The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment • Hacker News Board

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#111

Post by jerlam » Fri, Mar 14, 2025, 6:00 PM UTC

chungy wrote: post #18

giarc wrote: post #4

I think this article misses the one big problem (as I understand it). It's that schools need to dismiss the kid to their parent. I have family in North Carolina and I understand that cars have the family number displayed, and someone with a radio communicates to the school staff "Car 315 is here", they then find that kid and dismiss them. Just do away with that. When the bell rings, send the kids outside and they wil…

That, and just let kids walk home. It's good for their muscles.

Many of them can't walk home from school. As the article says, most students now live too far away from school (greater than three miles), and many rural/suburban areas have underdeveloped sidewalks and traffic systems.

If three miles sounds like not a big deal, it certainly is when you have short legs, a backpack full of books, and uncooperative weather. I was lucky enough to walk to/from school for most of my schooling. It was only around one mile and it still took 30 minutes. As an adult I would probably balk at a 90-minute commute.

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#112

Post by WorldMaker » Fri, Mar 14, 2025, 6:00 PM UTC

gizajob wrote: post #2

I looked at the author’s Google map view of the 2 miles they couldn’t walk to school, and the enormous grassed area next to the road would have meant I’d be walking that quite happily in the UK.

Rural property owners in the US are somewhat likely to shoot first and ask questions about trespassers only later. In some parts of the country the Road is the only obviously public land. (Even that can't be taken for granted sometimes, as private streets exist in some areas, too.)

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#113

Post by RandomBacon » Fri, Mar 14, 2025, 6:00 PM UTC

newuser94303 wrote: post #70

What about the people that report parents to the police for endangering their children by allowing them to walk/bike to school?

If the child is not in any actual danger, then people who call emergency services or police need to be cited for wasting resources.

Busybodies seem to call because of "what if" things. That child's actual danger is the busybody.

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#114

Post by AStonesThrow » Fri, Mar 14, 2025, 6:01 PM UTC

The weirdest part of my school day was wandering out of the recess lot and trying to find Mom’s car every day. A lot of my classmates were bused in from 15 miles away and we were second-class “townies” but yet, we lived outside the parochial territory. Fifth Estate, I suppose.

Once Dad bought a new car and surprised us by not picking us up in the one we recognized?!

Around 5th grade I had some sort of trauma-drama on the soccer field, needed to call in Mom for a pickup. I didn’t know what a busy-tone sounded like despite figuring out the payphone on campus. I held the receiver to my ear for 10 minutes anxiously hoping Mom would answer.

I believe the rare school bus rides were field trips, and once my friend and I were in the rear, frantically waving and smiling at every other motorist to see how they’d respond, and we failed to cause any accidents

I feel it was a curse on Mom to put so many miles on Soccer Mom Car. Parents couldn’t hardly wait for our maturity and licensing!

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#115

Post by brodouevencode » Fri, Mar 14, 2025, 6:01 PM UTC

Aurornis wrote: post #103

me_smith wrote: post #63

My mom walked me to school until I was in 4th grade. She was a single mom and needed to work, so she decided to let me walk to and from school from then on. I made friends on that walk. 30+ years later, I am still friends with many of them even though we live hours away from each other. I'm not a parent, so I don't know what I don't know; but, I've observed so many kids being shuffled between school, events, "play da…

There's an entire section and even a chart in the article that explains why this is different now In 1969 only about 30% of kids lived too far away from school for walking to be a realistic option. In 2009 (and today) that numbers is around 80%. Walking to and from school is great if you can do it. Most people cannot do it.

Seriously - I'd love to have my kids walk but we are 22 miles away (in a rural area).

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#116

Post by wavemode » Fri, Mar 14, 2025, 6:01 PM UTC

> Likewise, a mom was recently arrested for letting her 10-year-old son walk into town.

That linked article is incredible to me (considering how much I used to walk around at that age).

If our culture becomes so backwards that you will actually be criminalized for letting your kids move around independently, then of course we'll be doomed to car pickup lines forever.

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#117

Post by appleorchard46 » Fri, Mar 14, 2025, 6:01 PM UTC

I just want to highlight this link in the article, about a mother who was arrested because her son walked less than a mile into town (population 370) on his own [0]. Arrested. For putting him in danger.

What a mess.

[0] https://reason.com/2024/11/11/mom-jailed-for-letting-10-year...

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#118

Post by 01100011 » Fri, Mar 14, 2025, 6:01 PM UTC

lvl155 wrote: post #43

Counter point: I used to walk home from school. Got robbed at gun point several times. Jumped for my skin color numerous times. Had a neighborhood buddy who got stabbed three times on his way home and survived. I can go on and on and on. I had to learn to walk an extra 20-30 minutes to avoid these situations. I will never let my kids walk home in 2025. Edit: no one told these parents to drive up for pick up like a dr…

You are raising your kids in a neighborhood that is prone to this level of violence?

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#119

Post by sonburn » Fri, Mar 14, 2025, 6:01 PM UTC

newuser94303 wrote: post #70

What about the people that report parents to the police for endangering their children by allowing them to walk/bike to school?

Came here to say the same. I have seen multiple stories of parents getting arrested for letting their kids walk home long distances.

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#120

Post by samgranieri » Fri, Mar 14, 2025, 6:01 PM UTC

I was driven to school during preschool, kindergarten, and part of grade school, biked or walked in junior high or high school. My kid is in preschool and I drive him or walk him to school. He'll be able to walk to junior high and high school, and will probably take the bus to grade school. I don't mind the pickup line right now.