After getting out of the neighborhood, I began to think of the riddle/joke: "Why did the chicken cross the road?" Of course, the common answer is: "To get to the other side!" The riddle first appeared in an 1847 edition of The Knickerbocker, a New York City monthly magazine. As the decades have gone by, there have been variations to the answer -- such as, "It was too far to walk around."
For 172 years people have been clucking -- er, I mean chuckling -- about this riddle/joke. However, kids being able to safely dodge traffic to get to school bus stops is no joking matter. Last year, three siblings in northern Indiana were killed when a driver ignored the flashing lights on a school bus and struck all three as they were crossing the road. At the same time, similar crashes occurred in Florida and Mississippi.
Every year in the United States, at least 100 children are killed in collisions while walking to or from school. About half of all deaths of children in or near school zones involve kids who are 15 or older. The Transportation Research Board reports that 25,000 children are injured every year in school zone accidents.
As this school year gets underway, let's all pay close attention to children in school zones and at bus stops. Be safe and have a great school year everyone!
From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),
Paul J. Staso
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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek
Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:
- United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
- Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
- Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
- Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
- The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
- Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
- Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
- Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
- Some Cycling Moments From The Past
