Friday, October 26, 2012

Driving to the Bus Stop?

I hope this post doesn't spark too much debate but I recently started taking my oldest daughter to the bus stop for school.  And by "taking" her to the bus stop I mean opening the front door and walking down the sidewalk to where the bus stop is.  I don't mean getting in my car and driving her to the bus stop like I have been seeing some other parents do.


I don't mean to criticize...I really don't...but I have to wonder why parents are literally driving a few houses down the street to take their kids to the bus stop?  It's not raining outside.  It's not freezing cold or snowing (yet!).  It's been a pleasant 60-80 degrees the past few weeks.  And I know these very nice people.  They are not handicapped.  They are perfectly healthy and I often see some of them out for walks, jogs and even bicycle riding on a nice fall day.

Sometimes I see them leave the neighborhood in their car so I think "ok, that makes sense, they are on their way somewhere and figured it is just quicker to already be in the car and be on their merry way after the bus comes".  But many times...too many times...they turn around and go back to their homes...literally down the street.

I know not everyone has a "green thinking cap" on and not everyone contemplates the GHG value or carbon impact of everything they do, but there are many reasons other than decreasing the pollution from the unnecessary driving.   Even if they drove their kids to the bus stop in an electric car or hybrid, there is an environmental impact.  They only way to not have an impact is to WALK your kids to the bus stop.  What a concept.  You AND the kids get much needed exercise and you have no negative impact on the environment.  Unless you fart during the walk and contribute some methane gas, though you also typically expel oxygen too, so it's not all bad.

Last time I checked gasoline was over $3 per gallon.  Last time I checked the economy was struggling and people are constantly complaining about the price of gas and how their money just doesn't go as far as it used to or that their income has declined.  Last time I checked we were trying to set good examples for our kids, and get off our butts and stop being couch potatoes. 

So why has taking your kids to the bus stop completely changed meaning to driving your kids to the bus stop?  Some things I just don't understand...

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