but the
majority could easily walk to school except for the "school run". If the name were changed to
the "the child obesity run" then people might change their minds. I used to mostly walk to
primary school, which was about 1.5 miles, back for lunch, back after lunch. I cycled to
secondary school which was 2 miles, back for lunch. Someimes got the bus which was .5 mile walk.
Almost never got a lift.

I was looking at first communion and confirmation school photos recently (1957 and 1962). Groups
of about 70 each. There was NO boy in either photo who nowadays would not be considered rather
skinny. Not one.

Quoted message said:

There was NO boy in either photo who nowadays would not be considered

rather

Quoted message said:

skinny. Not one.

Come along now, eat up them burgers & chips!

Really, I used to walk to my schools too, until High School, which was the free coach ( & odd cycle
later on).

Only ever had a few lifts in, in all those years.

Niv.

Quoted message said:

Free cycle training is available for schools in Norwich. You should contact your local authority.

John B

Not being funny John - but been there, tried that. It may be available in *Norwich* but in *Norfolk*
it's different. I've made phone call after phone call after phone call, been passed from pillar to
post, eventually got in contact with the person "in charge" who told me he was an ex-traffic cop and
he thinks the roads are much too dangerous to cycle on... then went into the big problem being not
enough parents volunteering to take the training to be able to run the courses (as they are run by
volunteers), so I offered my time. I even offered to do it at more than one school, if that was
acceptable. Indeed, the local H*lfords offered to do courses at their place but LA "in charge"
person said this was totally unacceptable to him.

Since then - nada, zilch, diddly-squat.

Cycling training is obviously in safe hands in Norfolk...

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get correct one remove dependency on fame &
fortune h*$el*$$e**nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$

The idea of charging for previously free services as a method of ensuring the "correct" behaviour on the part of parents probably emerged from one of the many "think tanks" that inform Government policy. Unfortunately, the promulgation of such wonderful ideas is a symptom of the HUTA (Head Up The [censored]) disease that the Government is so obviously suffering from.

Do you remember Fat Boy Prescot trumpeting about how New Labour was going to practice "joined up Government"... 😕

Now it seems that following the abject failure of his much vaunted 10 year public transport plan, the Fat Boy is reverting to the tried and tested method of introducing conflicting objectives in the hope that if one target is met (even at the expense of others) it will fool the population into thinking they are competent.

Charging for previously free bus rides to school will of course encourage more parents to load their little lambkins into the people carrier (oh so necessary for families these days - my [censored]!) and trundle the 1.4 miles to school where they will happily queue for about 30 mins with the engine running outside school, and then wonder later on why little Jimmy seems to be asthmatic...

BUT

This will also benefit the Government because more fuel will be purchased, more people carriers will be bought, and all of these things can be taxed. Since healthy people demand less from the State, it is in the Government's interest to make everyone more lardy so they can tax you more to cover the increased demand you put on the health service.

Prescot represents Hull - the fattest authority in the country - 'nuff said 😉

As for free cycle training - a wonderful initiative, but too many blinkered parents would strap the kids bike to the roof of the Renault Espace and then drop the kid off at school with his bike :eek:

Niv said:

Really, I used to walk to my schools too, until High School, which was the free coach ( & odd
cycle later on).

Only ever had a few lifts in, in all those years.

I'm not trying to defend the school run in anyway , but I think it is a complicated situation. There
are a lot of lazy kids, made lazy by their parents; there are also a lot of lazy parents , but there
are also a lot of time strapped parents and time strapped kids. I thought about this this morning...

My wife walked out in August, after a lot of arguing ( and Gethin voting with his feet) the
arrangments have ended up with Gethin staying at home 4 nights a week, being dropped of at home on
the 3 mornings for school , and returning home every night from school ( before leaving for his
mother's 2 nights) . The time that he is being dropped off is getting later and later, but he leaves
the house to walk to his freinds , to then go to the bus stop at the same time every day. I cherish
every moment that he is at home, and I have found myself offereing to give him a lift to the bus
stop ( or to school) recently.

