In grades K-4, my sons walked to their local elementary school. In grades 5 through 8, they walked to this school and then rode a school bus from there.
My biggest gripe with my local high school district is that it does not provide transportation for grades 9-12, thereby encouraging parents to drive their kids to school or to buy them cars. As a suburban kid, I always rode the school bus, except during 12th grade, when I was learning to drive. That year, I drove my father to my school, and then he drove the car from there to his office. When I attended UCLA, I always cycled or rode public transportation, and bought my first car only after I bought my first house, at age 26.
Our challenge as cycling advocates is to convince more people to regard bicycles as a safe, efficient, economical, enjoyable, effective, environmentally friendly transportation alternative. We also need to strive to make cycling safer through motorist (and cyclist) education and legal accountability.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069