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The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

collegetowns.substack.com

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Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#231
post #162
post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone here should watch the Japanese TV series, Old Enough! . 2-4 year olds are sent out on their own to run errands, etc. Yes, really, 2-4 years old. And they succeed and are fine. https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2011/02/old-enough.html

That wouldn't work in US until the whole culture changes. An individual family may do this, and then someone will call child protective services because there is a lost, unaccompanied child. Happened to my coworker: kids were playing outside and a neighbor called the authorities on them. Not clear if they really thought the kids were in danger, or just did it out of spite, but what ensued was a nightmare of CPS calli…

> The sad part is everyone involved can turn around and claim

As a mandatory reporter if I don't report such a thing I can be put in prison. Many activities now make all adults mandatory reporters (only mandatory reporters are allowed to go camping with scouts). I'm specifically told not to think, if there is any possibility I must report it and let the experts figure out if there is a problem or not.

This of course means the experts have to spend a lot of time/effort investigating where it is obvious there is nothing but they have to get enough evidence of that to close the case. This time is taken away from all the kids that really need help. Note that I have no idea how many kids who need help are discovered this way.

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#232
post #111
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 schoo…

Then have them walk a few blocks to where their parent is parked. There's no reason to have a line of cars idling.

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#233

> 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.

Had to dig around for this but it is quite illuminating: https://www.freerangekids.com/how-children-lost-the-right-to...

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#234
post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>That wouldn't work in US until the whole culture changes. This is one of those things laws are great at. Delete the power of idiot Karens and the culture will return to normal. It works for Utah (and to a point, Texas); it can work for your polity, too. When children are at far greater risk of abuse and abduction by concern trolls and the State, and they very much are in New World countries, your society is broken.

Nice. What laws are you referring to?

"Free range" laws. You search those terms and find a ton of information including which states have them.

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#236
post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

why are schools farther away now? That's interesting.

Nobody wants to pay for teachers. Consequently, they make bigger schools with larger classrooms.

Where I grew up, you had multiple smaller elementary and middle schools eventually feeding into a larger high school.

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#237
post #165
post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really dislike it when Japan is brought up as a comparison with the US, especially when it comes to crime or schooling. The cultures, poverty levels, and crime rates are so vastly different that it's never helpful.

Maybe they are so different because you (and others) won't try to learn from different cultures. If not, probably nothing will change.

There is much to learn from them. However there are dark sides of their culture too. They have high suicide rates, and are very xenophobic (much worse than Trump in the US) for starters. We can learn, but be careful as it isn't always clear which factors you want to emulate are tied to things you don't.

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#238
post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That wouldn't work in US until the whole culture changes. An individual family may do this, and then someone will call child protective services because there is a lost, unaccompanied child. Happened to my coworker: kids were playing outside and a neighbor called the authorities on them. Not clear if they really thought the kids were in danger, or just did it out of spite, but what ensued was a nightmare of CPS calli…

> The sad part is everyone involved can turn around and claim As a mandatory reporter if I don't report such a thing I can be put in prison. Many activities now make all adults mandatory reporters (only mandatory reporters are allowed to go camping with scouts). I'm specifically told not to think, if there is any possibility I must report it and let the experts figure out if there is a problem or not. This of course…

> As a mandatory reporter if I don't report such a thing I can be put in prison. Many activities now make all adults mandatory reporters (only mandatory reporters are allowed to go camping with scouts). I'm specifically told not to think, if there is any possibility I must report it and let the experts figure out if there is a problem or not.

There are some issues here with what you're saying.

Mandatory reporter classifications are a legal construct. Activities can't make people into mandatory reporters. Only some mandated reporters are subject to reporting requirements when off-duty (for example, in many jurisdictions, your scout camp 'chaperones' may well not be obliged to mandatory report. Teachers and HCPs may, however, be. And it may vary for WHAT they are reporting.)

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#239
post #197
post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That wouldn't work in US until the whole culture changes. An individual family may do this, and then someone will call child protective services because there is a lost, unaccompanied child. Happened to my coworker: kids were playing outside and a neighbor called the authorities on them. Not clear if they really thought the kids were in danger, or just did it out of spite, but what ensued was a nightmare of CPS calli…

>That wouldn't work in US until the whole culture changes. This is one of those things laws are great at. Delete the power of idiot Karens and the culture will return to normal. It works for Utah (and to a point, Texas); it can work for your polity, too. When children are at far greater risk of abuse and abduction by concern trolls and the State, and they very much are in New World countries, your society is broken.

> This is one of those things laws are great at. Delete the power of idiot Karens and the culture will return to normal.

How? Those idiot Karens are the ones writing the laws. They get on your state legislature and local town ordinances, and prevent more housing from being built too.

They have no competence and they do everything in the name of "safety", so you can't challenge them with logic or reason.

They are usually very privileged people with plenty of time on their hands so you can't play asymmetric warfare with them and expect to win.

Re: The School Car Pickup Line Is a National Embarrassment

#240
Moved to Germany. Put kids 4 6 in school. School sends letter home: parents, please stop driving kids to school. Walking is part of the experience.

It’s the same all over Europe.

The distance to school is a social choice. But in the US, kids can’t even get off a school bus without a parent waiting

Fear culture and security theater

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