Printable View
Most of the time when they're driving combines down the road they have maybe one other person to go with them bringing the head. Sometimes not even that. Everyone I know that is a farmer around this time of year could care less who is on the road when they're going from field to field. They don't want to be on them anymore than you want to be behind them or in front of them.
In my case 16 people could have been easily killed by that care free attitude
this is our little outfit driving down the road !
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...-Copy-Copy.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...-Copy-Copy.jpg
good old Canterbury plains - just out of methven - not a corner in sight!!
sorry about your experience "stovens" but I agree with ryan - when the pressure is on to get the crops in, a lot of things have to get done in a hurry and if your out in farming country you learn to expect this sort of thing.
.
When ever I've been in the caravan behind the combine going to the next field, sometimes their is a lead truck, but I'd say it's a small percentage of the time. The problem is people don't pay attention. I had a lady pass me on saturday going up hill. To her surprise I was behind a tractor with 2 wagons, whom I didn't know. She passed me, swerved in front of me then took the shoulder around the tractor nearly missing a culvert and mail box. All for what? Gotta get to McDonald's to get a fix?? Around here some radio stations play reminders about farm equipment being on the road, but most of the people in small towns know to be on the look out for them.
I guess IMO you have to be some what ready or paying attention while on roads all year round around. You never know when there will be a windmill blade, modular house, bridge beams, tractor, horse and carriage/buggy, etc, in or on the whole road. I know I've had my head in the clouds and been caught off gaurd before.
on blind turns on a state hiway, you can't anticipate a combine 75 feet in front of you blocking highway and moving towards you you can't anticipate that on 200 miles of state hiway. I don't care how alert you are, people need to think before they block a hiway on a blind turn.
Just like the guy driving into a blind turn needs to slow down and anticipate that something/anything might be in the road!
I've been on both sides of this fence, doing utility work, no matter how many signs we put up, someone wants to run us over it seems! Sigh...
I guess this is a pointless discussion until someone gets killed then it's a sad day. I understand being carefull, I'm not talking a rural narrow road with a hair pin turn, I was talking about a state hiway lined with trees, coming around a long turn to see the hiway blocked, not a rural road, country street, But the entire hiway! I guess I must be crazy to expect it to be clear and free of people driving heavy machinery capable of killing people, without notice who are driving the posted speeds. I'm sorry to deviate this post with stupid assumptions.
You're NOT wrong Steve! I was trying to say there are both viewpoints to consider and having driven farm equipment over the road I know how people get angry because some slow piece of equipment is in their way.. And I also know that when I have a crew in the road and I'm directing traffic, I am scared! Folks just drive way to fast a lot of the time and even with signs out, 1000 feet away, they just come right at you!
So I've also been there, when on a interstate, a broke down truck didn't make it to the shoulder and all of a sudden there it is and your heart leaps into your chest!
That's why we need to drive defensively and think about what may be ahead and try to leave yourself an "out" / a way to escape... Like a blind corner, maybe we all need to slow down?
ps... the farmer doesn't like being there either! He knows what could happen, but he's also sometimes forced to do whatever it takes to get the crop in or go on welfare next year.
Point taken.
I know about being in the other side of the equation too. In my case I wasn't speeding and had a very limited way to react to that given situation. This guy must have been driving down the center of the highway for at least a mile, because there was no place to get on or off for a mile behind him or ahead, not to mention being able to pull over or turn around. He was heading straight for us. My mom's side of the family are farmers in the Central valley here in CA. We used to drive on the road down the vineyards in the tractors, but always pulled off to the side if someone was driving down the road. Most people in that area expect farm machinery to be out and are farmers too, so they don't speed or try to pass in a dangerous situation. But If we were moving a huge heavy machine that was going to block the entire road for more than a couple minutes we always had a spotter front and back for safety reasons. Mind you their ranch was on a country road, not a state hiway.
I also have been the distracted driver before and have come close to hitting something because my attention was diverted, but again this was not one of those situations.
you can drive cattle down my hwy or anything else. perfectly legal . it is a fm hwy.
I have seen plenty of farmers that will not move over when they do not need the entire road. But usually that isn't the case. They really don't want to injure anyone including their equipment.
I'm far too familiar with road side hazeards and idiots. People that can't get over when there is a car, truck, bus, what ever, on the shoulder of any road, need chased down and beaten. I nearly got my legs smashed changing a fuel filter on a semi a few years ago. I had cones behind the truck and the truck was as far off the shoulder as it could be. Of course it was at the end of rush hour on 235 N and people can care less. Except for the one that caught a plugged filter when I jumped to avoid getting hit. :LOL:
I know exactly what you're saying Steve. And you aren't wrong, it's just one of those situations..
In Wyoming any road is considered open range unless posted closed range.....Don't ask how I found this out!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
well its` cotton picking season here in cotton picking north bama and you cant go down any cotton picking road without meeting a cotton picking cotton picker around every cotton picking turn ..i just drive a little slower ..