How many other parents find that the time in the car with their children is "extra" time that they
have together?

The School run is a symptom of hypermobility ( to quote the duhgling) and our timepoor society, it's
not going to go away by legislation unless that legislation is so draconian as to affect every part
of our lives.

--
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types jaceeprint.demon.co.ukjaceeprint.demon.co.ukOpen ↗ Stickers, banners & clothing, for clubs,teams, magazines
and dealers.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Marc
I'm not trying to defend the school run in anyway , but I think it is a complicated situation. There are a lot of lazy kids, made lazy by their parents; there are also a lot of lazy parents , but there are also a lot of time strapped parents and time strapped kids. I thought about this this morning...

My wife walked out in August, after a lot of arguing ( and Gethin voting with his feet) the arrangments have ended up with Gethin staying at home 4 nights a week, being dropped of at home on
the 3 mornings for school , and returning home every night from school ( before leaving for his mother's 2 nights) . The time that he is being dropped off is getting later and later, but he leaves
the house to walk to his freinds , to then go to the bus stop at the same time every day. I cherish every moment that he is at home, and I have found myself offereing to give him a lift to the bus stop ( or to school) recently.

How many other parents find that the time in the car with their children is "extra" time that they have together?

The School run is a symptom of hypermobility ( to quote the duhgling) and our timepoor society, it's not going to go away by legislation unless that legislation is so draconian as to affect every part of our lives.

I hadn't considered that side of things, not being a parent I guess I can be a bit selfish about the "school run" 🙁

Sorry to hear about the separation.

How else am I going to display my status and superiority if I don't drive little Tarquin and Sophie
to school in my 4 x 4? The fact that its causing massive traffic headaches in school time is
irrelevant as I'm a selfish [censored] and I can look down on you (literally) in my 4 x 4. Too many
working class people in this NG.

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:

Quoted message said:

Free cycle training is available for schools in Norwich. You should contact your local authority.

John B

Not being funny John - but been there, tried that. It may be available in *Norwich* but in
*Norfolk* it's different. I've made phone call after phone call after phone call, been passed from
pillar to post, eventually got in contact with the person "in charge" who told me he was an ex-
traffic cop and he thinks the roads are much too dangerous to cycle on... then went into the big
problem being not enough parents volunteering to take the training to be able to run the courses
(as they are run by volunteers), so I offered my time. I even offered to do it at more than one
school, if that was acceptable. Indeed, the local H*lfords offered to do courses at their place
but LA "in charge" person said this was totally unacceptable to him.

Since then - nada, zilch, diddly-squat.

So your offer to provide training was refused? That is completely unnacceptable. Norfolk does seem
to have a big problem as the National Cycling Strategy ERCDT report shows. It does state that 19% of
primary school children receive training and that "a secondary school training course is being
considered". Perhaps you should remind them of this and ask what progress there has been. I'd also
suggest you contact Greg Woodford, Cycle Training Officer, at the CTC?

Quoted message said:

Cycling training is obviously in safe hands in Norfolk...

Clearly not.

John B

Richard Goodman said:

"dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:20040303150348.18203.00000689@mb-
m06.aol.com...

Quoted message said:

I admit it, but I can't get my head around this one ;-)

Seems the govt is determined to Do Something about the school run, to discourage the use of the
car to transport kids to & from school. Fine, excellent, admirable. I have no problems with this.

BUT

How are they going to do this? By charging parents for school bus services

that

Quoted message said:

were previously free.

Quoted message said:

It this perhaps a conflict between Central and Local Govt policy?

Of course. This Govt keeps banging on about "joined-up government", but in practice the only way
they have been able to appear to be raising standards without raising costs is to interpret "joined-
up" as "pass the buck".

It worked for five years. Will it work for ten? It all depends on the roosting cycle time of their
chickens, which increasingly detailed and accessible public information keeps shortening.

--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
["]http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

"Gearóid Ó Laoi/Garry Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I was looking at first communion and confirmation school photos recently (1957 and 1962). Groups
of about 70 each. There was NO boy in either photo who nowadays would not be considered rather
skinny. Not one.

