Sign of bad parenting?

Jon took this photo earlier this week in his neighborhood, near Sherwood Forest School. Note the emphasis on safety, and that the child who is depicted walking is shown walking with an adult (although it seems that the gator is allowed to walk on his own). The blog, which is definitely in favor of walking everywhere, has two comments. First, earlier this school year Susan was contacted by Nate's school because they were "concerned" that instead of being picked up at carpool he was walking (less than a mile) over to her lab on the the Wake Forest campus (Nate is a 7th grader). Second there was an article in this past Sunday's New York Times Style section about how many schools (and parents) assume that allowing a child to walk even a short distance to and from school is a sign of bad parenting...