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Kids Who Get Driven Everywhere Don't Know Where They're Going (2012)

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Re: Kids Who Get Driven Everywhere Don't Know Where They're Going (2012)

#51

Post by smdz »

tristor wrote: post #10
sdan wrote: post #4

This is true to an extent. But at the same time the argument is kind of flawed: can kids safely walk around their neighborhoods nowadays? At least where I lived, the city was nice but there were too many cars and it was unusual to see anyone walking... nevertheless kids walking.

Not sure where you are in the world, but in most of the developed world things have never been safer. So, the answer to your questions is a resounding "yes". Yes, it's safe for kids to walk around their neighborhoods these days.

"too many cars and it was unusual to see anyone walking" means that he is in one of the developed world part, may be suburban parts

As a parent, he may be scared of letting kids out on their own because of all the abuses/crimes/accidents against kids - exaggerated by the media.

And then kids do not have enough reasons to move out and play in the neighborhood in a world full of social media, gaming consoles, and the electronics around them to keep them occupied.

Other parents see that there are no kids out there and they do not send kids out there and it becomes a self-fulfilling cycle.

As a kid I remember being out for 4-6 hours every day with other kids and much more if possible. But as a parent, I do not see many kids out there and my kids ends up with very small amount of play time outside (that too mostly with parents) and it is already hard to get them out once the kids are glued to the electronics.

Re: Kids Who Get Driven Everywhere Don't Know Where They're Going (2012)

#52

Post by flywithdolp »

I traveled with my best friend few years ago in South America

I was usually on the navigation and guiding us from place to place

When we went out for drinks at night he never knew the way back, or even which area we are

I beleive that because in his mind, I'm the one who need to guide us, his brain didn't focus on remembering places and elements on the way that can give him a clue about the way back

Re: Kids Who Get Driven Everywhere Don't Know Where They're Going (2012)

#53

Post by WalterBright »

When I use a navigator, I can't find my way back. If I look up the route beforehand and look at a map, I can.

When I first moved to Seattle, on weekends I would sometimes just aimlessly drive down various roads. I wound up building a mental map of the city that has served me well ever since.

Re: Kids Who Get Driven Everywhere Don't Know Where They're Going (2012)

#54

Post by tasuki »

WalterBright wrote: post #53

When I use a navigator, I can't find my way back. If I look up the route beforehand and look at a map, I can. When I first moved to Seattle, on weekends I would sometimes just aimlessly drive down various roads. I wound up building a mental map of the city that has served me well ever since.

> When I first moved to Seattle, on weekends I would sometimes just aimlessly drive down various roads.

This is so American. I don't know anyone in Europe who would aimlessly drive around. If you have to drive, you drive from A to B and that's it.

I can understand aimlessly walking around or cycling. Walking or cycling, you perceive the smells and the sounds of the city, you can feel the wind, the sun, the rain. You can talk to people on the streets or just observe them. In other words, you're part of the world. Driving, you're locked inside of your comfort box, perfectly isolated from the world around you.

Re: Kids Who Get Driven Everywhere Don't Know Where They're Going (2012)

#55

Post by tarsinge »

james_s_tayler wrote: post #6

I drive myself everywhere and still don't know where I'm going.

Same here. Worst: if I walk with someone, the other person can lead me anywhere and I will have no idea how we got there. Funnily one time I met someone like me, we both realized after 10 minutes that we had no idea where we were going, having walked in auto pilot because we were deep in a conversation.

Re: Kids Who Get Driven Everywhere Don't Know Where They're Going (2012)

#56

Post by Geeflow »

tasuki wrote: post #54
WalterBright wrote: post #53

When I use a navigator, I can't find my way back. If I look up the route beforehand and look at a map, I can. When I first moved to Seattle, on weekends I would sometimes just aimlessly drive down various roads. I wound up building a mental map of the city that has served me well ever since.

> When I first moved to Seattle, on weekends I would sometimes just aimlessly drive down various roads. This is so American. I don't know anyone in Europe who would aimlessly drive around. If you have to drive, you drive from A to B and that's it. I can understand aimlessly walking around or cycling. Walking or cycling, you perceive the smells and the sounds of the city, you can feel the wind, the sun, the rain. You…

I once aimlessly drove around using public transportation in Freiburg, Germany, when I was new in town. "Let's see where that line will take me". It was a fun way of exploring the city.

Re: Kids Who Get Driven Everywhere Don't Know Where They're Going (2012)

#57

Post by WalterBright »

tasuki wrote: post #54
WalterBright wrote: post #53

When I use a navigator, I can't find my way back. If I look up the route beforehand and look at a map, I can. When I first moved to Seattle, on weekends I would sometimes just aimlessly drive down various roads. I wound up building a mental map of the city that has served me well ever since.

> When I first moved to Seattle, on weekends I would sometimes just aimlessly drive down various roads. This is so American. I don't know anyone in Europe who would aimlessly drive around. If you have to drive, you drive from A to B and that's it. I can understand aimlessly walking around or cycling. Walking or cycling, you perceive the smells and the sounds of the city, you can feel the wind, the sun, the rain. You…

In both Berlin and London, I discovered that exploring the city using the subway builds a mental map of the city that is grossly distorted. First off, the subway map of the city is distorted, secondly, you get a very messed up sense of distance when you're rushing through a tunnel.

When I'd walk instead from stop to stop, I was quite surprised at the distorted version in my mind. It was a black field with a circle of illumination around each stop, with no real connection between them. It took walking to fill that in.

I'd walk for miles and miles in London and Berlin, which was quite pleasant but I got rather sore legs from it :-)

Re: Kids Who Get Driven Everywhere Don't Know Where They're Going (2012)

#58

Post by aksss »

megablast wrote: post #45
tristor wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure where you are in the world, but in most of the developed world things have never been safer. So, the answer to your questions is a resounding "yes". Yes, it's safe for kids to walk around their neighborhoods these days.

> Not sure where you are in the world, but in most of the developed world things have never been safer. In the US cyclists and pedestrians are getting killed at a higher rate than ever before. Partly because 50% of people are driving huge trucks and SUVs.

Since you’re not sourcing that it gives me license to speculate that this stat is probably localized (the US is a big place) and not coincidentally to areas where people are also cycling and walking at a higher rate.

Re: Kids Who Get Driven Everywhere Don't Know Where They're Going (2012)

#59

Post by aksss »

sdan wrote: post #20
tristor wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure where you are in the world, but in most of the developed world things have never been safer. So, the answer to your questions is a resounding "yes". Yes, it's safe for kids to walk around their neighborhoods these days.

I live in Cupertino, near Apple HQ. Obviously you can walk around but I rarely see anyone do... and I generally have never seen kids unattended around here (living here for 17 years).

People reporting unattended kids to CPS probably doesn’t help matters.

Re: Kids Who Get Driven Everywhere Don't Know Where They're Going (2012)

#60

Post by KozmoNau7 »

Before I moved to the capital, we visited a couple of times on vacation. We drove everywhere, so while I knew most of the major attractions, I didn't know where they were in relation to each other.

Later, when I moved here, I took the bus and train everywhere, so I knew the rail network and various places in relation to train stations, but not the actual physical layout of the city.

It was only when I got a car and later started biking instead, that it all fell into place for me. It wasn't that I felt lost before, but my navigation was based primarily on train stations and rail lines.

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