Crankshaft by Tom Batiuk and Dan Davis for February 27, 2025

There were a few times when I walked over 1/2 mile to school. But, when I was in the 7th and 8th grades, we lived across the road from a country school. But, my Older brother rode the bus to town to go to high school 4 miles away.

Just remember, faithful readers, these are the jokes that didn’t make the cut when Batiuk was beating this “school bus driver shortage” routine into the ground last November 4-9 and this past January 6-11 (not counting a week or two of “If Amazon picked kids up” strips).

Dad always mentioned how he walked 5 blocks to get to school back in the late 20’s and early 30’s.

30 more minutes they are notified to get to the schools, classes are letting out early because the the snow.

They say ‘every journey begins with a single step’. But what about the traffic?

I think that one mile (if not more) is STILL the rule for walking in some areas. It used to be where I grew up.

Walked 2 miles to high school

You get extra credit for fizz, Ed? What’re you drinking?

We had to I’ve over s mile to get a ride

Ha. Big deal. When me cub me was walks uphill both ways to school see. To the school of fishies at the stream that is. Deeleeshus.

That almost could have worked for me, as Phys Ed was my least favorite class; I was that guy that got picked last for team sports activities. The problem is, I lived just around the corner from the school and I walked anyway.

it was that way in my home town for quite a while in the 50’s

My school district had a policy of under 2 miles you walked. No PE credit….. and that was up hill both ways in the winter too!

Walk? In Hoth-like weather?! ARE YOU HIGH?!

That could work. It worked when I was young, when my daughter was young, and when my grandson was younger.

when I was in school if you lived within a mile from the school you had to walk, in High School they increased it to 3 miles and you had to pay extra if you wanted to ride the bus

Probably not a bad idea for some of these kids to walk anyway and still have to do phys ed.

I had to walk too in grade school but I always walked on railroad property to avoid certain kids who would beat your a$$ just for their own entertainment.

…….always a hook!!!!!

Walked 3/4 mile to and back from school, circa 1950s. I’m reading this and thinking: WTF?! (fudge) Yeah, in Maine we had buses for kids way out in the country, but we all walked and, eventually, bicycled to and from school.

They say no two rows of snowflakes are ever alike.

In the 1990s, I walked 3.4 kilometres to and from high school for 4 years, then the 5th year, I rode the city bus 12 kilometres.

honest abe walked to school and look how he turned out

went to Catholic school in RI in 60’s and they only had 3 buses so from 5th grade to 8th grade you had to walk to school in wind rain and snow, and googled it, it was 1.6 miles (one way)…but it wasn’t uphill

Not a bad idea……

I walked over a mile and a half when I missed the city bus. and my Son actually did walk up hill both ways! Down from the house, up to the school then revered coming back.

Good idea Mary made about the extra credit in Phys. Ed. for the walking. It’s good exercise!

Am I the only one who thinks the Black bus driver (can never remember his name) looks like Nate Green? I tend to get them confused.

I have stops where 6, 7 and 8th graders board, but highschoolers have to walk from the same spot.

Lived on a busy street about 5 blocks from school. Had to take the bus. Moved to another town, lived on a busy street, 1.9 miles from school and had to walk. Had to be 2 miles away to be bussed. I liked walking, personally.

That’s a good first step to reducing the childhood obesity problem