this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2024
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United States | News & Politics

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The school bus is disappearing. Welcome to the era of the school pickup line. (wapo.st)
submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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But if their parents can’t interrupt their shift at the factory or the Fuddruckers to pick up kids, what are the children of less-fortunate parents doing? Given that researchers have found a strong link between lower socioeconomic status and high absenteeism, it seems likely that some of them have not gone to school at all.

Applied economist Michael Gottfried, now at the University of Pennsylvania, called this idea perfectly plausible. And he would know: His research into the causes and consequences of absenteeism in America’s schools has been cited just about everywhere. It also has transformed him into an unabashed bus booster.

“I believe the bus is a lifeline for students,” he told us.

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[–] [email protected] 48 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

I'm so tired of life in this country just consistently getting worse. When the hell are we gonna reach a breaking point where the people revolt against the effects of unchecked capitalism, because I feel like we're getting there. (And no, I don't mean January 6th style where we get a dictator instead)

People can barely get by and they're being attacked on all sides, politically threatening democracy, (thus threatening your safety), threatening what little amount of shitty health insurance we're given, cutting wages, cutting jobs, crashing the economy multiple times to get bailed out by the tax payer's, threatening people because of the color of their skin, or because their religions n is the right one and yours isn't, denying science, denying climate changed letting a global pandemic run wild because it might kill your political opponents more that live in dense cities. The list goes on, and on. I'm so tired of this shit and the dumb ass people that support it.

[–] baronvonj 17 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Dropoff and pickup lines aren't new. They were already a punchline in Mr Mom (released in 1983).

Off to read the article.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It's about changes in how many people are driving their kids instead of letting them walk/bike/ride the bus

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago

Aye, anecdotally, there was a school near my childhood home, other side of the street and about .8 miles away. The line of cars used to be about halfway to my house. Now, when I visit family, I see it stretching past my house and it at least stretches a full mile in length now. It's nuts.

[–] Ep1cFac3pa1m 15 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Where the fuck can you still find a Fuddruckers?!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Around back

[–] Ep1cFac3pa1m 6 points 9 months ago

Oh no, I’m not falling for that again!

[–] doingthestuff 2 points 9 months ago

Pigeon Forge I think

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I've only ever seen one in Northern Virginia.

[–] Ep1cFac3pa1m 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I’m pretty sure there was one in my city when I was a kid, but we’re talking 30 years ago 🤷‍♂️

[–] Spiralvortexisalie 2 points 9 months ago

They are still around, they definitely aren’t as popular they were around the turn of century full list here, including one in Canada (SK) and one in Mexico (Yucatan)

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Ride Bikes!

[–] [email protected] 14 points 9 months ago

Getting people to do that means getting rid of a lot of the high-front SUVs and pickups that pose an extra hazard to the people around them.

[–] BradleyUffner 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I used to do that until the school bullies trashed my bike.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I’m sorry that happened to you. :-(. Get another bike, don’t let the bullies win.

[–] BradleyUffner 1 points 8 months ago

Thanks, but that was 30 years ago. I got over it. And I got a MUCH nicer bike.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Safely? Lots of places there is no way a kid could do that.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

And there are plenty where they can, yet parents don't let them and certainly don't teach them how to ride safely.

I ride with my kids past our neighborhood elementary school all the time (it's on the way to the library), and we're one of the furthest from the school (about half a mile), yet there's still a massive line of cars, and pretty much no bikes outside. There are even crossing guards and everything, yet I only see a handful of kids crossing.

Parents are super protective of their children here. We get flack for letting the kids ride their bikes in the neighborhood, or over to the nearest park about a quarter mile away. It's ridiculous.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 9 months ago

Oh no! Kids can't ride bikes anymore, it has absolutely nothing to do with reactionary people like you.

[–] jordanlund 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

PHRASING!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

“Will you be my student loans? Because I’d like to have you around for the rest of my life.” - taken from the article.