I used to walk to school a lot. It was only a mile or so, not a bad walk. I also would also use my thumb to get a ride when I could, especially when I was late. But that as back at the end of the hitchhiking era, which went away in the late 80's, probably a result of the growth of media and the 24 hour cable news channel, which was always hungry for a good abduction story. Of course, my mother never approved of this style of travel.
Walking is just not a common way for kids to get around today. I see parents waiting for the bus with their kids, and basically nobody walking to schools that I pass on my daily drive to work. Certainly there are a lot of reasons for this, many of which we've talked about here. Seems like just getting kids walking again, when and where possible, would be a good thing.
A recent oped piece in the Texas media suggests that getting more kids walking to school again would be a good thing.
It's time we burst kids' bubble. Their insular, climate-controlled cocoons (house, car, school) could use some fresh air. Doing their daily commute by foot would promote both healthier air and healthier bodies. It would help counter the nature-deficit disorder from which many kids are said to suffer. In short, it's time for students to take to the streets for a worthy cause.
