Currently finishing up the last of my thank you cards from the holiday season. (I'm so behind this year!) I doubt thank you cards will be mailed in about ten years.
Yeah that;s true, about 90% of kids live within 30 min cycling distance, one of the benefits of living in such a dense populated country. Besides that benefit the "free-range mentality" is very much a cornerstone of growing up here though. Go play with a friend - take your bike, go play your sport (sports are not arranged by schools but their own associations) - take your bike, want to go into the citycentre (mall) - take your bike.
Yeah that;s true, about 90% of kids live within 30 min cycling distance, one of the benefits of living in such a dense populated country. Besides that benefit the "free-range mentality" is very much a cornerstone of growing up here though. Go play with a friend - take your bike, go play your sport (sports are not arranged by schools but their own associations) - take your bike, want to go into the citycentre (mall) - take your bike.
To be fair, most of your population probably lives within a couple miles of a school anyway and that makes sense. Here in the US a child might live 10-20 miles away from their school which makes busing a must.