There was one "fatty" in my school, and he had a hard time because he stood out. He wouldn't be
noticed at all if transplanted into a contemporary school.

--
Dave...

In article <[email hidden]>,

Gearóid Ó Laoi/Garry Lee said:

I was looking at first communion and confirmation school photos recently (1957 and 1962). Groups
of about 70 each. There was NO boy in either photo who nowadays would not be considered rather
skinny. Not one.

I'd be interested to see the actual studies on which elaborate claims of massive child obesity are
based. I'd say, based on occasional attending of assembly, that there are a dozen or so seriously
overweight children in my kids' schools, from a sample of 630 children. At the headline rates it
should be hundreds. I accept my survey is not scientific, but I doubt it's out by the required order
of magnitude. One does see the odd obese tweenager (especially) about, but I see the occasional
blind person too and I wouldn't extrapolate from that to an epidemic of blindness.

Scare stories of the form ``youth today, dreadful...'' make good media, but the reality is that
society doesn't change anything like as quickly or as radically as is claimed.

And it's interesting to see here on u.r.c that biased accounts of marginal scientific work are
accepted wholesale when they suit the prevailing zeitgeist --- cars are getting more dangerous,
people are getting fat --- but not when BHiT is involved. Scepticism is a good thing for _all_
alleged `facts'.

ian

marc said:

Niv said:

Really, I used to walk to my schools too, until High School, which was the free coach ( & odd
cycle later on).

Only ever had a few lifts in, in all those years.

I'm not trying to defend the school run in anyway , but I think it is a complicated situation.
There are a lot of lazy kids, made lazy by their parents; there are also a lot of lazy parents ,
but there are also a lot of time strapped parents and time strapped kids. I thought about this
this morning...

My wife walked out in August, after a lot of arguing ( and Gethin voting with his feet) the
arrangments have ended up with Gethin staying at home 4 nights a week, being dropped of at home on
the 3 mornings for school , and returning home every night from school ( before leaving for his
mother's 2 nights) . The time that he is being dropped off is getting later and later, but he
leaves the house to walk to his freinds , to then go to the bus stop at the same time every day. I
cherish every moment that he is at home, and I have found myself offereing to give him a lift to
the bus stop ( or to school) recently.

How many other parents find that the time in the car with their children is "extra" time that they
have together?

My wife drives the kids to (or more often from) school once a week or so for a couple of reasons:
First, the kids like it seeing as it's not very often they see it as a treat, and more importantly
for Judi it gives her the opportunity to see other mothers and the teachers at the school gate, and
quite a lot of school-related "networking" goes on there. She only does that for the primary school
child, the school only has 70-odd kids (and no un-odd ones ;-). No point in doing it at the high
school in town, though, it's too big so there'd be no point, so those kids are always on the bus.

The bus to the big school is free, because it's more than 2 miles. We pay 30/50p (1 way/2way) for
the primary school bus because we're closer than 2 miles. It's probably cheaper than driving anyway.

--
Trevor Barton

Ian G Batten said:

And it's interesting to see here on u.r.c that biased accounts of marginal scientific work are
accepted wholesale when they suit the prevailing zeitgeist --- cars are getting more dangerous,
people are getting fat

You are the only person I have ever heard describe the alleged childhood obesity epidemic (and
diabetes, stroke, etc etc) to be 'biased accounts of marginal scientific work'. This seems to be a
remarkably strong condemnation of the research, especially as it is such an isolated viewpoint.

However, you could be right. Have you any evidence to support your view?

James

On Thu, 4 Mar 2004 09:33:40 +0000 someone who may be
[email hidden] (marc) wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

The School run is a symptom of hypermobility ( to quote the duhgling) and our timepoor society,

The interesting thing is that motorisation has not saved people time, despite the claims of the car
lobby. The time spent travelling has gone up as motorisation proceeded, though not as much as the
distance travelled. The number of trips has remained about the same. In summary mass motorisation
has resulted in people travelling further and taking longer, to do the same things.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.