I am peeved by the coaches outside Alleyns

[Louisa]

A little late addition here on this one, but I indeed have also been at the sharpe edge of Townley RD during school run times, it angers me beyond belief! That PRIVATE school has it's own land, it could easily put up some decent access gates to allow coaches in and out during the busy hours, this would then free up the PUBLIC HIGHWAY which ALL motorists pay to use!

Why should anyone who needs to use this road to get upto Denmark Hill, the Village or westwards to Herne Hill or Brixton be forced to take a longer route just because these coaches decide they wish to park along this road and cause traffic chaos at peak hours? There are so many other options open to the school and coaches but this has now been happening for so many years that it seems we should all just accept it. Luckily I am not a resident of this road or surrounding streets, but if I were I would be up in arms about this. I fully support all local residents who oppose this continued colonisation of this area at key times of the day.

DOWN WITH THE COACHES!!!

Louisa.

[ruffers]

After reading this thread I took a detour this morning to rubber neck on Townley Road.

The school appears to have a big drive in / out driveway with gates. Why don't the coaches go in there?

[Curmudgeon]

The coach situation is generally much improved as I've already mentioned.

EDMummy - good summary thank you

JBarber I appreciate your comments and the proposal of the additional yellow lines but I would dismiss your contention that the majority of students are local for if indeed they were there would be no need for coaches overspilling the existing provision of 5 to 6 coach spaces, particularly as there are an additional 3 outside JAGS.

I both cycle and drive to work and back and Townley Road is the most direct route so that I can get to work in a state school and pick up my children from a state school, I still have no issue with private schools ... merely with the past disregard for road users and the local community.

[sillywoman]

lyndsey83 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> LegalEagle-ish Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > What's wrong with public transport? My kids

> went

> > to Pimlico and they had kids from all over

> London,

> > but they all went on Public transport.

> >

> > Are the private school kids too posh to sit

> next

> > to state school kids on public transport? Why

> the

> > hell should they be allowed, because of their

> > wealth to block everyone's way when there is

> > perfectly adequate public transport in London.

> >

> > The excuses for their segregation from the hoi

> > polloi make me sick. Stop beating around the

> bush

> > and call it what it is, segregated transport for

> a

> > bunch of people who think the little people

> whose

> > way they block should be grateful to breathe

> the

> > same air as them

> >

> > Get the traffic wardens outside their schools

> > instead of stalking Peckham.

>

>

> Wow. That is so generalising and presumptious

> thats it's borderline amusing. Do you know anyone

> that actually went /goes to Alleyn's to justify

> such comments?

Yes, Sensibleman went, several of daughters friends go, several sons & daughters of my friends go - comments entirely justified & accurate as far as I can see. Social segregation is exactly what it is.

[Townleygreen]

Sillywoman,

I think JBARBER's comments are relevant to what you say:

I'm a bit bemused. Its been suggested that users of the private schools coach service should use public trasnport. The coaches only really affect people driving private motor vehicles. The passengers on the coaches are children many quite young. the drivers of the private motor vehicles are clearly adults.

Who is best placed of these two groups to use public transport?

The Foundation schools website state they transport around 1,000 children a day. Allowing for 2 kids lift sharing per car this coach service is keeping around 500 cars a day am and 500 cars pm from areas around Alleyns, Dulwich College, JAGS. Looking atthe website it appears 25 coaches move those 1,000 kids into and out of the area.

So 25 coaches vs. 500+ cars.

Which is best.

I also pointed out earlier

And there are plenty of STATE SCHOOLS that arrange coach services for their pupils too. Are they privileged too? My wife went to a state school that had coach services for its pupils.

As I say, our state schools in this area have very local catchments, but that isn't the case everywhere.

Hope this is helpful!

[MitchK]

Let's be honest, there is a growing undercurrent of thought that private schools are bad because they promote inequality and a 'segregated society'. I am sure some of you would like Alleyns turned into a school open to all and sundry and the sight of priveleged kids in their buses promotes feelings of anger and jealousy.

If you can convince the government to bring back selective grammar schools that promote excellence then you will have my support. Until then, thank God for private schools.

[daizie]

Do you know what Mitch, as a working class girl through and through I never thought id say this but I agree 100% with you .

[LegalEagle-ish]

Townley Green Said:

I also pointed out earlier

And there are plenty of STATE SCHOOLS that arrange coach services for their pupils too. Are they privileged too? My wife went to a state school that had coach services for its pupils.

As I say, our state schools in this area have very local catchments, but that isn't the case everywhere.

Hope this is helpful!

And where are these schools? Any in London?

[trinity]

Kingsdale runs a bus service for pupils I believe

[SimonM]

Let's be honest, there is a growing undercurrent of thought that private schools are bad because they promote inequality

Er no I disagree. This point of view has always been around. There's no evidence it is "growing". "Selective grammar schools", one of which I attended, took only the "top" 20% of the population. Of that only a tenth or so were acadmically 'gifted' to any meaningful degree. Each of these schools could only co-exist with five or six secondary moderns dotted around, many of which were simply dire. Parents who yearn for the return of these schools should ask themselves what they would do if Wayne or Calista failed the 11+ - as around 80% did apparently.

But of course none of this has anything to do with coaches obstructing Townley Road. I don't think they just ferry the school's own pupils, but also visiting sports teams. State school or private school, there is no excuse for coaches to do this until the kids are actually arriving or leaving, not using the road as a car park. There's other places they can hang around without parking illegally or dangerously.

[sillywoman]

MitchK Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> If you can convince the government to bring back

> selective grammar schools that promote excellence

> then you will have my support. Until then, thank

> God for private schools.

unless you can't afford them of course . . .

[njc97]

LegalEagle-ish - Haberdasher Askes also puts on buses for its pupils. So yes, some in London do.

[Mamma Mia]

The Haberdashers coaches are to ferry sixth formers between New Cross and Downham campuses as they have lessons at both sites with only break or lunchtime to travel. Students have to travel to and from school on public transport.

[Bubble734]

They have to get to school somehow!! I'm sure you would also say you have to drive where ever you're going, so put up with it, go another route or walk. You can't get rid of the coaches or half of the school population would be stranded!

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Dear Bubble, I noticed a huge red thing with two decks on wheels today. What do you think that could be?

[MitchK]

You cannot expect private school children to travel on public transport. It would be the end of civilisation as we know it.

[ito1]

At risk of putting my head above the parapet, many years ago I went to a London private school and took a coach every morning and afternoon. Parents were sending in their children from all over south London (I believe much greater distances than the typical catchment areas of many schools) with my coach journey taking 30-45 minutes when public transport would be, at the very least, double that. A number of my school friends were also beaten up or mugged whilst in school uniform and I'm sure this may have played some part in my parents putting me on the coach. Needless to say a quick and easy journey home worked for me.

Given that this thread is about coaches causing travel disruption rather than social injustices it appears to me that the net benefit of ferrying children in coaches rather than cars must outway a little traffic. I now live very close to Alleyns and I'm not inconvenienced by the coaches at all because I'm always on public transport.

[????]

Personally I think this thread pongs a tiny bit of envy and inverted snobbery...prejudice works in all sorts of ways....