banned with my bike from daughter's school

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Yogactive
Posts: 13
Joined: 5 Nov 2013, 12:04pm
Location: Havering

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by Yogactive »

BeeKeeper wrote:OK, you have 3 arms, two to lift your daughter out and one to hold the bike. But more seriously, if you want a fight go for it but it may all end in tears and they may not be yours. I would get a descent kickstand for your bike plus a lock and unload the bike outside the school on the pavement.

please join me on a day before making judgements... about my 3 arms- I have a very good technique I used for the last 10 years with my children... right arms hug them under lift out of seat left hand on bike plus my thighs a gridlock the bike from both sides. I do have locks- thank you very much. I would lock the bike if there was ANYWHERE a place to look it outside out of others' way. Lots of lovely kicks in the face I am getting from this group instead of actual advice how to solve this issue.
My main is: 1. taking my daughter to school on an environmentally friendly way
2. setting a positive example
3. reducing traffic around the schools
4. bring bike awareness to my school
5.encourage others to join cycling
6. make my school join bikeability and School Travel Plan, Cycling Scheme
7. get bike rails in or outside the school - just like all the other Havering schools
Mark1978
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Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by Mark1978 »

Yogactive wrote:Lots of lovely kicks in the face I am getting from this group instead of actual advice how to solve this issue.


I don't see that at all, people are making suggestions, indeed it is *you* who are throwing it back in our faces, disappointing indeed.
The Mechanic
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Joined: 23 Jul 2010, 1:38pm
Location: Scotland

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by The Mechanic »

I am reluctant to get involved in a specific situation like this but, a a Chartered H&S professional, I feel I need to inject some sanity into this discussion.

It seems that the OP is being asked not to bring his bike onto school premises. He has, however, used arguments suggesting that he is being prevented from using his bike to take his daughter to school. This is clearly not the case. I see no reason why he cannot dismount his child outside the gates, as the car drivers do, and send her off through the gate into school. Job done.

As far as risk assessment is concerned, the Head is under no legal obligation to provide the OP with a risk assessment for this particular case but will certainly have a series of risk assessments covering the use of school premises by teachers, children and the general public. This does not prevent the Head from making other decisions she feels are in the interests of, particularly, the children resulting from observations she, or any other staff members, make. In this case, I can understand that the head is covering here back by Removing a potential hazard, which is the first stage of risk mitigation - remove the hazard. Whether the OP also thinks it is a hazard or not is irrelevant. I see no discrimination here as car drivers are also not allowed to drive onto school premises to discharge their children.
Cancer changes your outlook on life. Change yours before it changes you.
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ArMoRothair
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Joined: 20 Jun 2013, 10:55am
Location: Londinium

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by ArMoRothair »

Yogactive wrote:Here is the area where I dismount my daughter from the bike


Careful: you will now be hounded for taking a photograph on school premises, with CHILDREN, and circulating on the internet!


Seriously: surely if you were to undertake to lock the bike to the railings at this point all perceived, or potential, danger of it falling over would be removed? Problem solved.
johncarnie
Posts: 108
Joined: 2 Dec 2011, 3:53pm

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by johncarnie »

7. get bike rails in or outside the school - just like all the other Havering schools
To be honest, I think this is the best option. Ultimately, it will be the head teacher who has the final say (and will probably be supported by the Governors) Your best to write/email Havering Borough requesting the installation of rails (not sure if it would come out of the school budget) pointing out the dangers of taking your child out of the seat with all the other parents cars etc near the school entrance. Given the way most parents park (more like abandon) near schools this would be an issue!
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ArMoRothair
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Location: Londinium

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by ArMoRothair »

Yogactive wrote:Here is the area where I dismount my daughter from the bike


The bigger risk here is her wearing a scarf on a bike. I've stopped my other half dressing our daughter with a scarf when we are using the bike because I have a horror of it getting entwined in the wheel.
Yogactive
Posts: 13
Joined: 5 Nov 2013, 12:04pm
Location: Havering

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by Yogactive »

Thank you all for the creative suggestions. It was a helpful and interesting experience. As for taking pictures : i did not taken any with children on it except my own child. wishing the best for the future and hopefully none of your children cycling to this school (well obviously not- as children are not encouraged to cycle to school here couldn't even leave their helmet anywhere...)
Yogactive
Posts: 13
Joined: 5 Nov 2013, 12:04pm
Location: Havering

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by Yogactive »

ArMoRothair wrote:
The bigger risk here is her wearing a scarf on a bike. I've stopped my other half dressing our daughter with a scarf when we are using the bike because I have a horror of it getting entwined in the wheel.

