"Busy Streets"

I

imp

Senior Member
1947. I started Kindergarten, 3/4 mile from our house. There were "Busy Streets", 2 of them, and "Streets", about 6. My Mother walked with me the first few days. She never drove a car. The first day, I bawled! She left me there alone! The next few days were nice, better. My teacher was a very short, bent-over lady with a hump on her back. Her name was Miss Moffat. Her appearance had no fearful effect. She was sweet.

After about a week, I was left to go it alone. Not afraid. The proscribed route was adhered to. The "Busy" streets both had "crossing guards", older guys to help kids cross. One of them stands out. He handed pennies to the kids he favored. Once, he gave me 2 or 3! I had to cross two busy streets to get to school. 16th. St. and Ridgeland Ave., which ran perpendicular to each other.

Soon, I learned there were other ways, though I never told my Mother. Alleys, alternate streets. That's how I got my kitty, described in another thread! We kids back then, ALL WALKED to school, from day one. No school busses, or mothers with cars. It was that way in mainstream America then.

Once, overnight 12 inches of snow fell. Early morning, bundled up, I trudged through it to school, no consideration given to the possibility of adversity. My Mother TRUSTED in the upbringing she had inspired! 3 kids showed up, the other 2 brought by their mothers!

Are we become "soft", now, as a nation? imp
 

Last edited:
Imp, I am pleased that your childhood experience went well. Sadly, even in those times children disappeared. Soft, no, careful yes. I walked my son to school when he was small. I trusted in the upbringing my son received, regrettably distrusted his safety around strangers. Predators exist. The more trusting a child, the easier they are preyed upon. We are simply more aware of such things now.
 
I did the same thing with my Mom back in 1964 when I started Kindergarten, Imp. She too never drove and walked me through the (roughly) 1-mile journey to my school, a journey that included crossing two major roads (no crossing guards) and a small creek that served as home for the local "bums" (homeless), of whom I was terrified. They wore raggedy clothing, carried half-empty bottles and were unshaven, so they MUST have been evil!

Mom didn't allow me to make that journey alone for the first month or so, and one day during our trip it was raining cats and dogs, so hard that the creek began to overflow the little bridge. When the "bums" saw us coming they all scurried about grabbing boards and random pieces of wood, laying them down on the bridge so we could have a dry passage.

Amazing sometimes what you learn in Kindergarten ... :D
 

  • Like
Reactions: imp
Great story, Phil. Humans can be very kind. I had to take the bus, except for the two years we lived in town. In town, we took our bikes to school or walked, depending on the weather. Biggest problem was avoiding the bullies. Two of them lived on the next street over and took great joy picking on people.
 
I always walked to school; my mom didn't learn to drive until she was in her sixties, after my father died. It wouldn't have mattered anyway if she did drive, because we only had one car and my dad took it to work. I wasn't ever scared walking to school, except one day during a really bad sandstorm. We don't have those anymore because the area is more built up, but back in the 50s there was a lot of empty area and the sand would get so thick in the air you really couldn't see -- and tumbleweeds (yikes).
 
I started kindergarden 1938 and was walked to school by my nine year older half sister. The school was four blocks from where we lived in Newark New Jersey. We moved to Paterson when I started 1st Grade and my sister continued to walk me to school another four or five blocks from where we lived. From 2nd Grade on I went to school walking on my own. All the way through to the 8th grade I never had to walk more than 10 blocks & that includes the 7th Grade in Littleton Colorado. From the 8th grade through High School in Oakland California I rode my Schwin bike 5 miles.
 
I don't recall my mother walking me to school. My dad always had to car to go to work and she had a newborn at home. I started first grade at 5 years old and I just walked the mile to school with the other neighborhood kids. We had to cross a busy highway and the crossing boys would come to meet us. They were all terrible bullies and I was terrified of them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: imp
Gratifying it is, to occasionally delve back in my old memories, and find something which strikes common ground with us old folks! Thank you, people! imp
 
For some crazy reason, in Oregon, I went to school for 2 years at each school and then we moved. I never walked as we always lived out of town and I rode a bus.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top