Parents encouraged to use large 4x4's by the government

[dang65]

We've got a Honda FR-V. It's got six seats in two rows, so obviously not a 7-seater, but that suits us fine (2 adults, 4 kids). As it happens, most the time there aren't six people in it, but we've been on long journeys with all of us in there and all the holiday baggage and it's fine, plenty of space.

It's an incredibly bland looking car of course, but a bit more friendly on the eye than the Fiat Multipla which has the same seating configuration. The Honda is like an expanded hatchback.

That IS interesting. Ever thought of setting up in competition with Top Gear

Do you think there might be a gap in the market for Indifferent Gear - a programme aimed at people who aren't really bothered either way about which car they drive?

[threaded]

Do you think there might be a gap in the market for Indifferent Gear - a programme aimed at people who aren't really bothered either way about which car they drive?

Yeah, it's called '5th Gear'

HTH

[Old Greg]

Do you think there might be a gap in the market for Indifferent Gear - a programme aimed at people who aren't really bothered either way about which car they drive?

How about Stop Gear for those of us who are more bothered by other people driving 4x4s

[GreenerGrass]

Yeah, it's called '5th Gear'
HTH

Good one

It is a dreadful pretender to Top Gear. I'd rather watch a Channel 4 documentary about extraordinary rendition or something.

[Paddy]

When I was a kid (one of a family of six) I used to walk on my own a mile to school from the age of six and I cycled from the age of eleven three miles to school. My nephew (age 8 in Germany) insists that he walks to school alone. If the whole family went on a car trip we would hire a car for the special journey.

Parents today want the easy way out. Stick the kids in the 4x4 switch on the in-car video and let them watch cartoons on the way to school. It is obviously too much bother to walk them to school and talk with them on the way.

At school home-time today there was the three car accident at traffic lights, two BMW 4x4s and one Audi 4x4 hitting the back of each other. All of them mothers with kids doing the school run. All the mothers raced out of the cars to hug their little kiddies. All of them lived within half a mile of the school.

On Sunday a 4x4 took a short cut through the pedestrian zone. There has already been on fatality this year in the zone. The driver who should not even have been in that road shout at the pedestrians to get out the f$$$in way. I think there should be a separate driving test the people who want to drive 4x4s. *******, the lot of them!

[oraclesmith]

Well.... I used to walk to school from the age of 5 until I left the 6th form at aged 18. But those were the days when you pretty much had to go to the school which you were in the catchment zone for - which usually meant the one you could easily walk to. Wifey had the same experience.

With the goverment's obsession with kiddy exams (SATS), league tables and Ofsted reports, we've gone for the schools with the best results - which now means we have to ferry our small son to his primary school about 5 miles away and so we have to get there by car. In one of the 4x4's in fact.

The only car accident there recently was a taxi driver who totalled his Mondeo against the school railings - thankfully in the middle of the night.

I've never had anyone protest against my 4x4 because (a) it's not a posh one and (b) we live in the country.

[dang65]

Parents today want the easy way out. Stick the kids in the 4x4 switch on the in-car video and let them watch cartoons on the way to school. It is obviously too much bother to walk them to school and talk with them on the way.

There are people that do this, it's true, but they are a tiny minority. It's because it's such a weird thing to do that it sticks in the mind when you do see it. Kids still flock to school on foot or on buses. Crowds of them all over the place at school time. Primary schools have 'walking buses' and a lot of people use bikes.

What does happen is that people walking or cycling with small children take routes down alleys, back streets, ginnels, across playing fields etc. Anything to stay away from the main roads as much as possible. The people you see doing school runs are the people who are right there with the other drivers in the thick of the traffic. Get out of the car and duck down any side road near a school and you'll suddenly see all the walkers and cyclists which some people seem to think disappeared in the 1970s or something.

At school home-time today there was the three car accident at traffic lights, two BMW 4x4s and one Audi 4x4 hitting the back of each other. All of them mothers with kids doing the school run. All the mothers raced out of the cars to hug their little kiddies. All of them lived within half a mile of the school.

Also, school drop off time is about 08:45 and pick up time is about 15:30. Shouldn't normal working people be at work during those times? It's funny how people say the roads are much clearer during school holidays, but which cars have disappeared from the road at that time? Is it the school run mums at non-rush hour 15:30, or the working dads at rush hour 17:30 who have suddenly gone away on holiday with the family? Seems more likely that it's the second option to me.

I think the school run mum is a myth. Not a complete myth - they do exist - but not to the extent that the press and other drivers make out.

[bobhope]

I do toy with the idea of getting rid of the car - it only gets used once a fortnight on average - probably about 4-5k a year (including driving holidays). Wife not too happy with the idea though

[BrilloPad]

Also, school drop off time is about 08:45 and pick up time is about 15:30. Shouldn't normal working people be at work during those times? It's funny how people say the roads are much clearer during school holidays, but which cars have disappeared from the road at that time? Is it the school run mums at non-rush hour 15:30, or the working dads at rush hour 17:30 who have suddenly gone away on holiday with the family? Seems more likely that it's the second option to me.

I think the school run mum is a myth. Not a complete myth - they do exist - but not to the extent that the press and other drivers make out.

I think its the knock on effects from 15:30 - some parents will go shopping or to after school activities. Some builders (or others on flexi time) leave earlier than 17:30.

I am sure holidays play a part too.

[Ardesco]

Also, school drop off time is about 08:45 and pick up time is about 15:30. Shouldn't normal working people be at work during those times? It's funny how people say the roads are much clearer during school holidays, but which cars have disappeared from the road at that time? Is it the school run mums at non-rush hour 15:30, or the working dads at rush hour 17:30 who have suddenly gone away on holiday with the family? Seems more likely that it's the second option to me.

I think the school run mum is a myth. Not a complete myth - they do exist - but not to the extent that the press and other drivers make out.

Well if you could afford to send your children to a decent school rather than one of those scummy public things you would realise that not all schools finish as early as 15:30, some school kids finish at 18:45 and do Saturday mornings too!!!