I have 2 very happy healthy children, wearing scarfs whenever weather is chilly- she is also wearing glasses which could be another BIG RISK in case we fall she injures her face with the broken glass.
eileithyia
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Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by eileithyia »

Yogactive, I have not said anything because I do not have anything to contribute on the legal points and my days of taking a child in a child seat anywhere are long gone (he is a fit active 20 yr old who now beats me up hills) :lol:
I think 1-2 of the posters have been a little tongue-in-cheek with their later comments (photos on t'internet etc.) I also know Meic and how passionate he is about cycling places with his daughter and equally I believe one of his later comments was a bit tongue in cheek. Always the problem with internet as you do not see facial expressions / accompanying body language.

I agree with you it is perfectly possible to remove child from seat while still holding bike as indeed I did all those years ago, merely scoop child up as they hold on, with right arm while holding bike with left hand. Though admittedly Andrew was not in a child seat up to 5 years and would have been a little more heavy than when I stopped using a car seat, nevertheless he was on a tandem I would still need somewhere secure to park the bike before I scooped him off the saddle.

I am shocked that you have been banned from what you have been doing safely for 15months and would certainly enter into discussion with the Head along the lines suggested, risk assessments, governors, ask Head to accompany you etc., Good Luck
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
mr_cellophane
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Joined: 1 Apr 2008, 6:06pm

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by mr_cellophane »

So many "brilliant" suggestions from people who don't know the area or the school.
The pavements around the school are quite narrow and unloading the child from the bike outside would more likely block half the pavement.
Mark1978
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Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by Mark1978 »

mr_cellophane wrote:So many "brilliant" suggestions from people who don't know the area or the school.
The pavements around the school are quite narrow and unloading the child from the bike outside would more likely block half the pavement.


Worth doing and directing anyone who complains to the head? ;)
Edwards
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Location: Birmingham

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by Edwards »

mr_cellophane wrote:So many "brilliant" suggestions from people who don't know the area or the school.
The pavements around the school are quite narrow and unloading the child from the bike outside would more likely block half the pavement.


Unfortunately for Yogactive with the way the head is being at the moment this is the only alternative. I think some of the comments have being trying to work out the perceived problem and other objections that the head could say.
I love the scarf and the way it is wrapped up I bet she is warm around the top. It is short enough not to be a problem and do its job.

The only way to get any near what you want is to get the head on your side. If you start trying to go over her head to the governors or LEA she will dig her heals in, then you will get no where.
Try asked the head if she has a compromise suggestion. The vehicle entrance is on thought.
Keith Edwards
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Adam S
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Joined: 15 Nov 2012, 8:53pm

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by Adam S »

I live down a street with a school on it. Many parents block half (or more) of the pavement on a daily basis for much longer than it takes to take a child from a child seat. There's been one outside my window for the past half hour.
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Si
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Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by Si »

mr_cellophane wrote:So many "brilliant" suggestions from people who don't know the area or the school.
The pavements around the school are quite narrow and unloading the child from the bike outside would more likely block half the pavement.


If you think that one of the suggestions put forward by people who are merely trying to help won't work then you merely have to say so - there really is no need for the sarcasm...it adds nothing to the thread apart from risking getting people's backs up.
LollyKat
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Joined: 28 May 2011, 11:25pm
Location: Scotland

Re: banned with my bike from daughter's school

Post by LollyKat »

mr_cellophane wrote:The pavements around the school are quite narrow and unloading the child from the bike outside would more likely block half the pavement.

And presumably the other half of the pavement is (illegally) blocked by parked cars. From what I can gather the OP isn't technically banned from cycling to the school gates, but that trying to dismount her daughter there is considerably less safe for her, as well as getting in the (?hazardous) way of other parents and their children. Perhaps the OP can ask the school to enforce the parking/drop-off rules vigorously - this is also a H&S issue.

When I was at primary school (over 50 years ago, ahem) we sometimes had problems with rats. The classroom had an alcove at the end with a sink in it where we could wash out our paintboxes. Every so often the teacher would say, "Now children - that blue saucer with white powder under the sink is rat poison. Don't touch it or you will be very sick and probably die." None of us touched it - nobody died. We were 8-year-olds and rat poison was a normal feature of our lives, at home as well as at school.

Unfortunately cycling is now seen in many parts of society as something abnormal, to be despised, perhaps feared, and certainly stamped out as far as possible. It is irrational but it will take time and patience to overcome.

Good luck to the OP - she will need to proceed gently and tactfully through the proper channels if she is to make progress, but it is a very worthy cause.
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