Ravac67 t1_j6ou9md wrote on January 31, 2023 at 9:12 PM

In kindergarten, I often walked the half mile to North Street School (Windsor Locks) and back.

When my folks moved to South Windsor, once I hit 10 years old, I had about a 5 mile radius I was allowed to ride my bike in. Included TE middle school and Caldor plaza on Tolland Tpk.

This was when Janice Pockett was still talked about in hushed whispers.

Kodiak01 OP t1_j6ovwt0 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 9:22 PM

I grew up in the suburbs of Western MA.

In 1980 at 5 years old, I was walking 5 blocks to school and back.

By 1983, after school I was walking 2+ miles in the OTHER direction after school to one of my parent's businesses, which included traversing the center of a town of ~25k people.

1984, I was riding my bike 2.5 miles to my little league game, another 2.5mi afterward to get ice cream with the team, and ANOTHER 2.5mi after that to get home, usually well after dark on a BMX bike with no lights and no helmet. The 2nd and 3rd legs had to go through the center of town as well.

By the time high school rolled around, instead of taking the bus I would bike 7 miles to school in a neighboring town, followed by another 2.5mi after school to the other parent's business to work. Bike would then be tossed in the back of the van for the ride home. It was also nothing to take 15-20 mile rides without a second thought.