It's one thing to look up as you are about to cross the road, notice a van heading your way and decide to walk out in front of it and it's another thing completely when you do the above but drag your kids out with you. This happened on Sunday to us. The woman I am writing about knew full well we had turned into the street as she looked into the van and there was eye contact. You could see her mind ticking away and I said to KT 'she's coming over' just as she stepped out. She whipped the kids to the side and half-heartedly shouted 'stop!' at us, but you know, there would have been no time to have stopped if she had been slower.
Then, there are the parents we saw yesterday, who were merrily striding along, chatting away to each other, and when we turned the corner, there was a little lad of about 3, calling for them and trying desperately to catch them up. He was next to a busy road and they would have had no idea if he ran into the road or got snatched until it was too late. I admit, I have been so aggravated I have put a little distance between the children and myself when out walking - but always when walking through the park and always with them no more than two good strides away.
Other parents who annoy me are the ones who push the buggies out into the road and between parked cars when crossing the road. I know it's possible to cross the road safely with a normal buggy, a tandem one, a double one and a gigantic twin pram, all with small children attached to one hand and without putting the kids into the path of fast moving traffic because I have done it. Your children are not there as a barrier between you and a car, nor are they there as a sympathy thing so cars will let you cross because you can't be bothered to walk your child 20 yards down the road to the zebra crossing.
In light of being annoyed, I trawled through my other blog for the following.
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When I was a nipper, we had The Green Cross Code man, Alvin Stardust and Jon Pertwee (the third Dr Who) tell us how to stay safe on the roads.
Green Cross Code man and Alvin would regularly stop children who were crossing the road dangerously - GCCM even had the ability to make them dematerialise and reappear next to him when they were in danger - and boy he would let them have it. He'd then walk them through the steps of what they should have done.
1. THINK FIRST. Find the safest place to cross, then stop.
2. STOP. Stand on the pavement near the kerb.
3. USE YOUR EYES AND EARS. Look all around for traffic, and listen.
4. WAIT UNTIL IT'S SAFE TO CROSS. If traffic is coming, let it pass.
5. LOOK AND LISTEN. When it's safe, walk straight across the road.
6. ARRIVE ALIVE. Keep looking and listening for traffic while you cross.
The film ended with GCC Man telling the viewers "I won't be there when you cross the road, so always use the Green Cross Code" and it's something that really stuck in my head.
Green Cross Code Man
AKA Dave Prowse AKA Darth Vader (yes, really!)
John Pertwee did the SPLINK film - which stands for
(Find a) Safe (place to cross)
(Stand on the) Pavement
Look (for traffic)
If (traffic is coming, let it pass)
(When there is) No (traffic near, walk across the road)
Keep (looking and listening for traffic as you cross).
So why is this entry under the Grumpy Old Git category? It's simple. People are lazy. It's bad enough watching people step out into moving traffic without looking when they are by themselves, but I have been noticing more and more parents when I am at the girls' school who just don't seem to realise what a bad example they are setting their kids by not teaching them from an early age that to step off the kerb without looking isn't a great idea. Another grouch is mothers (usually) who push their buggies in front off them into the road between parked cars to cross - peering around the car to see if it's safe for them to cross once their child is in the way of oncoming traffic. I will cross a road when it's safe at a crossing without pressing a button if there are not small children about as I wouldn't want them to think that what I do is the right thing, but I have often found that the adult with the child is more than happy to take them across the road without basic precautions. Something I regularly see is the road is busy, but instead of waiting or heading for a crossing, a parent will run across the road when there is a small gap between traffic and drag their child along with them.
Yesterday, I even saw a mother and father, both pushing an occupied buggy out in the road, and leaving a small boy of about 3 trailing after them in the road. They didn't check for traffic or for him - they just merrily strode along, leaving him further and further behind.
It is never too early to teach your children to cross carefully and safely. Small children mimic and making a game out of using the roads and paths along busy roads was the way I taught my children to look out for themselves.
Get Streetwise- website for young children and parents (link lost, will replace later)
Comments
I did all the right things with my kids, (re crossing the road anyway!) only to watch my teenage sons just wander across the road (and our main road is busy and fast) as though they were crossing a deserted country lane.