Inconsiderate drivers and tractor operators, bad mix...

[daugen]

in boating one of the core rules of maritime law is the requirement to avoid a collision no matter who is right or wrong.
There is a concept of who had the "last chance" to avoid the collision.
When in doubt, wait for the other guy to pass.

Even if you are in the "right", how are you going to feel if kids in the dumb texting Mom's suv get hurt?
Sometimes we have to be more careful and smarter than the next guy to protect us all.
To me that defines defensive driving, no matter whether a car, boat, semi or tractor.

Basically I just assume everyone is crazy around me and drive defensively to match...

I've never driven a combine on the road but I have driven a full size tractor with a mower on the back and while most folks going by wave
and are courteous, I've been flipped off too. I always wonder how much coffee have you been drinking?

 

[tduby]

Trust me I know farmers don’t make the rules but for a group of people who hates more regulation they sure do a bad job of self regulation.

So in your arguments what is people depend on you for cheap food so you have to cut corners or people want expensive organic foods you are safe? Sure food is important but I got news for you people have been replacing farmers for thousands of years so don’t get to high and mighty everyone has a job to do and yours isn’t any more or less important that the 300 million that keep this country moving.

 

[K5lwq]

I do not view farming as a job. It is a life. Most farmers are very humble people and care more for others than themselves. They don't ask for a lot and are very thankful for what they have. Very rarely do you hear a farmer complain about anything. Most will pray that God will honor their hard work.

Our nation has about a 6 months food supply. If farmers failed to put in a crop one year, getting food and the basic necessities would be far worse than when Covid hit the world.

I am very thankful for all that served in our military to give us the freedom to have this discussion. Likewise I am very thankful for the life the farmer chose to feed the world.

 

[3Ts]

Farmers have the need to move large equipment short distances frequently (i.e. between fields) in a low density area, construction crews have a need to move large equipment long distances thru congested areas and they sit at the site until the job is done. I can see permits for construction eqpt., I don't see what a permit for ag equipment would accomplish, other than just increase the costs to the farmer with no change in safety or road maintenance.

As for the fiber cable, I don't know what the code requirements are for signal wires (including copper phone lines), but electrical lines are supposed to be buried 2 to 4 feet down (with some exceptions). I've also encountered regular romex buried about 3 inches down and 1.5" electrical conduit providing power to a building 6" down. If they aren't buried properly then they should expect some interruptions in service.

 

[LouNY]

Farmers have the need to move large equipment short distances frequently (i.e. between fields) in a low density area, construction crews have a need to move large equipment long distances thru congested areas and they sit at the site until the job is done. I can see permits for construction eqpt., I don't see what a permit for ag equipment would accomplish, other than just increase the costs to the farmer with no change in safety or road maintenance.

As for the fiber cable, I don't know what the code requirements are for signal wires (including copper phone lines), but electrical lines are supposed to be buried 2 to 4 feet down (with some exceptions). I've also encountered regular romex buried about 3 inches down and 1.5" electrical conduit providing power to a building 6" down. If they aren't buried properly then they should expect some interruptions in service.

Lets add that any "codes" are minimums, not necessarily best design or best or better install.

 

[MossRoad]

Before You Dig

 

[Diggin It]

Most of our county roads are barely 10 feet wide, some 12-15 feet with less than a foot of shoulder. Two passenger cars in opposing directions can't pass at road speed. Both have to slow and put one set of tires off the pavement. You get behind a tractor, you stay behind it until they turn off or move over. You come up one coming at you, one of you pulls off the road.

State highways are normal lane width, but again, no shoulders in most places. Some drop off 3-4 feet, many drop much further. There is no where safe to pull off.

Most farmers travel between fields on the county roads only, but some have to use the state highways for a mile or two. Some make the trip several times a day when bailing and hauling hay. Permits or time restrictions ain't a'gonna work.

We also have the very large Ag groups that travel 50 miles or more between leased fields. One comes in convoys of 6 or 8 harvesters, that many or more semis with grain trailers, plus all the support vehicles, fuel trucks, etc. I've seen them roll in at 8 or 9 in the morning, work the fields straight through the day and night, then leave at 3 or 4 the next morning.

 

[Jstpssng]

Yes, definitely restrict when they can move. Everybody knows that harvesting a field is a very controlled activity and they know exactly how much each field will produce, how long it will take to harvest, the weather is always perfect and equipment never breaks down.
Therefore they should be able to schedule for the convenience of people who are always in a hurry because they didn't plan ahead.

I've long believed that the price of groceries should reflect the actual cost of production.

 

[Drstrangeglove]

"farmer wound up 50 feet of fiber optic after busting a handhold" ;
it should have been better protected and more visible.

5 foot markers on each side.

"they burned their land and used the road as a fire brake melted the the box holding the coil of fiber";
they own and pay taxes to the center of the road in most cases, you have just decided to use the utility easement design for regular and normal occurrences.

go tell that to the guy that I had to plow though several acres of peanuts. He planted up next the the paved road and county said the cable will be on the back 5 foot of the ROW.

I have seen the state take an excavator to pull up a fence and then send the owner a bill.

 

[LouNY]

Yes, definitely restrict when they can move. Everybody knows that harvesting a field is a very controlled activity and they know exactly how much each field will produce, how long it will take to harvest, the weather is always perfect and equipment never breaks down.
Therefore they should be able to schedule for the convenience of people who are always in a hurry because they didn't plan ahead.

I've long believed that the price of groceries should reflect the actual cost of production.

There would be a lot of hungry and thinner people around.