Swapping a drive for a walk is a great way to get outdoors and reduce the output of dirty pollution into the air. Yet, one school is making that swap hard to do.
In a Reddit post on r/LegalAdvice, a user posted about their frustrations with picking up their kids from school. The user explained that they were told they could not pick up their kids from school unless they were in a vehicle.
The Reddit user, who is the guardian of his nephew, preferred to pick up their kid on foot, since the school is a mere 15-minute walk from home and in a neighborhood with ample sidewalks. Yet, after being told they must pick up kids while in a vehicle, the user reached out to see why this would be a rule.
Many users agreed that the rule did not make sense. "Walk them to school tomorrow and go talk to an admin right away that morning," recommended a commenter. Aside from the rule seeming strange overall, it also takes away from families being able to drive less and have more time outdoors.
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the average amount of air pollution from a vehicle in the U.S. is 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. That is equivalent to 5,070 pounds of coal burned or the energy required to charge 303,677 smartphones. Finding ways to reduce car usage, therefore, is not only good for the planet but also for human health, as exhaust from vehicles worsens air quality.
Time spent outside, especially involving physical activity, is greatly beneficial to human health, specifically in children. Being able to walk a child to and from school offers precious time outdoors and benefits the environment alike.
Commenters on the post urged the original poster to talk with the administration and figure out why such a rule is in place. "There is nothing reasonable about that. … Explain that you live a 15 minute walk from school and need clarification on where to pick up a child," added a user.
"That does not sound right," chimed in another about the vehicle rule.
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