I wondered yesterday when I was looking at the route why I couldn’t see tracking online, but thought it was just a glitch. Now actually doing the journey. Thankfully the first bus came more or less on time (1 min late) and I was so pleased to see it! Yes “scheduled” is usually not reliable.

The reason for our trip is the 13yo got selected as a group of 30ish to represent Birmingham Scouts at the 2026 World Scout Jamboree Poland. Once a month we have to get him to different places in the city- today is 1 hour on the bus across town. Next month it might be a walk or cycle closer to home.

Aha! Yes only options for us are NX today.

Feeling this today. Takes me back to the 1990s. Have become so used to the RTPI! Thankfully first bus appeared more or less on time.

Yes that’s a good analogy!

I know it’s well intentioned and I don’t mind being offered most of the time. I just didn’t think that this would be the hardest thing of not owning a car that I’m finding right now. We offer lifts too when we’re using a club car, as we try to sort lift shares that help everyone.

💯 how I felt last night. He had waterproofs on & anyone who knows him knows that water is his favourite thing, hence the swim club. He’s often found exploring in streams, and jumps at the chance to do water sports. He’s spending this afternoon in the rain with Scouts. 10 mins in the rain is nothing.

I totally get the kindness of offer, I’m not saying I’m not appreciative. I know it comes from the right place. We offer lifts too, we do lift shares in the CoWheels club car. Husband is doing that right now, dropping our Scout off for afternoon session & picking up a friend who did morning session.

That car, since 2017, when I was pregnant with twins, taking us from 2 to 4 children. We’d always been car light. It sat on drive unused during Covid, then broke down when I eventually took it out one day. Needed around £2k worth of repair, so started trial without, still going 5 yrs later.

Yes, these are the kind of explanations I say all the time. Mostly I don’t mind, but when I’m tired it gets to me more, like at the end of a busy week on a Friday night coming home from swim club with a 12yo on the back of the cargo bike who gets offered a lift.

Yes definitely get it more from people we don’t know as well. I post a lot on my instagram account, trying to normalise what we do, and the advantages that people don’t think of, like you say.

I hear you, it’s exhausting. Last week it was a lift home from a party when I was looking forward to 1:1 time on the bus with my 8yo (rare with 4!). Last night it was offer of lift home for my 12yo in the rain instead of cargo bike - same kid is doing Scouts jamboree selection day in rain today!

Yes, I get this too. If I’m not too exhausted I engage in conversation to try to explain why we’re totally fine with walking/cycling/taking the bus for that journey. We are also privileged to live in a place where daily life is walkable in 15-20mins, except 1 school with good public bus connection.

No, years behind still. We have a couple of flagship cycle tracks on 2 trunk roads into the city centre. In the local area where we live, walking and cycling is OK, I mean not brilliant but doable. Beyond that we mostly get the bus or train.

I agree, having lived without one as a family of 6 for 5 years. It’s just exhausting when families around us don’t get it. We are surrounded by people for whom a (or 2 or 3) car/s definitely is the default.

I tried to ride through town from Hill Street to Summer Lane last week. Not done that route for a while. I was reminded how utterly awful cycling through Brum city centre is. Not intuitive or convenient at all. Wouldn’t bother if I wasn’t so determined to use my bike.

I have a Liv Flourish with all of the above spec. Mine is 17” frame (I’m 5ft6in), but can get smaller ones.

Some of us went to the Clean Kilo this morning whilst others of us were playing/watching football at Rowheath. Can’t afford to buy all our food there, but we do what we can - the fruit and veg plastic free is the main thing that draws us there.