public tranport? what a joke!

My 16yr old son is due to start 6th form on thursday. He's got a moped, but his license isn't through yet (Royal Mail lost the first one ), so we assumed he'd go by bus. We live 5 miles out of the town where his school is, only 1/3 of a mile off a main A-road. Hardly out in the middle of nowhere.

There is a bus stop for our village on the main road, which takes about 10mins to walk to. But after checking out the bus timetable online we've discovered that the earliest bus will get him into town at 8.55am & he'll have a 20mins walk from there! WTF?? I can't imagine his teachers being pleased about him being half an hour late every day! Hubby has the car for work and leaves EARLY (works on a farm) so I can't take our boy in. He's talking about pushbiking there and back every day, which I'm not happy about (safety).

I'm taking son to a 6th Form Induction Day tomorrow (getting up at 3am to run hubby into work so I can have the car-oh how I love harvest!) so he's going to tell the school about his predicament & see what they say.

And the Gov expect us all to use buses & tains? ppppppppfffffffftttttttttttt

 

We don't even have a bus. Nearest bus stop is 45 mins walk.

 

ridiculous!

 

I don't want to put a dampener on it - but:....
Is he going to be safer on a Moped than a Bike????

 

I wouldn't be so negative about cycling. Of course, I understand your concern. I cycled for fifteen years on our busy streets (Bristol) including cycling through the city centre every day. As long as he is decisive about what he's doing regarding manoeuvres, I'm sure he'll be fine

 

thanks Freddy

gcc3663, it's moped or nothing out here. At least until he's got a job & can buy a car & driving lessons. My eldest got a moped when she was 16 and she's still riding it at 18. Of course I'll worry, that's what us mums are for.

 

What do you mean by "Licence" a cbt driving licence OR a Road Fund Licence (tax disk)

If it is a Driving licence then you do not need to be in physical possesion of it, just able to produce it within fourteen days
Road Fund licence is different as although same fourteen days to prove legallity They do you for failure to display, which is instant
In reallity so far out of town When did you last see a police car, ?

Jack McH

 

If the first bus reaches the town at 8.55, what time does it pass your stop?

Only 5 miles, the first bus around here is about 6.30am, I think., although I dont use them myself.

 

Jack, I meant his driving license. He has to show it at his CBT so they will teach him the basics. You can't ride a moped on the road without it (unless you passed your driving license before 199?. cops round here love pulling over boy racer & mopeds, quick money you see, so he's not going to take a chance on that.

Pete, the bus timetable doesnt actually say it stops at our village, but it goes through it approx 8.40am.

My son went to his 6th form day (morning), picked his subjects and his form tutor said it'll be ok him being a little late, as long as he signs in.

 

well, he did it. my little dude cycled 10miles today, to and from skl. I just hope the dvla sort his license out before the weather changes

 

It doesn't happen very often, but on this occasion I agree with the logic of the coppers always pulling the mopeds over. Before you all reach for the pitch forks, let me explain

The CBT was intended to ensure that young kids on mopeds have at least the most basic skill, and therefore a slightly increased chance of not killing themselves. However, it is now seen as a legal formality that has to be done in order to reduce the risk of getting done. Many youngsters do their CBT, leave the training centre, and leave everything they learned there too. Then they race each other, and even attempt to wheelie their motorised hair driers (I found out the hard way that you can't wheelie a 50 and still have good control, they just don't have enough power to accurately manipulate the lift, its all or nothing).

Boy racers aside, I fear for the safety of some of these kids. The number of times I've been driving along in moderate traffic and have become aware of a kid on a hair drier tailgating my car, aligned centrally so that if I have to brake, he has no chance of either stopping or taking evasive action before going over my roof. I tend to slow down and do the old 'braking for 2' rule in this situation but many drivers wont (they should, but whether they are right or wrong will be no consolation to someone who's just bounced over the roof). I see them cutting corners thus risking collision with oncoming vehicles, riding in conditions that are just not right for a hair drier (like -10'c with sheet ice for a main road). I think the CBT is just not enough. Its 6 hours of riding round a car park.

I don't wish to scaremonger. I know lads who ride sensibly and stay intact. I just think the coppers, in this situation, are right to keep the pressure on for people to try to get it right because when things go wrong in any motor vehicle situation, they go wrong very, very suddenly. Often there's no time to react, so you have to preempt, and this is the bit that youngsters are often not so good at.

 

I agree, there are some right little twits out there on hairdryers. thankfully (I hope) my boy is sensible.

 

Living amongst a biking nation and a biking family for that matter, I have to reiterate what Clueless has said. The youngsters need this course and more. They need to be aware of the dangers they face when riding too, eg. car doors being opened, drivers pulling out without checking for a bike, it happens all to often and young riders aren't aware of these things.

RandyRos, there are some bigger twits on mean machines too!

I hope your lad stays sensible and safe.

 

thanks. He's just come back from his 2nd day cycling and has decided that the sweating is good because his spots are clearing up